At what other moment in life could you have the Champs-Élysées completely at your disposal, with the Arc de Triomphe as a backdrop - true, the sunset effect was missing, but you can't have everything...

We like to think - even though we know it's impossible - that Quinn Simmons, a great protagonist of this Tour, might have ridden every day with the ring in his jersey pocket, never wanting to be separated from it until the moment when, kneeling as tradition dictates, he asked his girlfriend to marry him yesterday.

The response, obviously, was a moved and enthusiastic "YES".