Chris Froome crowned champion of the Tour de France for a fourth time

Photo: Benoit Tessier, Pool via Associated Press
The British Chris Froome

The anthem of the british has still resonated on the Champs-Élysées, Sunday, to greet the new success of Chris Froome, his fourth since 2013 in the Tour de France.

After the sprint, won by the Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen at the end of the 21st stage, Froome and two following, the Colombian Rigoberto Uran and the French Romain Bardet, took place on the podium of this 104th edition, undecided up to the day before arrival.

Photo: Jeff Pachoud Agence France-Presse

“This is the Tower the more tight,” admitted English, who had announced before the start of Düsseldorf on the 1st of July. At the end of the 3540 kilometres, the gap between the second (54 seconds on Uran) is the lowest of the past ten years.

The trend of the past year has confirmed : Froome, now 32-years-old, has lost his superiority in the mountains. But his team Sky remains — and by far ! — the most powerful of the pack and its registry staff has expanded considerably.

“It does loose really anything,” says Tour director Christian Prudhomme. “As soon as he has the slightest opportunity it seeks to exploit. “

Back in the big stage in the Pyrenees, where he has left the yellow jersey at the champion of Italy’s Fabio Aru for an interim of two days, Froome has controlled its rivals in the other mountain ranges in the program. To consolidate its victory in what remains his strong point, against-the-shows.

Photo: Philippe Lopez, Agence France-Presse
The British Chris Froome in the lead, during the last part of the Tour de France, with the Arc de Triomphe as a backdrop on Sunday the 23rd of July

The presence of the colombian

“This year, the mountain there was virtually no difference between the very best,” noted the director of the Tour. “In contrast, the against-the-shows make a lot more difference, and it is for this reason that it has reduced the share to avoid locking the race. “

In a 36.5 km, to Düsseldorf and then to Marseille, Froome has widened the gap. It is supported, for the rest, on the support of a team strong enough to offer you a world champion (Kwiatkowski) as a lieutenant and compensate for the abandonment of a rider such as the Welsh Geraint Thomas, to earth in the descent from a pass of the jura. Just as the Australian Richie Porte, who is supposed to be the main challenger to Froome at the start of Germany.

The other big names have not really existed in this Round. The Colombian Nairo Quintana has paid the fatigue of the Giro. The Spanish Alberto Contador, in the twilight of his career, has accused the weight of the years for what he announced to be his last appearance in the Tour, where he won two editions (2007, 2009).

The opposition has come from only three runners. Uran has kept the presence of the colombian on the podium, but never go on the attack. Bardet has long carried the hopes of the French, before giving way abruptly on the eve of the arrival.

In a victory for the record

The climber French saved his place on the podium, for a second, before the Spaniard Mikel Landa, announced for his part in instance of departure from team Sky. For the past twenty years — and Richard Virenque in a time totally different — no French rider had displayed this regularity in the Tower.

If the parallel with Virenque does not have to Bardet, except for this statistical comparison, it is necessary for the other French who set fire to the Tower. Warren Barguil sharing with the ex-public icon the plume free, the meaning of the offensive in the mountains, and a natural expansive that attracts the crowds.

The young Breton (25 years) has ended the Tour with two stages in the accordion and the polka-dot jersey of best climber in the suitcase. His roommate, Michael Matthews, has brought back the green jersey of the points classification. In Paris, it is the Australian who has taken the suite of the reigning world champion, the Slovak Peter Sagan (excluded as of the 4th day for sprint dangerous), the winners of the points classification.

If Froome, who is not only a victory for the record co-owned by four champions (Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, Indurain), is a regular at the ceremonial of the Champs-Élysées, Barguil and Matthews are the two big innovations. As further evidence of the new class born in the 1990s is gradually taking the power.

There is still this generation to dethrone the “king” Froome.

“He will come back for the victory,” promises its director, sports French, Nicolas Portal, believing in progress on ” the mind “, ” resistance to stress “. Appointment on the 7th of July 2018, in the Vendée, for the kick-off of a course that will be unveiled on October 17.

Team Sky harvest more than a million dollars

Sky, the team of the winner, Briton Chris Froome, has raised over a million dollars (700,000 euros) on the Tour de France in 2017.

The most important part of this sum is represented by the cheque of 500, 000 euros (about 761 000) awarded to the winner.