TODAY: STAGE 21, 72miles

STAGE 1: Defending champion Chris Froome is immediately on the back foot, losing a minute after crashing into a grass bank on the road to Fontenay-le-Comte. Team-mate Geraint Thomas rolls home ahead of him – and never concedes his lead. STAGE 11: Thomas wins long haul to La Rosiere, taking the Yellow Jersey. STAGE 12: Amid the chaos of Alpe d’Huez, with spectators aiming punches and spitting at Froome, Thomas strengthens his hand with back-to-back mountain stage wins. STAGE 17: Thomas third in the 40mile scramble to Saint-Lary. Froome struggles on the final climb and is later knocked off bike by gendarme. STAGE 19: Thomas plays a blinder on a brutal stage featuring waves of attacks and climbs of the feared Tourmalet and Aubisque in the Pyrenees. Finishes second and tops 850 miles in the Yellow Jersey.

“Difficult to sum up how incredible this guy’s performance over the last 3 weeks has been, amazing to have seen how hard this man has worked over the last 15 years. A truly amazing athlete, congrats @GeraintThomas86 #TDF2018” Team Sky have won six of the last seven Tour de France 2012: Bradley Wiggins (left) becomes the first Briton to win Le Tour in 99 attempts, taking both time trials emphatically. 2013: Chris Froome bags his first Yellow Jersey, leading from stage eight and churning out brilliant summit-finish stage wins at Ax 3 Domaines and Mount Ventoux.

2015: Froome again, though only by 72 seconds.

2016: Froome’s ‘Superman’ descent into Bagneres-deLuchon perched on the crossbar. Comfortable.

2017: Froome’s fourth title did not include a single stage win. 2018: Geraint Thomas first British-born winner, after Wiggins (born in Belgium) and Froome (Kenya). First for 25 years to win back-to-back mountain stages on La Rosiere and Alpe d’Huez.