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Champs Elysees

Sprint Finish: Kittel ends Grand Tour with a bang

Chris Froome got home safely to seal his first Tour de France win, but all eyes were on the final dash for the line.

Result: MARCEL KITTEL CAME out on top of a stunning sprint finish up the Champs Elysees to inflict a first defeat on Mark Cavendish at this stage.

Entering the final straight, the Manx missile was locked in a gripping battle for second place with Andre Greipel, but having moved right to overtake the two Germans, he found Kittel one bike-length too far ahead to reel in.

How it happened: With the top prizes all but decided, the pressure was off the field and viewers were treated to an open stage around the streets of Paris.

With 50 kilometres to go David MIllar and Juan Antonio Flecha stretched clear of the Peloton and gave the sprinters biding their time something to think about. The Argentine was quickly retrieved by the chasing pack after 20 kilometres in the leading group.

Millar, however, showed more staying power and managed to increase his lead to 24 seconds 25km from the finish. He too was soon caught though, France’s Jeremie Roy doing the honour of steaming past him.

With darkness descending on the streets of Paris, the sprint teams moved in behind Roy and when the bell clanged to signal the final lap, the grapple for position intensified with the main players enjoying the comfort of team-mates – Kittel, more than his rivals.

And so the advantage proved fruitful as the German showed his power in the final 300 metres to withstand the challenge from behind.

The big winner: Chris Froome, the final stage for a yellow jersey wearer may be a relative formality, but it is one that can sometime  prove perilous.  The Kenyan / UK rider sealed his first Tour victory and continued to exude calm when the doping question is put his way.

The big loser: Sorry, Alberto Contador. It’s you again. The Spaniard has been oficially usurped as his nation’s number one rider and could not make any inroads onto the podium as Joaquin Rodriguez held onto third.

Who is wearing what jersey?

  • Yellow (Overall): Chris Froome
  • Green (Points): Peter Sagan
  • Polka-Dot (Mountains): Nairo Quintana
  • White (Young Rider): Nairo Quintana

What about the Irish?

No change for Dan Martin who ends the Tour in 33rd overall for Garmin-Sharp. Nico Roche plundered one more spot up the leaderboard into 40th, but did get on the podium with his Saxo-Tinkoff team.

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