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The boss of British on Quintana Although melts en route to Alpe d’Huez, but he is now triumph on the Champs-Élysées.
A large blue door opens into Christopher Froome comes and he looks very varied in comparison to the many recent days, in which he has set for a stage in front of the press. His hair is still cut short, with these distinctive receding hairline, he still looks so briskly with mouth slightly open in the round. But around his torso he wears no longer the yellow jersey, but the normal racing shirt of his Sky team. So it does not look like the patron of the tour, but more like a normal representative of the peloton.
Christopher Froome, 30, but is yet in his capacity as overall winner of the 102nd Tour de France come, he has the yellow jersey up no longer lost to Alpe d’Huez. He has defended it, very shortly before his closest rival Nairo Quintana. “What can I say,” he said after his second Tour victory: “It’s overwhelming.”
When he sees Colombian flags, Quintana occurs correctly
The Briton has a remarkable Tour behind – and a remarkable final stage. The 21 mythical bends to Alpe d’Huez had placed the organizers at the last real day of racing before the tour comes to an end on Sunday with the cozy extension on the Champs-Elysees. And Quintana attacked at every opportunity. The first time he tried it already on the Col de la Croix de Fer, Alejandro Valverde assisted. But more than a few seconds they were not taken away, and at the summit Froome had the two again. At the foot of Alpe d’Huez of Colombians joined a few times, about eight kilometers from the finish he was gone – and it started a truly dramatic struggle through this sometimes scary narrow gap, the fans to the drivers in the middle of the road still left.
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With 2:38 minutes ahead Froome was in this stage gone. Seven kilometers from the finish they were virtually still 2:21 minutes. Six kilometers from the finish still 2:08 minutes. Five kilometers before 2:03 minutes. And when Quintana roadside saw a variety of Colombian flags, as he overtook his faithful tractor Winner Anacona and entered again correctly while Froome back clearly suffered and struggled to keep up the pace of his teammates.
Chris Froome, winner of the Tour de France between Modane Valfrejus and Alpe d ‘Huez.
(Photo: Getty Images )Four kilometers before the finish there were 1:44 minutes. Three kilometers before 1:36 minutes. Two kilometers: 1:18 minutes. Another and another 1:11 minute difference. Quintana still looked considerably better than Froome, who eventually left his last helper and had to play alone. But the distance was too short for the Colombians. Fast 90 seconds lost Froome at the end, 1:12 minute ahead could he yet. “Sometimes I really thought that here runs out of control,” Froome said later. “Because I really thought that this will narrow.”
There have been more succinct Tour outputs, legendary are the eight second difference between winner Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon in 1989. But so narrow as this time the distances at the top since 2010 no more than Alberto Contador by 38 seconds ahead of Andy Schleck won (and later for doping victory stripped got).
Whether this victory because of all the circumstances surrounding more counting as of 2013 , Froome has been asked. He has already illustrated in recent days when he felt himself to be persecuted. Not only and not so much of Quintana, but by the public.
are from questions of doubt are allegations
The public asks questions about Froomes or services, to no satisfactory answers from Sky, of questions are sometimes doubts and from doubts sometimes allegations. Sometimes they do at Sky as the only meet them; but that’s not true. As Vincenzo Nibali won the Tour last year, because the public meeting also strongly biased the relevant staff from the Astana team. Even with Nairo Quintana benefits the scene looks critically at his Movistar environment and is surprised that this indeed says he has no problem publishing his performance, but it does not make so far. But with Sky Another drawback is that they a) now won three of the four times last Tour Editions, a by Bradley Wiggins, Froome by two. And b) that they themselves always proudly refer to their zero tolerance policy -. But against which they violated every now and then
It is in retrospect remarkable how Froome has identified the lead to Quintana. When ITT to kick off in Utrecht he was eleven seconds faster. In Wind edges races along the Dutch coast to Froome kept in the top group, while Quintana lost contact and 1:28 minutes. On the wall of Huy he sprinted up together with Joaquim Rodriguez winner and made good 17 seconds. When TTT took Froomes Sky team out three seconds against Quintanas Movistar troupe. Then came this first stage in the Pyrenees when Froome so irresistible the Col de Soudet booted up and including time credit 1:10 minutes gutmachte – three weeks before the tour he had chosen as his rise this day the great attack, Froome said now. At the airport in Mende followed another second.
The first week, the Tour has decided
In the last two heavy mountain stages in the Alps on the other hand lost Froome time. In the section on four climbs to La Toussuire on Friday there were 30 seconds but that was in the context and not a problem; . on Saturday to Alpe d’Huez again significantly more
If you like it a bit pointedly, so you can say that the first week, when the field was not even in the mountains, has decided this tour. The key was time constancy.
Christopher Froome rode an amazing long stretches Tour. He had a strong team with him, which controlled much; in the Pyrenees they dominated as before US Postal, in the Alps was at least one of his colleagues almost always with him, even Richie Porte, Wouter Poels times, mostly Geraint Thomas. And Froome fell to the last stage not once in panic. If attacked him Quintana or another dangerous opponent, which seemed quite frequently, he just sat in the rule. Either he let his teammates down the hole or increased own pace, the views very often directed downwards on his bike computer until it was my turn again.
counter Only the attack on the final day that he could no longer , But it was enough anyway for his second Tour victory after-2013.
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