Mathew Hayman has the unlikely honour to be the oldest newcomer in the Tour de France. At 36, the cycling veteran, who rode for Rabobank and Team Sky before joining Orica Greenedge had never had the chance to ride the Tour so far in his 14 years as a pro. 

“The Tour is obviously every pro rider's dream. But I didn't have the chance to ride it yet. A matter of circumstances… My goal is really to complete this Tour all the way to Paris,“ he said to the ASO website.

Perhaps his profile as more of a classics rider did not make him the obvious choice for Grand Tours even though he took part in four Giros and one Vuelta. But inside an Orica Greenedge team with as many as five debutants, his experience was badly needed, especially on the cobbles of stage 5.

Hayman is a Paris-Roubaix specialist with two top 10 finishes in the last three years and he delievered again in Wednesday's stage, joining the morning break before finishing 12th. Another fine placing and a slight disappointment.

“I found myself in the front quickly with Marcus Burghardt and once I got in there I even found there were not enough cobbles. In the end I just hadn't enough strength left to go behind Nibali and Boom and the rest,” he said.

His personal goal gone, Hayman now will again devote his energy and know-how to help his young team-mates.    

“The team's objective is stage wins so of course I was looking at stage 5 but not only. And while I never rode the Tour, I have plenty of experience of the sport to share with my younger team-mates,” he said.