You might have seen the 2027 Tour de France route described as an 'anti-Pogačar' exercise, and, with a return to time trialling doses of old and a relatively meagre helping of high mountains, you can certainly see why.

In truth, there is no such thing as an 'anti-Pogačar' route. It simply does not exist within the realms of plausible conception. It would have to be 21 flat stages, half of them against the clock, and even then he’d still probably find a way to win.