From free agent to Tour de France in two months - Reinardt Janse van Rensburg's incredible comeback to the top

Lotto Soudal's Tour de France lineup included some surprises, as the team will be focusing on stage wins and has dialed down on the leadout support for Caleb Ewan's flat stage sprint intentions. The only riders who will join him in the furious final dashes to the line will be Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, a team signing in early May. 

Without Roger Kluge, Jasper De Buyst and Michael Schwarzmann at the start, the 'Pocket Rocket' will be on a completely different situation that he's used to having in the last few years, Lotto Soudal will be experimenting a new leadout at the Tour with some rouleurs and one sprinter - Rensburg - to guide him in the sprints. Rensburg was signed in the first of May, and two months after to the day he will be returning to the Tour de France. 

The 33-year old was part of the disbanded Team Qhubeka NextHash, and was left without a contract for 2022. He did not dial down on his training, and in fact went on to become South African national champion. In a battle for every single UCI point, Rensburg took a whole 343 points in national and continental championships, points that would've boosted Lotto Soudal way above the red line if he had been hired in the beginning of the year.

His points were not given to the team when he and Carlos Barbero were signed in May, in a desperate act to save the team's World Tour spot, however Rensburg quickly gained the team's confidence, and will be the key lieutenant for Ewan at the Tour de France. This will be his sixth participation, he's played leadout roles for the likes of Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mark Cavendish and Giacomo Nizzolo over the last editions of the race.