When you look at the routes of the Tour, the Giro, the Vuelta and every other race, however small, one wonders – as a famous journalist once did – whether the real performance in cycling is given by the cyclists or the fans, or both equally.
The fact that Mark Cavendish is the world's greatest sprinter is a given, regardless of the Tour. A truth set in stone. However, beating Eddy Merckx's record of stage wins at the Grande Boucle was a target and a satisfaction that was difficult to...