It is a shame Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish have not gone head-to-head in a sprint this season (and won’t for the next six weeks at least).

The WorldTour’s two best sprinters have both enjoyed phenomenal years, and a battle royale in Harrogate, or on The Mall or the Champs-Elysees was eagerly anticipated.

Cavendish’s crash, within the final kilometre on stage one, means the keenly awaited denouement did not play out, however. And in Cavendish’s absence, there is simply no answer to the German fast man’s stunning form.

A well-oiled sprint train, finally clicking into gear after suffering in the crosswinds and on punchier stages earlier this season, has come good and Kittel – who now boasts six Tour stage victories – is reaping the reward.

His victory on The Mall was notable not just for the occasion but by how emphatic it was – the Giant-Shimano man enjoying a bike length’s advantage as he crossed the finishing line.

And while the team talk down their chances on each stage, with John Degenkolb also waiting in the wings they will take some stopping through the rest of the Tour.