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Vittel - Guillaume van Keirsbulck admitted he'd been lonely after embarking on a 190km solo break during Tuesday's fourth stage of the Tour de France.
The 26-year-old attacked from the starting gun but unfortunately for him, no-one tried to join him, leaving him to plough a lonely furrow for more than four and a half hours.
"When I realised I was alone, I told myself that I was in for some difficulty," said the Belgian Wanty rider.
"My sports director told me I might get some help, but no-one came.
"It was a lonely day."
At one point, 60km into the stage, he led by more than 13 minutes as the Sky team of race leader Geraint Thomas showed no interest in chasing the lone leader.
When Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel's Quick-Step and Lotto-Soudal teams decided to take up the reins, Van Keirsbulck was steadily reeled in.
But he at least continued a great family tradition -- his grandfather Benoni Beheyt was world champion in 1963 and won a stage of the Tour in 1964.
His father Kurt was also a professional bike racer.
But the game was up 17km from the finish as the pace cranked up and the sprinters started jostling for position in the run-in.
So Van Keirsbulck's lonely day in the saddle was to no avail.
