Giant-Shimano, with three wins in the bag for Marcel Kittel, appeared unstoppable just days ago but once again – for all the experience Christian Guiberteau insists they now have – they fell foul of the crosswinds on stage six.

It has been a common problem for the team, stretching back to last year’s Tour when – after back-to-back sprint victories on stages 11 and 12 – Kittel and co were spat out of the back as echelons formed on stage 13.

With Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish among team-mates in the front group, any hopes of making it three in three evaporated rapidly.

And since then, it appears they still have not fully learned their lesson – on stage two of the Dubai Tour they used the stiff coastal winds to their advantage to set up Kittel’s first win of the season, but that success is a rare example.

Adelaide, Tirreno-Adriatico and now the Tour once again – when their rivals hit the front in numbers and split the race apart the Giant-Shimano train is caught out time and again.

Cheng Ji and Dries Devenyns had done all the work on the front on a stage which looked to potentially favour a break to ensure a sprint finish.

When it arrived, however, the team was nowhere in sight. Seemingly unstoppable when they are in the sprints, Giant-Shimano are still, otherwise, very much mortal.