Froome declares his victory a triumph for the clean cycling
A beaming Froome shares his emotions with Ned Boulting on ITV4: "It brought tears to my eyes, coming over the line with the guys like that. I expected it to be big but this is something else. It's been an amazing way to finish off a 100th edition of the Tour de France."
He then declares his victory a triumph for drug-free riding and proof iof a sport that is entering a new, clean era. "In a way I'm, glad that I've had to face those questions after the tarnished history over the last decade. All of that has been sort of channeled towards me now and I feel like I've been able to deal with it reasonably well and send a strong message that the sport has changed. And it really has. The peloton aren't going to stand for it any more."
Greipel and Cavendish were virtually inseparable in second place, half a bike length behind the German, who has inflicted a first-ever defeat on Cavendish on the Champs Elsyee. Moments later, Froome crosses the line with his arms held aloft by his triumphant Sky team-mates.
With 3.7km to go, there is no sign of OMPS making a move to tee up Cavendish. Griepel, Sagan and Kittel are all well positioned: how late will Cav's crew leave it?
Froome was expected to just coast across the line but Sky seem intent on finishing with a flourish: Thomas is setting the pace, with Froome right behind him, closely followed by Contador. The sprinters lurk a little further back, with Greipel and Sagan nicely poised.
The bell clangs to herald the ultimate lap of the 100th Tour de France. Seven kms to go and the three leaders are barely two seconds in front, with Froome just behind them!
Sagan, with his beard dyed green tom match his sprint-king jersey, leads the chasing pack, who are still 10 seconds behind the trio of leaders with 8km left. "Nothing to celebrate on the Champs Elysees," snorts Paul Griffin. "Not only has Froome been drinking champagne while riding, but none of the riders have lights on, even as dusk approaches. I'll wager none of them pay road tax either. What kind of example is that for the children?"
The three leaders are clinging on to a 16 second advantage but surely they will soon be put back in their box? "On the telly, Eurosport has been much better than ITV," gasps Dom Markham. "But, whilst the commentary of David Harmon and Sean Kelly is pretty good, it isn't a patch on Alan Partridge."
They begin the second last lap, with the three upstarts still in front, and all of the main sprinters starting to position themselves at the front of the pursuers. Meanwhile, Vichot, having just regained the peloton, suffers another flat tyre!
Roy has been reeled in, and now there are three riders trying to break away - Valverde, Quinziato and Tankink. Cavndish's team are leading the chase, 12 seconds behind with 15km to go.
Alphajets of the Patrouille de France aerobatic team soar over the race. Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: JEFF PACHOUD/AFP/Getty Images
Well, there'll be no last-day glory for the champions of France: Artur Vichot has had to stop to change his wheel. Still, at least he'll get to finish the race, unlike poor Westra.
Jeremie Roy has decided to take down Millar by himself and nab some last-day glory for the host country. He blasted past the Scot and just kept going. Millar is swallowed up the peloton, who look minded to nip the Roy break in the bud too.
"I realise that Sagan is well clear in the green jersey, but what are the standings below him, just in case?" asks David Wall. "After all, accidents do happen." Cavendish is second, 101 points behind Sagan. Then comes Griepel, Kittel and Flecha.
The team's of Cavendish and Kittel are leading the chase but they are not exactly going full gun yet, clearly believing that Millar will weaken - but there is no sign of that yet, as Millar continues to power ahead. He's 28 seconds in front now, with 26km left.
Chris Froome goes past the Arc de Triomphe. Photograph: Pascal Guyot/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Pascal Guyot/AFP/Getty Images
Millar is actually increasing his lead a tad. It now stands at 24', with 28km left. The sprint team are on his track, and the rest of the peloton another 10 seconds or so further back, just trying to ensure they don't suffer a Westra moment.
MIllar and Flecha are still 15 seconds in front, with the sprint teams leading the pursuit. Muravyev flashes out from the crowd to try to join the leading duo and the peloton lets him go - for now.
The pack of riders cycles past the Arc de Triomphe. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
Catastrophe for Westra, who has had to abandon the race just 39km from the finish. No word yet as to exactly what befell the Dutchman but he was suffering for several kiolmetres and lagging badly. What a cruel way for his race to end.
MIllar and Flecha remain out in front, some 16 seconds in front of the pelton. Can they survive with six laps to go? Cavendish does not seem overly perturned, rolling along towards the front of the peloton, satisfied that his team-mates will reel in the upstarts and set the stage for a sprint finish.
Froome is comfortably ensconced in the peloton, keeping well away from the ducking and diving up front and jsut concentrating on avoiding the disaster that could strip him of the opportunity to don the new-fangled golden tunic. Meanwhile, for those of you wondering what Lance Armstrong is up to today, Robert Lowe says he's chowing down on pie in Iowa.
Four riders are trying to make a break for freedom with 48km to go: Meyer, Flecha, El Fares and David Millar. They've got about 200 metres on the peloton but it seems only a matter of time before the sprinters' team close them down ...
Belkin are leading the attack so far but can't establish a significant lead, as t he whole peloton wins along just after Lars Boom. There are 56km to go.
