Chris Froome finishes off third consecutive Tour de France victory in Paris.
PARIS — Riding a bright yellow bike to match his shiny leader’s jersey, defending champion Chris Froome won his fourth and most challenging Tour de France title on Sunday.
The Kenyan-born British rider finished 54 seconds ahead of Colombian Rigoberto Uran overall, the smallest margin of his victories.
This was the third consecutive victory for the Team Sky rider. His first in 2013 came the year after former teammate Bradley Wiggins sparked off an era of British dominance.
Frenchman Romain Bardet, runner-up last year, placed 2 minutes, 20 seconds behind in third place, denying Spaniard Mikel Landa — Froome’s teammate — a podium spot by just one second. Italian Fabio Aru finished fifth.
As per tradition, the 21st stage was reserved for sprinters and mostly a procession for Froome, 32, and the other overall leaders.
Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen won the final stage in a dash to the line, edging German rider Andre Greipel and Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen.
Moments later, Froome and the rest of the peloton crossed the line after eight laps of an eye-catching circuit around the city’s landmarks, finishing as usual on the famed Champs-Elysees.
Froome now needs only one more title to match the Tour record of five shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddie Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Froome sealed his victory Saturday, finishing third in the time trial in Marseille where he put more time into Uran and Bardet, who dropped from second to third.
Froome’s teammates wore a yellow stripe on the back of their Team Sky shirts. They allowed themselves a flute of champagne, chinking glasses with leader Froome, as they casually rolled through the streets under cloudy skies beside cheering fans packing the roads into Paris.