Froome keeps lead intact, set to secure 3rd Tour title

Cycling - Tour de France

Chris Froome kept his lead intact during the final day of climbing in the Alps yesterday, "I still need to get the yellow jersey to Paris tomorrow but the race is done and dusted," Froome said.

Spanish rider Jon Izagirre won the rainy penultimate stage by attacking on the slippery descent from the Col de Joux Plane into Morzine.

Froome, the Kenyan-born British rider who won the Tour in 2013 and 2015, eased up just before the line in the 20th stage and lost a few seconds to his main rivals.

Still, he ended the day with an advantage of 4 minutes, 5 seconds over Romain Bardet of France, with Nairo Quintana of Colombia third, 4:21 behind.

Froome let out a thin smile when he reached the finish as his Sky teammates cheered him on.

The Tour concludes today in Paris with a mostly ceremonial finish on the Champs-Elysees.

Froome wore bandages on his right knee and elbow after crashing on a slippery descent a day earlier. He was never in trouble in this stage, though, 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."

On the final descent, which had a vertical drop of more than 700 meters (2,300 feet), Froome was extremely careful.

Jarlinson Pantano of Colombia finished second in the stage, 19 seconds behind Izagirre, while 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali crossed third, 42 seconds back. All three riders were part of an early breakaway.

Izagirre had enough time to clap his hands together in celebration as he crossed the line and secured his first career stage win in the Tour, having also won a stage in the 2012 Giro d'Italia.

Izagirre was in front on the descent when Pantano made a slight error and had to put his left foot to the ground to regain control, which also slowed Nibali.

Izagirre was clocked at 85 kph (53 mph) on the descent.

"I think my parents must have been scared watching at home," he said. "I wanted to drop Nibali because I was worried about him in a sprint. ... Beating Nibali in a downhill is something that counts in a career."

Until this stage, Izagirre had been a support rider for Movistar teammate Quintana, a twotime Tour runner-up who had designs on winning this Tour.

"We came here with the yellow dream but Froome was the strongest," Izagirre said. "At the end of the day, we're happy with a spot on the podium, a stage win and the team's classification victory."

A minute of silence was held at the start of the stage to mourn the nine victims of Friday's shooting in Munich. Froome and the other leaders of the Tour were joined by German national champion Andre Greipel at the front of the peloton as riders removed their helmets and stood silently.

Froome will likely be sipping Champagne in today's 113-kilometer (70-mile) leg from Chantilly to Paris, which should be decided in a mass sprint.

Froome defending his yellow jersey in yesterday’s rainy stage