Even before the Tour de France, Kittel had announced himself with a string of impressive results – including wearing the leaders’ jersey at the Tour of Oman, Tour of Turkey, Tour de Picardie and Ster ZLM Toer. Added to a stage win at Paris-Nice and one-day successes at the Scheldeprijs – depriving Cavendish of a fourth victory – and ProRace Berlin, and Kittel had peaked nicely by the time he arrived in Corsica for the Grand Depart.

Benefitting from a superb lead out throughout the year, not least from Tom Veelers and John Degenkolb, Kittel’s victory in Oman – with a long attack – showed his sprinting ability and success on the Champs-Elysees showed he is now rightly considered among the big names. At just 25, the German has time to get even better too – and the fact Mark Cavendish already considers him his biggest rival is testament to just how good a year he has had.