The race is on! The ninth-last lap is the cue for several riders to try to make break for it and shake off the sprinters to deny them a dash for a glorious stage win. But no one can escape as yet.
"As we're nearing the end of hundreds of miles of pain" writes Mabon John, "spare a thought, and maybe a few pounds, for my friend Nick who is attempting to ride Le Tour on his own, no peloton, support riders or support team to help, over the same amount of days as the pros. All for meningitis research. You can sponsor him here. All donations will help push him up Alpe d'huez for the second time!"
The peleton rides towards the Hotel des Invalides. Photograph: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images
They enter the Champs to tumultuous acclaim from the throngs lining that wonderful street. Jets do a flyover, spewing tricolour fumes of smoke, while Sky give Richie Porte the honour leading the way, just ahead of Froome. This is the first of 10 seven-km laps of the inner-city circuit. It's been a boring trundle so far today, but now the sheer fervour and fanfare is making the spectacle infectiously sun. And, of course, there;s still the sprint finish to come.
On and on they trundle. But don't you start thinking this stage is an anti-climax. "Things are going to start getting exciting once the sun starts to go down," says ITV4's man in the gantry. "We should see some really interesting shadows on the road."
We are 21kms from reaching the city limits of Paris and, perhaps, some sort of race breaking out. In the meantime, we continue our gawking at the flora and fauna of France. There are worse ways to spend a Sunday. Just ask an Australian cricket fan ...
100km to go, and these riders still look like they were born to be mild. Mind you, Froome has now decided to have a sip of champagne, a knowing nod to the proud British tradition of celebrating outstanding physical feats by getting totally sloshed. "Who won between Bernand Hinault and Chris Wright [see 17:33]?" asks Lizz Poulter. "Hinault is my new all-time favourite cyclist since last Tuesday when I went to Vaison-la-Romaine for the départ and correctly answered the question 'how many times did Bernard Hinault wear the yellow jersey?' Although I had no idea, the bloke asking the questions, working the crowds on behalf of Bic before the caravan started, just responded to any attempts with 'a few more' , 'not so many' so I offered 79 and I won a Bic pen (€1.40 in the shops!) I'm thrilled." That's a quality prize. I and three team-mates once won a table quiz at a local rugby club - beating a team consisting of former school-teachers of ours, no less - and then discovered that top prize was ... a set of tea-cosies. So don't talk to me about being thrilled.
Chris Froome rides with a glass of champagne. Photograph: Pascal Guyot/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Pascal Guyot/AFP/Getty Images
As if to show that this stage is not merely a 100km+ warm-up to a frenetic sprint, a minor kerfuffle in the peloton results in two riders hitting the road. They scramble quickly back to the feet, looking chastening but not undaunted - which is just as well because if they do not finish today's stage all their previous exertions will have been for nothing, like being expelled from college on the eve of graduation day.
Some more scenery in the early stages. Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP
Contador has just had to stop to change his bike, for reason as yet unclear. No harm done, though, and he's smiles beatifically as he rejoins the peloton moments later. 113km to go. This is gripping stuff, like cow pat on the sole of your shoe.
Not much of note happening on the road at the minute, so the TV is showing us footage of some nice trees. Nice, soothing viewing for those of you watching with a hangover. "I wonder whether Armstrong didn't want to turn up because of the other invitees?" speculates Liam Rooney. "After all, Paul Kimmage will be there, as one of the géants de la route..." Hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves: we only know that Armstrong has not been invited, that doesn't mean he won't turn up - he may, as we speak, be hatching a plot to be smuggled into the VIP stands under a helper's raincoat."
Peter Sagan's green facial fluff. Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP
Sky are leading the peloton, milking the giddy acclaim of the crowd, who are clearly very easily amused: the riders are barely pedaling. "I've watched the Tour for almost ten years now and I've always loved the last stage the best," chimes in John Last. "Besides the pleasure of seeing the GC contenders sipping champagne and smoking cigars on their bicycles and getting a well-deserved break after 20 days of racing, the final finish is such an bloodthirsty contest among the sprinters that I think this stage is the perfect combination of pomp and ceremony and gladiatorial battle. I think a down-to-the-last-minute competition for the GC would be a violation of the principles of this, the classiest of competitions.' The classiest of competitions? It's been a while since I've heard the Tour hailed in such glowing terms. If it's classy competitors you're looking for, martial arts is your man.
Amid lots of yelping and squealing by idlers on the side of the road, the riders toddle around Versailles. At some point over the next 126km they're going to inject some urgency into this. But Alexander Green, for one, is having none of this anti-climax talk. "Pah!" he scoffs. "Just ask Cav about the joy of winning on the Champs Elysee four (hopefully five) times in a row. One of the beauties of the tour is that it is many races in one, not just the GC. We should probably stop The Ashes now, then."
