Chris Froome cemented his status as one of Britain’s greatest sportsmen as he claimed his third Tour de France title, and second in succession, beneath the Arc de Tromphe last night. Of course these kinds of events put sport into perspective, but they also show why the values of sport remain so important in a free society. These things will never change.
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Chris Froome was formally crowned the Tour de France general classification victor for a third time at the conclusion of Sunday’s procession to Paris.
Tour organizers did their part to make the race more open.
By far his most eye-catching display was a second-place finish in the 2013 edition of the Tour de l’Avenir, which is effectively the Tour de France for juniors and is widely seen as the premier proving ground for up-and-coming talent.
Speaking back at the Sky bus after the final stage on the Champs-Elysees in which Andre Greipel continued his record of winning in every Grand Tour he enters.
Froome noted the commitment of team-mates in a winner’s press conference on Saturday evening, for example acknowledging key lieutenant Sergio Henao, who missed the birth of his firstborn son to continue on to Paris.
Then it was time for the traditional flute of champagne.
Because of the time loss, Froome initially dropped to sixth overall before race officials allowed him to keep the yellow jersey, ruling that he had lost his bike in unfair circumstances.
Of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games road race, Froome said: “It’s more of a gamble, being a one-day race and having such small teams, only five per nation”.
Frenchman Romain Bardet finished second overall, 2:52 behind Froome, who had a 4:05 lead going into the last stage but was caught on the wrong side of a split in the finale of Sunday’s stage. “Being in the position that I’m in now, I’m understanding how tough it is to win a race like the Tour de France. Three is incredible”, the Briton told Sky Sports News. “It’s beyond what I’ve ever dreamed”.
Only four riders have more Tour wins – with five each – than Froome: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. The answer is clearly yes given the talent he has displayed in the past three weeks, but he is far from a finished article and there are several aspects of his riding that he needs to develop.
“I’ve won it three times and I can categorically say the novelty is not wearing off”. With his own bike unusable and a replacement on his team vehicle several minutes away, the race leader began running up the mountain before taking a bike from a neutral support auto. Last Wednesday, however, the Briton strikes back emphatically in Stage 17, finishing 21 seconds ahead of Dumoulin to take the second time trial and extend his lead to 3min 52sec.
“A bit of panic”, Froome said of what went through his head.
Tour director Christian Prudhomme complimented Froome for showing “panache” after his downhill attack in the Pyrenees, and the fans have treated him better, too.
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But while Froome has once again proved his dominance in the Tour, he has little pedigree in one-day racing.
