Chris Froome wins Tour de France 2015

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André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) secured his fourth stage win of this year’s Tour de France with a comprehensive sprint win in Paris on Sunday. The German edged out Bryan Coquard (Europcar) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) on the Champs-Élysées in a thrilling finale to this year’s race.

Kristoff led with 200 metres to go having been delivered through the final corner by his team. However, the Norwegian ran out of gas with Greipel timing his sprint perfectly from a fast-finishing Coquard. Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep), who has won on the Champs-Élysées several times, could not find his way through the crowd.

Further back in the peloton, Chris Froome crossed the line arm in arm with his Team Sky teammates and celebrated his second Tour de France title in three years.

Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) finished seventh on the stage, one place behind Cavendish, but safely came over the line to claim his fourth Green Jersey in a row. There was further celebrations for Froome, who picked up the King of the Mountains jersey, becoming the first man since Eddy Merckx to claim both yellow and polka-dot in a single Tour.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) rode into Paris to secure his second place and his second white jersey in three seasons. There was still time for French celebrations with Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) winning the combativity prize, while Movistar ran away with the teams’ prize courtesy of their second place with Quintana and third with Alejandro Valverde.

The stage, though, belonged to Greipel who has established himself as the prominent sprinter thanks to his four stage wins this year. The German has not just been the fastest but also the smartest, most complete sprinter in the race, displaying a number of qualities throughout the last three weeks. Today marked his first stage win in Paris and it was a significant victory for a rider who has spent the last few seasons in the shadows of Cavendish and Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin).

The German had to fight for his win, though, with Cavendish looking for a much needed win, and a gaggle of other sprinters still waiting to open their accounts in this year's race. Coquard exemplified this, the young Frenchman unable to match the best in this race but desperately hoping to win for his team, that are struggling to find a sponsor for next year.

Kristoff, who had a phenomenal spring campaign, has not been able to find his winning touch and he again hit the front too soon today, allowing for Greipel to ghost around his rivals on the outside before opening up for the line. However, this win also belonged to Lotto Soudal, that set the pace when the race entered Paris under grey, wet skies.

It was veteran rider Sylvain Chavanel - possibly riding his final Tour – who opened up the attacks as the peloton reached the Champs-Élysées. The race was neutralized at that point, due to the conditions, with Froome safe in the knowledge that the Tour was secure.

When Chavanel was caught with 42km remaining a three-man group moved clear but it was Lotto Soudal that held them at 30 seconds, and even when the front of the peloton was engulfed with lead-out trains Lotto Soudal kept their composure. All Greipel had to do was finish the job.

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