Top Banana: Tour de France stage 19 – Thomas De Gendt

Top Banana: Tour de France stage 19 – Thomas De Gendt

Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and a particular plucky Belgian rider in the breakaway. Thomas De Gendt, we salute you

Racing Thomas De Gendt Tour de France

Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and a particular Belgian rider in the breakaway. 

There’s no doubting Thomas De Gendt is the attacker du Tour. According to L’Equipe this morning, he had spent 862 kilometres in breaks during the 2017 race. Chalk that up to four figures tonight after his involvement in a 20-man escape on the road to Salon-de-Provence. 

As surely the last chance for a breakaway to go to the line, it was a hotly-contested affair. De Gendt made the first split then accelerated four kilometres out. 

A minute after he had been shut down by an Orica-Scott rider, the race was decided by something as innocuous as going the right way round the roundabout. 

So, for all his kilometres bludgeoning away in front this month, De Gendt will likely emerge with no stage win or even a day in a jersey. Yet he is third in the King of the Mountains competition and seventh in the points competition. Surely someone can fashion him a combination jersey [Ed – a fashion eyesore that died out after the 1989 race]?

“This guy is quite amazing. I think he has a different way of feeling pain,” André Greipel said post-stage. He and the rest of Lotto-Soudal will hope for another last-gasp victory on the Champs-Elysées to salvage their Tour.

At the very least, De Gendt deserves the overall Combativity Award in Paris. Just as he did last year, when it was given to Romain Bardet instead. A French race being favourable to its own riders? Mais non!

So, here’s something nobody can take away from De Gendt: our Top Banana award. 

Tour de France 2017: Rouleur Top Bananas
Stage 1 – Taylor Phinney
Stage 2 – Tony Gallopin
Stage 3 – Juraj Sagan
Stage 4 – Guillaume Van Keirsbulck
Stage 5 – Stefan Küng
Stage 6 – Frederik Backaert
Stage 7 – Reinardt Rense van Rensburg
Stage 8 – Lilian Calmejane
Stage 9 – Dan Martin
Stage 10 – Julien Vermote
Stage 11 – Maciej Bodnar
Stage 12 – Steve Cummings
Stage 13 – Alberto Contador
Stage 14 – Warren Barguil
Stage 15 – Michal Kwiatkowski
Stage 16 – Simon Geschke
Stage 17 – Jarlinson Pantano
Stage 18 – Darwin Atapuma

 

The post Top Banana: Tour de France stage 19 – Thomas De Gendt appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Racing Thomas De Gendt Tour de France

READ MORE

‘There’s a lack of support for retired riders’ - Grace Brown on navigating life after racing

‘There’s a lack of support for retired riders’ - Grace Brown on navigating life after racing

While the former Olympic and World champion is relishing new ventures in retirement, she is keen to ensure more support is in place for those...

Leggi di più
Ratings of the Women's WorldTour teams at the Classics

Sprint dominance, cobbled mayhem and Ardennes surprises - rating the women's teams at the Spring Classics

From SD Worx-Protime's continued success to Canyon-SRAM's disappointment, Rouleur takes a look at how each squad performed at the Spring Classics

Leggi di più
Alpecin and UAE delight but Visma and Red bull struggle - rating the teams' performances at the Spring Classics

Alpecin and UAE delight but Visma and Red bull struggle - rating the teams' performances at the Spring Classics

With the curtains closing on the Spring Classics, Rouleur looks back on the winners and losers of this year's campaign 

Leggi di più
Tadej Pogačar in the pink jersey at the 2024 Giro d'Italia

How to watch and live stream the Giro d'Italia 2025

A guide to where you can catch all the Giro d'Italia action from home or on the go

Leggi di più
Writing history: Why Kim Le Court’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège win is so important

Writing history: Why Kim Le Court’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège win is so important

The Mauritian trailblazer took the biggest victory of her career on Sunday after a challenging road to the top of the sport

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