Tour de France: Stage 21 finish line quotes

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Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) - Overall winner of the 2018 Tour de France

It's unbelievable. It's going to take a while to sink in. Normally that stage is really hard but today I just seemed to float around it. I had goosebumps going around there. The support from the - Welsh, British flags and ... it's unreal. It's the Tour de France. To ride around wearing this [yellow jersey] is a dream.

With the boys, that's the main thing for the whole three weeks: we stuck together through some tough times and we stayed strong.

It's not going to sink in for a good while. I believed that I could beat anyone on my day, and over a week, or whatever, but never tried over three [weeks]. The first stage win gave me confidence, and then being able to back that up the next day, my belief just grew and grew. I took it day by day, it's insane, it all just clicked here, from the Dauphiné, I've been on a real crest of a wave and it's just amazing. (Eurosport)

Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) - Stage 21 winner

It's a dream come true. I've dreamt about this victory for many years. I've been close many times before but never managed to beat the faster guys like [Mark] Cavendish, [Andre] Greipel, or [Marcel] Kittel, but today they're not here, they’re out after the mountains, and today I was the fastest, so I'm super happy.

I was a bit far back after the tunnel but I was with [Roberto] Ferrari then Trek did a really good lead-out from behind and I managed to get John’s wheel. I started in a good position and passed John, and it was still far out but I saw nobody and in the last 20 metres I was sure I was going to win. I'm so happy I managed to do it. (Eurosport)

Chris Froome (Team Sky) - Third overall

It's just a whole lot of emotions for me today, being on that podium with [Geraint Thomas] and I couldn't be happier for the team, this is massive. It's our sixth Tour de France that we've won in the last seven years, so, it's an amazing feeling.

It's been extremely rewarding for me to be able to help someone like Geraint, who I've seen growing over the years. It's a completely different situation for me to be in, but it was very rewarding for me as well.

[On racing the Vuelta a España] I think that I'm due to have a little bit of a rest now. I've done four Grand Tours in a row now. I've won the last three and being on the podium here, I think it's about time for a break. My wife, Michelle, and I are expecting a baby in the next few days, any moment now, so I'm looking forward to getting home now and spending time with the family. (Eurosport)

Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - Green jersey winner

It was not my best sprint that I did in my life. I was not able to sprint well, like before. I have a lot of hematoma and haven't slept well in the last four days, recovery has been slower, and I didn't have energy to compete. 

[Green jersey] I'm very happy and proud of my team Bora-Hansgrohe. I have to say thank you to all of my teammates who did a very great job in the stages that I won, the days I was just surviving and the days that they were in the front to control the race. I'm very happy that we have this trust between us and I can believe in my team. I think it was an amazing Tour de France for us, better than last year. 

Luke Rowe (Team Sky)

I've luckily enough been a part of a Tour de France winning team, which is just amazing. I'm lucky enough to have ridden for two great champions in Froome, for three years, and now Geraint, for one. And we are also good friends. With Geraint, we go back a long way. We kind of bummed around the streets as kids on BMXs and caused trouble, having fun, and now I look up on the Arc de Triomphe to see the yellow podium and I know Geraint is stood upon it. It's great. I'm not going to cry like he did but it puts a lump in your throat. He deserves it. He puts his hearts and soul into it. (Eurosport)

Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)

Obviously it was a difficult Tour, a bit frustrated at times, but I got another Grand Tour done and that is just more experience for down the line. Maybe I'll do the Vuelta for a bit more experience and we will see what we can do there. On a whole, it's been an OK race. We didn't get the results that we wanted but there is always next year. (Eurosport)