The race has now officially started. "Has anybody wearing the yellow jersey ever won this stage?" wonders James Abbot. I'm pretty sure Bernard Hinault did it 1979. Speaking of which, get a load of this from Chris Wright. "Good afternoon Paul, I've seen so many good cycling stories over the last three weeks but I wanted to add one more. About a year ago I pitched an idea to the Qantas inflight mag about the places the 100th tour would go to, and managed to secure an invitation to come and drive - and I do stress the word drive - the first stage in Corsica, four months before the actual race. The magazine agreed. The lovely people in Corsica were incredibly helpful, and all was well until the week before my visit, when they wrote: 'Great news! We found you a bike!' I had assumed I would be driving not cycling, but didn't want to be rude. So I lined up accordingly on a bike they had kindly lent to me for the day. An elder man was next to me, a competitor in this informal race, and I introduced myself. 'Hello. I'm Chris,' I said. The other man gave me a smile replied simply: 'Bernard Hinault'".
The riders head out of Versailles. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA Photograph: YOAN VALAT/EPA
The race still hasn't started, as the riders are in the 'neutralised area' and larking about at a leisurely pace. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver is amusing himself by trying to take a puff of a cigar in his saddle. The pace probably won't pick up much even after the start, not until the very end when the sprinters make their grab for victory.
Is there any other sporting event designed to ensure it ends with an anti-climax? Most sports try to preserve suspense until the very end and avoid dead rubbers, but the Tour is arranged so that the last stage almost never has any effect on the outcome. Is it laudable to reward the rider's with a gentle and glorious procession after such a forbidding trek, or should organisers spice things up so we get a grander finale?
Cigars all round at the Tour de France. Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP
The 170 remaining riders are currently trundling around the Palace of Versailles ahead of the the start of the stage. Awaiting them at the end will be stands full of all the riders still alive who have ever completed a Tour – except a certain Monsieur Armstrong, who hasn't been invited. Presumably some sort of administrative error.
So it's a doddle, after all. Once you've mastered winning the Tour de France, you never forget. Just like riding a bike. It took Britain nearly a century to figure out how to win the thing but now Blighty's about to bag two in as many years. Only preposterous misfortune or skulduggery can prevent Chris Froome from rubberstamping overall victory today and if Mark Cavendish can complement that achievement by claiming another stage win, then it will be a perfect day, confirming cycling as another activity at which Britain is a world leader, like waving flags and grumbling suspiciously about activities at which Britain is not a world leader.
France fancies that it can do pageantry too and aims to prove it at the end of today's stage, which is planned to conclude around sunset with a lap of the Arc de Triomphe, which, along with other famous Parisian monuments, will be illuminated in enchanting celebration of the 100th edition of the world's greatest cycling race. Froome will be clad not in yellow but in a special gold jersey with sequins, a shimmering and entirely random tribute to the age of disco. Perhaps if Sir Bradley Wiggins were here they'd have organised a a golden parka or a glittery tonic suit but, of course, Wiggo is not racing and that is one of the reasons why Froome impending victory this year is the more impressive of the two men's, since Froome has not enjoyed the strength of team support that Wiggins benefited from last year. What's more, this year's race has been tougher. Chapeau, Froome.
Nairo Quintana, Chris Froome and Peter Sagan line up before the stage. Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
Paul will be here shortly, with the race due to begin at around 5.15pm BST. In the meantime, here's an excerpt from William Fotheringham's piece on how Team Sky climbed to the top … and stayed there:
There is new joke doing the rounds among cycling fans: British Tour de France winners are like London red buses. You wait years for one to come along, and then you get two, one right after the other. Two British victors of cycling's toughest event back to back might seem an outlandish idea, but Dave Brailsford, Team Sky, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins have managed to make it seem routine at the same time.
In July 2009, Team Sky was merely a series of spreadsheets, random jottings, and what the team's founders term "brain dumps" as Brailsford and his associates tried to figure out how to start a professional cycling team. They had little idea of what they were getting into. But this July Froome started as the overwhelming Tour favourite, led the race from the end of week one, and never looked likely to be beaten. Wiggins did exactly the same in 2012.
It has taken four years, but that is not a coincidence: four years is an Olympic cycle, the time frame in which British Cycling, the UK's governing body, and its performance director, Brailsford, have tended to function since the arrival of lottery funding into the sport in 1997. Britain's Tour de France domination stems directly from its record Olympic medal hauls, which drew in the big money from Sky – James Murdoch is an active cyclist and turns up at races intermittently – and gave Brailsford the knowledge base from which to climb cycling's Everest: the Tour.
The Sky goal was to dominate road cycling using the same methods that had brought Olympic success, most notably the "aggregation of marginal gains", where every area is examined in minute detail for possible improvement, and the cumulative effect of many small gains gives a considerable advance on the opposition. Sky would also use the people management principles devised by Steve Peters, the "mechanic of the mind", a psychiatrist who had worked at Rampton mental hospital.
Packed river banks on the Seine ahead of tonight's action in Paris. Photograph: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images
A nocturnal finish on the Beautiful Boulevard which feels like one of those Friday night Six Nations games: great for TV, not so great for the travelling support. Given the cobbles on the Champs, it will be dire if it rains. Cavendish will have spent seven stages battling for survival from Lyon over the Ventoux and points north with this one stage in mind, so a fifth consecutive victory here would be richly deserved. Barring an act of God it's hard not to see him winning.
