You have crossed the finish line first and now you get to show the world your own version you’ve been practicing in your mind. As long as you stay upright.

Winning races isn’t the only time you do get to salute. As a junior I can remember sprinting for every speed sign, each town sign and anything else worth pounding the pedals for.
This means anyone and everyone who rides a bike has a thought about throwing the arms up in the air like Mark Cavendish in the Tour De France. It’s normal that everyone wants to win and celebrate. Whether it’s in the Tour de France or sprinting for the Nice Airport sign.
These days my victory salutes are few and far between. Working for Mark Cavendish I get to see a lot of them and more often than not I throw my arms up in joy if the team propels our little Manx Missile to the win.

As for me, my last win was in the Tour of Denmark. I had come close to winning two stages in the first few days but had to wait until the fifth stage. When it did happen I wasn’t even prepared for it because it had been so long.
All that raw emotion as I was about to cross the line, heart rate at 190, toxin in every muscle, but still I remembered to look under my arms checking for other riders coming faster, then sat back and threw my arms up high then punched the air like Danny Green.