The Gorilla's Last Goodbye?

He’s had a long and successful run at the ToB, but André Greipel’sbrace of sprint wins this year may be his final sign-off in the UK.

- Paul Knott

The Tour of Britain likely waved goodbye to regular stage winner André Greipel this year. The 36-year-old German’s first Tour of Britain stage victory came in Blackpool back in 2010 as part of the HTC-Columbia team. Six more wins (two this year) and the Lotto-Soudal rider sits third in the all-time stage winners’ list behind Edvald Boasson Hagen and Mark Cavendish.

He was denied a final win in central London on Sunday by Caleb Ewan, the young Australian sprinter who replaces him at Lotto, and Fernando Gaviria, the rider who looks set to dominate bunch sprinting for the next few years. With Greipel signing with French Pro Continental team Fortuneo-Samsic for the next two seasons a return to racing on UK soil is doubtful.

“To be honest, last week I decided to just try and enjoy every race now in this kit,” he said. “That is my aim and I really like this group. Every day we are travelling together and there are not so many races after the Tour of Britain.

“It will be emotional for sure when I wear the jersey the last time. We are all a big family and your team-mates can change, but I still have a lot of friends in that team and you can’t stay forever.”

Greipel has ridden with the Belgian outfit since 2012, and has been one of their most successful riders with 11 Tour de France stage wins and seven at the Giro d’Italia. That he’s still winning now is testament to his staying power. After a slump in 2017 when he admitted to losing the instinct to make decisions in a bunch sprint, he dragged himself back up to winning form early this year.