Chris Froome set off from Chantilly to the north of Paris today for his Tour de France victory procession at 4.50pm local time (1650 GMT).
Advertisement
MORZINE, France (AP) – After two crashes, a bloodied knee and even a run up legendary Mont Ventoux, a relieved Chris Froome can cruise into Paris on Sunday and secure his third Tour de France title in four years.
“We have finished with nine riders in the race and it’s been a great few weeks”.
“Especially during this Tour de France, it’s put into perspective for us with the attack in Nice and what’s been happening”.
Immediately after finishing, Froome was greeted by his wife and infant son, who he took in his arms.
Froome quickly borrowed a teammate’s bike and kept the now torn yellow jersey after crossing the finish line 36 seconds behind Bardet, who climbed to second place overall.
The final stage was won by Andre Greipel who pipped the late-charging world champion Peter Sagan to the line in the traditional sprint in the centre of the capital. Make no mistake, Froome could not have nailed Britain’s fourth win in five years at the most emaciating, gruelling endurance test of them all without his powerful Team Sky minders.
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.
“A crash like that could have gone either way, and I’m grateful that nothing is injured”, Froome said.
“It’s a huge relief to cross that finish line”.
Romain Bardet earned the first stage victory for a Frenchman this year and moved up to second overall after taking advantage of the rainy 19th stage conditions in which Froome faltered. The peloton laps a circuit around Paris and the Arc de Triomphe at a gentle pace, with a kind of non-agreession pact in force; there are no breakaway groups, and until the final lap, no sprints either.
“We’ve tried many times and we walk away from the Tour with two stage wins, with Thomas De Gendt and myself”.
Speaking atop the podium, Froome said: “To my team-mates and support team”. Who amongst the sprinters will add their name to the honour roll of winners on the Champs-Elysees?
It was a hard stage for the Etixx-Quick Step team.
Froome, already Britain’s only multiple-Tour victor, is now one of just eight men – not counting the disgraced Lance Armstrong – to have won three or more Tours, and will have his sights set on record five-time winners Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Indurain, Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx.
Kittel slammed a wheel to the ground in frustration as he waited for the change.
Advertisement
Steve Cummings, a team-mate of Cavendish, finished more than four hours adrift of Froome but won the second Tour stage of his career with a brilliant solo ride on stage seven.
