A great leadout rider is master of the Dark Arts. Just how do you position your sprinter in the right place at the right time while another 10 or 15 teams are all trying to do the same? Lead out is a science that’s virtually impossible to always get exactly right- is the finish uphill or down, is there a final corner? Which way is the wind blowing? Why are the GC riders all riding so hard? Where is my sprinter? Who is coming up the boards?  He needs to make all the calculations as he’s mashing those pedals towards the last KM. Maxi is one of the best ever, his Palmares a list of fabulous infractions.

 

Disqualified for: 

Biting, head butting, shoulder barging, excessively wide knees, not holding his line, over-slowing, water-bottle throwing, a phantom puncture, losing a shoe, Riding someone into road furniture, riding them into the barriers, unsporting skids, wilful disruption using a megaphone, sitting up, premeditated tarmac-eating, GPS assault, wheel bending, touching the brakes of opponents, helmet unclipping, sunglass theft, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, power-shaming, souplesse abuse, greasing road with energy gels, heavy badgering, heavy petting, wrongful wheelies, suspicious watts, wearing UCI unapproved spurs, flailing elbows, bike-throwing, inappropriate last 100m toilet breaks. Impressive.