What do you do when you’re faced with one of the toughest stages of the Tour de France, 19 days in, featuring multiple Alpine climbs and you’re not a climber? How do you get through and make the cut? 

In Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc British sprinter Dan McLay rolled over the line dead last, almost four minutes behind the other riders. The 24-year-old spent most of the stage alone after being dropped on the Col de la Forclaz de Montmin — the first of the day’s four categorised climbs — and crashing.

Despite his clear exhaustion at the finish, McLay had a massive smile on his face. The driver of the broomwagon gave him a thumbs up as he drove by — having spent the day shadowing him — and McLay waved back laughing. He had made it to the end inside the time cut, just, and lived to ride another day at the race.