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Kenyan-born Chris Froome wins 100th edition of Tour de France

Sports

By BBC | Jul 22, 2013

Paris, France: Britain's Chris Froome has won the 100th edition of the Tour de France.

Froome crossed the line linking arms with his team-mates as he took the title by more than four minutes.

It is the second time in two years a Briton has won the race after Team Sky team-mate Sir Bradley Wiggins became the first British winner in 2012.

Marcel Kittel claimed the final stage in Paris, with Mark Cavendish third in a hotly contested sprint along the Champs Elysees.

Cavendish was attempting a 26th Tour stage win - and a fifth on the trot in Paris - which would have put him third on the all-time list behind five-time Tour winners Eddy Merckx (34) and Bernhard Hinault (28).

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But he was edged out by a wheel length by Germany's Kittel and Andre Greipel in the fading light in the French capital, with more than 350,000 spectators lining the streets.

Froome had finished runner-up last year but with Wiggins electing not to defend his title after injury problems , the 28-year-old was favourite to win the race and brought home the yellow jersey in emphatic style, ahead of Colombian Nairo Quintana and Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain.

He had first put on the yellow jersey when he won stage eight of the 21-stage race in a summit finish at Ax 3 Domaines in the Pyrenees.

And the Briton, who was born and raised in Kenya, claimed a further two stages as he won a maiden Tour de France title.

He told ITV4: "Crossing the line with guys brought tears to my eyes. I expected it to be big but this is something else.

"Dave [Team Sky manager Sir Dave Brailsford] has been talking about the future of cycling - the youngsters coming through and the way the sport is moving. I look at last decade and the way sport is going - we've got something to be proud of."

But in the first Tour since disgraced rider Lance Armstrong admitted to doping in his seven Tour de France wins, which have since been removed from the records, Froome found himself having to answer questions about drugs in the sport.

He added: "I'm glad I've had to face those questions - after all the revelations of the last year. I'm glad that's been channelled towards me.

"I've been able to deal with it. Cycling has changed - the peloton is standing together."

The final stage is traditionally starts as a procession and it started in Versailles with Rodriguez celebrating his third place overall by handing out cigars to fellow podium finishers Froome, donning a yellow bike, and Quintana.

The Brit was also handed a glass of celebratory champagne as he rode alongside a Team Sky car with its branding coloured in yellow, while he was surrounded by team-mates in special yellow-tinged sunglasses.

The sun was beginning to set as arrived in the centre of Paris and Froome made sure his trusty wingman Richie Porte led the Sky train over the finish line of the Champs-Elysees on the first of 10 circuits.

A few riders attempted breakaways, included Britain's David Millar, but they were swallowed up by the peloton and it was left to the sprinters to contest the final straight.

-BBC