The Village Depart was still talking at the start in Bourg-en-Bresse this morning about Andrew Talansky's ordeal in the stage to Oyonnax, when the American finished inside the time cut despite a painful back injury.

"It was an extraordinary lesson of courage," Prudhomme said to letour.fr.

The race director of the Tour de France believes it will help him further on in his career to know he has strength like that.

"Andrew Talansky entered in the Tour legend but not the way he had hoped. I still believe that this is going to help him in his career. He showed an out of the ordinary strength of character," Prudhomme added.

Andrew Talansky stated after the stage that he finished it for his team. They have offered everything for him in this race and he didn’t want to let them down.

"My back hurts but I wanted to continue for the team," he said. "I continued for the team, for the guys. They trusted me for this Tour, I did not want to stop after everything they did for me.

For Prudhomme, the American's effort, winner of the last Criterium du Dauphine, reminded the feat of Bernard Hinault in 1977 when  the Frenchman crashed in the climb to La Bastille in Grenoble, nearly quit and finally went on to win the stage.