Bradley Wiggins becomes first Brit to win Tour de France
A SUNDAY afternoon bike ride into the heart of Paris was enough for Bradley Wiggins to complete the formality of his and Britain’s first-ever Tour de France victory.
The Londoner was accompanied by his Team Sky team-mates throughout the 120km stage from Rambouillet to Paris on a course lined with thousands of Union Flag-waving cycling fans.
And there was a fairytale ending to the Tour, as Wiggins led out world champion Mark Cavendish to win the final stage on the Champs-Elysees for a record fourth time and his own 23rd stage win.
Wiggins said after the race: "We were just on a mission to finish the job off with Cav. So, job done really.
"I'm still buzzing from Champs-Elysees, every lap is so quick round there. What a way for Mark to finish it off.
"It's very surreal at the moment. This sort of thing happens to other people. You look back in years to come and think: 'This is special.'"
The hard work by Team Sky had already been done after 19 previous stages which took in some fearsome climbs over the Alps and Pyrenees, and included two individual time-trial stage wins for Wiggins, his specialist discipline.
It means the yellow jersey comes to Britain for the first time in the event’s 99-year history.
And in a remarkable breakthrough for British cycling, Wiggins’ right-hand-man Chris Froome clinched second place overall.
Despite his third stage win of this year's Tour, Cavendish had to concede the overall sprinter's crown and green jersey to Peter Sagan.
Tejay van Garderen won the best young rider, with Thomas Voeckler being crowned king of the mountains
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