
The sprinters were meant to come to the fore on stage 18 of the Tour de France after a brutal period in the Alps, but they were left fuming after being outfoxed by four riders who, ironically, started the race supporting some of the best fast men in the business.
How Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step) won the stage from the day's break that included Lotto Dstny pair Pascal Eenkhoorn and Victor Campenaerts, plus Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X), after being kept on a tight leash all day was a point of conjecture at the finish.