Froome enters last stage in control
Leader maintains comfortable edge for ride into Paris.
After MORZINE, FRANCE — two crashes, a bloodied knee and even a run up legendary Mont Ventoux, a relieved Chris Froome can cruise into Paris today and secure his third Tour de France title in four years.
Froome kept his lead intact during the final day of climbing — and descending — in the Alps on Saturday and heads to the mostly ceremonial finish on the Champs-Elysees with a comfortable advantage of 4 minutes, 5 seconds over Romain Bardet of France.
“It feels like it’s been a roller coaster,” Froome said. “It’s just been an amazing race where I’ve really taken on the race.”
His highlights were a daring downhill attack and stage victory in the eighth leg and getting into a late breakaway amid strong crosswinds in Stage 11.
“You just can’t script moments like that,” Froome said. “It’s bike racing at its best. I really felt like a kid again.”
Froome was also slowed by a motor bike crash on Ventoux, prompting him to run up the road when he saw his bike was damaged. He then fell hard on a slippery descent in Stage 19 on Friday.
Wearing bandages on his right knee and elbow Saturday, Froome was never in trouble as his top lieutenants at Team Sky escorted him up and down each of the day’s four climbs.
“It’s been a really intense race. It was incredible to cross the last finish line with my teammates,” Froome said. “They were with me for the entire Tour.”
He was careful on the final descent, which had a vertical drop of more than 2,300 feet, but none of his main rivals attacked.
Froome, the Kenyan-born British rider who won the Tour in 2013 and 2015, then eased up just before the line and lost a few seconds to his main rivals. He’s set to become the first rider to defend the Tour title since Miguel Indurain won the last of his five straight titles in 1995. Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven consecutive titles for doping.
Two-time runner-up Nairo Quintana of Colombia is third, 4:21 behind.
Spanish rider Jon Izagirre won the rainy penultimate stage. Jarlinson Pantano of Colombia finished second, while 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali crossed third.