It doesn't matter if it was Alejandro Valverde in 2022, Annemiek van Vleuten and Peter Sagan in 2023 or now Mark Cavendish in 2024: whenever a retiring rider has had a significant impact on an era ...

In the mountains, helpers Michael Rogers and Richie Porte could ride to a certain wattage and pin back any attacks, with Edvald Boasson Hagen adding impressive versatility as a super-domestique.