Chris Froome set his sights on equalling the record of five Tour de France victories after sealing his fourth on Sunday.
Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen won stage 21 in a sprint finish on the Champs-Elysees, while Team Sky’s Froome crossed the line just behind to confirm the victory he effectively sealed in Saturday’s time trial in Marseille.
Froome had been able to enjoy the celebrations on the 103km stage from Montgeron before watching on as Groenewegen held off the late charging German Andre Greipel and Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen for his first Tour stage win.
Froome’s wife Michelle and son Kellan were waiting near the finish line to celebrate with the 32-year-old.
“It’s just an amazing feeling,” Froome said. “The Champs-Elysees never disappoints. There’s something magical about it when you spend three weeks thinking of this moment.
Chris Froome celebrates victory with his son Kellan (left) and wife Michelle (right) (Adam Davy/PA)
“It’s amazing to see my wife and my son again after several months on the road. Each time I’ve won the Tour it has been so unique. All my victories are so special in their own ways.
“This one will be remembered as the closest and most hard fought of them.”
Chris Froome’s 2017 Tour de France (PA graphic)
The record of five wins is jointly held by four of cycling’s all-time greats – men Froome now hopes to join.
“It’s a huge honour to be mentioned in the same sentence as Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain,” he said.
“It’s a privilege to be going for the record next year.”
What a final sprint today from @GroenewegenD to win on the day. What a place to win your first @letour stage too! #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/cJrkBr7gao
— Le Tour de France UK (@letour_uk) July 23, 2017
Froome’s final margin of victory over former team-mate Rigoberto Uran was 54 seconds, making this the seventh-closest finish in Tour history.
Cannondale-Drapac’s Uran could celebrate his highest ever Tour finish, while AG2R La Mondiale’s Frenchman Romain Bardet finished third, two minutes and 20 seconds off Froome’s time.
The 24-year-old Groenewegen had been left with only four team-mates after the Tour took its toll on the LottoNL-Jumbo squad, but they were enough to put him in the right place in a messy sprint.
????????????????????#TEAM5KY pic.twitter.com/DnbzinQ3iW
— Team Sky ???? (@TeamSky) July 23, 2017
“This is an amazing place for the sprinters,” he said. “To win on the Champs-Elysees makes it a perfect day.
“We’re only five riders in the team but it was enough today. They did a great job. When I was young, I was looking at the Champs-Elysees stage on TV. Now I’m the winner here it’s wonderful.”
2 x jerseys for @TeamSunweb!
Congratulations @WarrenBarguil & @blingmatthews #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/BrRHLYeE9T— Le Tour de France UK (@letour_uk) July 23, 2017
For Greipel, second place spelled the end of a proud record – the 35-year-old had until now won at least one stage in every grand tour he took part in.
Norwegian Boasson Hagen took the last spot on the podium for the third time in this Tour, with the Team Dimension Data rider also having two second places to add to Friday’s win on stage 19.
Orica-Scott’s Simon Yates confirmed his seventh place overall and the white jersey as the best young rider in the race.
#TDF2017 @SimonYatess gives us back to back white jerseys ⚪️⚪️⚪️ Fantastic three weeks for #OricaScott pic.twitter.com/suGHtBzrHB
— ORICA-SCOTT (@OricaScott) July 23, 2017
Australian Michael Matthews sealed the green jersey in the points classification, with his French Sunweb team-mate Warren Barguil safe in the polka dot jersey as king of the mountains.
Froome will now turn his attention to the Vuelta a Espana, where he hopes to become the first man since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win two grand tours in the same season.
No rider has done the Tour double since Bernard Hinault in 1978, when the Vuelta took place in the early part of the season.
This year’s Vuelta starts in Nimes, France on August 19.
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