2015 was a fantastic year for British participation in the Tour, with a record-equaling ten British riders starting the race, and gone are the days when homegrown riders are merely a side note, instead playing a major part throughout the race.

Five of the ten Brits were at Sky, of course, with the Yates twins taking on some pretty heavy responsibilities at Orica-GreenEDGE after several key members of their team, including Simon Gerrans, crashed out in the opening week. Adam and Simon shouldered the burden well and there were few days where one or the other failed to get in the day’s break. No mean feat in only their second year in the professional peloton, and Adam’s first Tour de France. Both will undoubtedly play a significant role in future edition of the race.

While Mark Cavendish did manage to snag himself a stage win, he would probably have preferred to get a couple more in the bag, given he is currently trying to get his Etixx-QuickStep contract renewed. While the Manxman’s career is starting to wane, the Yates brothers, plus Peter Kennaugh and Luke Rowe at Sky, are showing that there’s plenty of young British talent in the peloton.

This is to say nothing of Geraint Thomas, who is fast proving himself to be one of the strongest men in the bunch. This year he was a vital deputy to Froome in the same mould as Richie Porte was in 2013 and Froome himself was to Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012. This is when he isn’t head-butting telegraph poles, of course.