In July 2013, second-year pro Luke Durbridge watched the final stage of the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées. He collected the hats tossed out to the fans at the roadside, and gaped at the lights show on the Arc de Triomphe, as Chris Froome was crowned the winner on the race’s 100th anniversary. “This looks like the big show,” Durbridge told himself. “I thought, ‘Next year, I really want to go.’”
Twelve months on, the Australian was back, and this time he was part of the peloton. He has since raced 12 of the last 13 Tours – more than 200 stages – each one with the same team, now named Jayco AlUla. This edition, however, will be his last; after next January’s Australian Road Championships, the 35-year-old will retire from professional cycling, calling time on a 15-year road career.
