When John and I do our Etape du Tour packages we spend months frantically trying to figure out the Byzantine logistics that every one of them ends up having, then, after dropping off our riders at the start line on race day, we suddenly have nothing to do for the next 7 or 8 hours.
And so it was during the 2018 Etape that finished in Le Grand Bornand. We found parking spots for the vans, set up our flags, got the know the village very well, and then went to the finish line to wait for the winner to roll in. Here he is.
This was the amateur Victor Lafay, aged 22. Here’s the professional Victor Lafay, winning a stage in the Giro today.
The Etape du Tour is not on the race calendar of many up-and-coming amateurs (luckily for the many MAMILs and MAWILs – copyright Gerry Patterson – who dream of a good result at these events), but we now know one.
The Vicious Cycle 
He looked really chuffed as he crossed the line.
It’s lovely to see up and coming stars on the amateur circuit and then do well in the pros. I have to say my all time favourite winner of any race has to go to Taco van de Hoorn on stage 3 of the Giro this year. The sheer joy and disbelief on his face at just managing to hold the peloton off is priceless. Makes me smile just thinking about his reaction.