Top Banana: Tour de France stage 7 – Reinardt Janse van Rensburg

Top Banana: Tour de France stage 7 – Reinardt Janse van Rensburg

With Cavendish out, Dimension Data should have been reduced to also-ran status in the sprints. Janse van Rensburg showed their train is still on the tracks

Racing Reinardt Janse van Rensburg Team Dimension Data Tour de France 2017

The riders were made to wait for what seemed like an age. Eventually, by a margin invisible to all but the Swissest of watches, the win was awarded to Marcel Kittel.

It should not have been that close. As talented a rider as Edvald Boasson Hagen is, and as impressively as he has taken over Dimension Data sprint duties following Mark Cavendish’s departure from the race – not just today but yesterday as well – he’d be the first to admit that he’s no first tier finisher.

But today was all about the assist and Reinardt Janse van Rensburg was on it. 

As the fast guys charged into the final straight, the speed at the front ticked past 60, and then 70 kilometres per hour. With Eddy Boss on his wheel, and Kittel on Eddy Boss’s, the South African road champion held on far longer than seemed possible. It almost looked like he could take it to the line himself but then, with 150 to go, he flicked his elbow and let his team-mate fly. 

Although this first week of the Tour has not been without talking points, one of the more widely adopted lessons had been that the traditional lead-out train was, if not quite dead, then certainly dying. 

If the Stage 7 finale can be taken as any indication, however, reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated. There’s one man to thank for that: Reinardt Janse van Rensburg

 

The post Top Banana: Tour de France stage 7 – Reinardt Janse van Rensburg appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Racing Reinardt Janse van Rensburg Team Dimension Data Tour de France 2017

READ MORE

Demi Vollering 2025

Is FDJ-Suez the team that can help Demi Vollering to Tour de France Femmes redemption?

There are big changes for the Dutch rider in 2025 - will they pay off? Or could leadership issues arise again? 

Leggi di più
Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has teased his participation on social media, but is it a legitimate possibility?

Leggi di più
James Knox at the British Road Championships

‘Credit should go to Lefevere for working the market’ - James Knox on Soudal–Quick-Step’s evolution from the cobbles to Tour de France contenders

Now in his sixth year with the Belgian squad, the British rider discusses what has changed following the arrival and performances of Remco Evenepoel

Leggi di più
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

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