TOUR DE FRANCE King Froome
IF THE strains of the British National Anthem sounded sweeter to Chris Froome as he stood on the Champs Elysees celebrating his fourth Tour de France title, it was only logical.
Determination rather than superiority allowed Froome to remain ahead of his rivals for all but two days of the Tour’s three weeks.
But only after Saturday’s time trial did Froome know that, at last, he was home. That was when he stretched his lead from a painfully tight 23 seconds to 54 – with just one largely ceremonial stage through the streets of Paris to go.
The 32-year-old Kenyan-born Briton has claimed his fourth Tour de France title, a level of greatness achieved by only four other cyclists – Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx. One more Tour victory THE first time Simon Yates climbed on to the Tour de France podium to don the White Jersey of leader of the Best Young Rider classification, the hostess’s reaction was “Nice to have you back again.”
She had confused the rider from Bury with his almost identical twin brother Adam, racing for the and Froome will join that quartet in what the French like to call ‘le club des cinq’ – the club of five-time Tour winners. A staggering achievement.
Yet while Team Sky had what Sir Dave Brailsford said was their best-ever Tour start – four riders in the top eight in the opening time trial in Dusseldorf and
Geraint Thomas taking the lead – Froome’s race was closer than even he could have suspected when he said: “This will be my hardest Tour yet.” Near-miss No1 came when a crash less than 24 hours out of Dusseldorf brought down both Froome and key lieutenant Thomas. Neither was injured, but the Tour’s traditionally fraught first week of close shaves, sprint finishes and pile-ups reached new levels of tension three days later. World champion Peter Sagan was expelled for a dangerous manoeuvre that left British sprinter Mark Cavendish with a broken shoulder. Every time same Australian Orica-Scott squad, who had won the same classification outright in 2016. The only difference, as Simon claimed the title yesterday in Paris, is that Adam finished fourth overall behind Chris Froome and Simon seventh. “It will take some time, but it is starting to sink in that I’ve done it,” said Yates after Saturday’s final time trial had sealed his victory.
“With my brother winning it last year it’s nice to keep it in the family, and we hope we can turn them into another colour one day.”
Yellow is not out of the question. Yates, 24, is a hugely talented climber who