I’ve come through my trial by fire
won a stage of the Vuelta a Espana last year.
This is the first time in the Tour’s 114-year history that two brothers have won the same classification, let alone in successive years.
The twins will now have a chance to confuse a few Spanish podium hosts and hostesses when they both tackle the Vuelta, Spain’s equivalent Grand Tour, this August. favours. “Every year we’ll have to try to adapt to whatever the Tour throws at us,” he said.
“This year was certainly the hardest for me personally given the lack of mountain-top finishes and time-trial kilometres compared to other years.
“It made it a much more cagey race.”
Froome said that after the Criterium du Dauphine, the Tour’s main warm-up race in June, he realised his time-trialling was in urgent need of improvement.
That change of preparation, he said, was crucial in winning the Tour de France for a fourth time.
In yesterday’s final ceremonial stage, culminating in the traditional nine laps of the Champs Elysees, Froome finished safely in the main pack in 65th place to make sure of the title.
The final stage was won by Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen.
At the start of the stage, Froome had an early celebratory glass of champagne when riding alongside his Sky team-mates.
Then, with his three weeks’ hard work finally done, the Briton stepped up for his final Yellow Jersey of 2017 and the 59th of his career.
It is surely not the last too.