Peter Sagan in green on the stage 17 podium.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Luke Rowe corners during stage 4.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Alejandro Valverde attacks during stage 20
Romain bardet finishes stage 20(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Chris Froome celebrates his Tour de France victory
Stage 21 at the Tour de France saw André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) take his fourth stage victory on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on Sunday, to close out the three-week race. The German sprinter beat Frenchman Bryan Coquard (Europcar) and Norway's Alexander Kristoff (Katusha).
Chris Froome (Team Sky) won his second overall title at the Tour de France upon entering the circuits, as race officials called for a neutralisation of the riders' time for GC with 70 kilometres to go due to rain and slippery roads. He finished the overall race 1:12 ahead of Nairo Quintana and 5:25 to Alejandro Valverde, both from Movistar.
“I am very happy because this year was a very hard fight from the start, from the first stages, and my role on the team was different than in years before. I’m happy that I didn’t crash during this Tour de France. In the parties, I will come with the green jersey. I’m very happy with what I did this year and also very satisfied.
“It was very nice experience for me to ride for Alberto Contador, he is a very big champion and also I had a lot of fun this year in the team and in the race. It was a very nice Tour de France for me.
“I’m very happy. I’m satisfied to have win the green jersey. We have different objective for the team at the start but I’m very happy to win a fourth green jersey. It’s great to finish in Paris in green yet again.
“Now I’m ready for a break. I don’t know if it’ll be a real holiday but for sure I’ll have a week or so off the bike.”
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“It’s an unbelievable day. It’s so emotional. It was lovely to see [the Champs-Elysees from the podium]. We had a very tough Tour de France.”
Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale), the only French man on the final podium in Paris thanks to winning the most aggressive rider prize
“It’s really satisfying to win it. I’ve raced in the polka-dot jersey too, which was nice but I was only keeping it warm for Chris Froome, who is the real winner. If I’m on the podium it’s thanks to all my teammates during the last three weeks. I’ll be happy to leave my share of the prize money to them.
"The Pyrenees were tough for me because I was ill and so lost a lot of time. But the Alps were a lot more satisfying and it was superb to win a stage. I hope to be a GC contender one day but it’s tough to decide between stages and the GC. I like to go on the attack too. I like to win.
“There hasn’t been a French Tour winner but that’s the goal we’re working towards. We’ve got a good generation coming through and so I’m sure we’ll do well in the years to come."
Bryan Coquard (Europcar), used his track skills to throw his bike at the finish line on the Champs-Élysées but was beaten by André Greipel by half a wheel
“It’s a real pity but that's cycling. I’ve had some placings but I think I went well, even if I didn’t manage to win.
"In the sprint, I was coming back up and threw my bike at the line with a final kick. It was like a track race finish. I was on Greipel wheel before hand and had a perfect lead out from my teammates. The team set me up with a chance. I can only hope it comes off next year.”
“This is absolutely incredible and it is going to take quite a while to sink in. Obviously, I’m not a not a GC rider myself, so that is as close as it comes to having a GC success. The whole last few laps were hard, and then Froome had a mechanical in the end just to spice things up a little.
“It feels like [last week] was a month ago. If you think back to the team time trial or the cobbles, it just feels like a different race, it’s unbelievable. I’m so, so happy.”
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