Reuters
Paris, July 26: Briton Chris Froome won his second Tour de France title in three years Sunday to enhance his growing reputation as a grand tour specialist.
It was Team Sky’s third Tour triumph in four years after Bradley Wiggins prevailed in 2012 before Froome succeeded him in 2013. The 30-year-old beat Colombian Nairo Quintana by one minute 12 seconds and his Movistar teammate Alejandro Valverde of Spain by 5 minutes 25 seconds.
As incessant rain had made the tiny cobblestones of the Champs Elysees slippery, the clock was stopped 41 km into the 109.5-km stage Sunday but Froome still had to complete it to be officially crowned champion. He finished safely in the main bunch as the sprinters contested the last action of the three-week race around the Champs Elysees.
German Andre Greipel confirmed he was the fastest by overpowering the rest of the field to take the 21st stage, his fourth stage win on this year’s Tour. Bryan Coquard was second and Alexander Kristoff took third place.
Quintana won the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider and Froome was the first rider to win both the yellow jersey and the polka dot jersey for the mountains classification since Carlos Sastre in 2008.
Slovakian Peter Sagan secured a fourth consecutive green jersey for the points classification while Frenchman Romain Bardet was voted the most aggressive rider of the Tour. Movistar won the team classification.
