Last year was supposed to hail the start of the French revolution in cycling, as Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot and Jean-Christophe Peraud shone at the Tour de France.
But 12 months on and the host nation has not had an awful lot to celebrate so far, with more crashes and misfortune affecting the home riders on stage five.
Thibaut Pinot’s mechanical, and subsequent tongue-lashing for his team, on stage four has cost him big-time overall and the young Frenchman was staring at more misfortune on stage five when he was brought down in the big crash with little more than 20km remaining.
Fortunately, this time he was able to chase back on but he remains six-and-a-half minutes down in 30th place.
And he is not the only home favourite to have suffered either, with stage five marking the end of Nacer Bouhanni’s return to the Tour de France.
His last Tour, in 2013, also ended early before he had chance to unleash his sprinting prowess on the race and, indeed, the only Grand Tour he has finished – having started seven – is last year’s Giro d’Italia.
On that occasion he was crowned points classification champion, but a crash at the national road race, another tumble earlier in this race and then a final fall on this stage, which resulted in a trip to the hospital, have ended his Tour early – just as he looked to be in good form.
If the host nation are to get anything from this Tour, it looks like Tony Gallopin (currently fifth at 38”) will have to be the man to deliver it again.
The Lotto-Soudal delivered Andre Greipel into position for the sprint on stage five and, given his penchant for attacking, may be eyeing up a shot for another day in yellow – as he enjoyed on Bastille Day last year.
If the hosts are to avoid another bitterly disappointing home Grand Tour, they’re going to need it.
