Stage 6 of the 100th Tour de France was a textbook demonstration of teamwork.
Like playing pass the parcel, an Australian deliberately handed over the race lead to a South African teammate and friend, so he could be the first rider from that country to wear the famed yellow jersey.
And the German, Andre Greipel, who won the stage with a fierce finishing sprint, owed a debt of gratitude to teammates who plied him with drinks all afternoon, ferrying bottles back and forth from cars at the back of the race, so he didn’t melt in the scorching sun.
“Room service,” the big German said light-heartedly.
As the new leader of cycling’s showcase race, Daryl Impey can look forward to some first-class treatment, too. Being the first South African to wear the yellow jersey “will definitely change my life,” Impey said.
Rugby, cricket and, for the majority black population, football, are the big sports for South Africans. Impey can shop in the malls of Johannesburg, where he trains and lives, without being recognised, said his wife, Alexandra.