Top Banana: Tour de France 2018 stage 4 – Guillaume Van Keirsbulck

Top Banana: Tour de France 2018 stage 4 – Guillaume Van Keirsbulck

History is made as Belgium’s Guillaume Van Keirsbulck becomes Rouleur’s first double Top Banana winner after proving the most enthusiastic rider in today’s break

Guillaume Van Keirsbulck Racing Top Banana Wanty-Groupe Gobert

Give us a break, we cried as four riders cruised away unchallenged at kilometre zero. A break they were, but we didn’t want to have to pick from this lot. 

They were the usual suspects, a smattering of Direct Energie, Cofidis and Wanty-Groupe Gobert riders. They were hard workers no doubt, ambitious and keen. But they were not so much animators as incidentals, doomed to dangle and deter any other would-be attackers on the sprintiest looking stage thus far of this 90s throwback Tour.

Or at least that’s what the race has felt like across the opening three road stages of pre-destined gallops. 

Over 190km later Jerome Cousin, Dimitri Claeys, Anthony Perez and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck were still up front. And they almost had us in a tizzy of anticipation as they entered the last few kilometres in full co-operative mode with over half a minute still in hand.

Read: An Easter in Flanders with legendary team boss Hilaire van der Schueren

Just maybe they could stay away. But, then, of course not. The final run into Sarzeau was as straight as a ruler. The sprint teams finally pulled their fingers out. Yet as the three other riders accepted the inevitable catch at around the two kilometre mark, Wanty’s Van Keirsbulck still wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.

He had no chance but it was a spirited move of defiance from a man who had earlier sorted himself maximum sprint points and put in some monster turns to try and extend the break’s longevity.

The Belgian has form for this sort of thing too. On last year’s Stage Four, he  duly picked up our Top Banana for taking off on his own for 190km. And lets face it, if you’re going to make a success of escapes like that, a couple of bananas in your back pocket is exactly what you need.

The Rouleur Top Banana goes to an unsung hero of each stage of the Tour de France – not the winner, not the yellow jersey – but a rider whose efforts deserve recognition 

Top Banana: Tour de France stage 1 – Yoann Offredo

Top Banana: Tour de France stage 2 – Lawson Craddock

Top Banana: Tour de France stage 3 – Tejay Van Garderen

The post Top Banana: Tour de France 2018 stage 4 – Guillaume Van Keirsbulck appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Guillaume Van Keirsbulck Racing Top Banana Wanty-Groupe Gobert

READ MORE

Portrait of Lukas Nerurkar

‘An altitude camp at the age of seven’ – Lukas Nerurkar on the power of doing things differently

The British rider had a unique upbringing, spending his early childhood in Ethiopia and learning from his marathon runner father – he tells Rouleur about...

Leggi di più
Women's UAE Tour

Women’s UAE Tour 2025: Who will win the four-stage race in the Middle East?

The third edition of the Women's WorldTour race will begin on Thursday, February, 6 2025 

Leggi di più
Rob Stannard

Robert Stannard: Lost, fined, and fighting for redemption

The Australian rider speaks to Rouleur about his turbulent past 18 months 

Leggi di più
Wout van Aert says winning Flanders and Roubaix isn’t an obsession – but it is

Wout van Aert says winning Flanders and Roubaix isn’t an obsession – but it is

All eyes will be on the Belgian rider as he tries to finally win two of the biggest one-day races in the sport

Leggi di più
Frank van den Broek: hobby DJ, part-time florist, and Tour de France star

Frank van den Broek: hobby DJ, part-time florist, and Tour de France star

Frank van den Broek hasn't had the most conventional rise to the top

Leggi di più

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE