After 21 stages, the British Chris Froome won the Tour de France 2017. The Sky rider achieved his fourth title in the competition. Meanwhile, the Colombian Rigoberto Urán finished in second place, 54 seconds behind the leader.
In the final stage towards Paris, the Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen won. However, all the spotlight was on Froome and Urán, who secured second place by overtaking the Frenchman Romain Bardet in the penultimate stage.
The final 103-kilometer stage started on the outskirts of the French capital, the same place where the first Tour de France started in 1903. Precisely, this place saw Froome, 32 years old, approach a record-breaking fifth victory, currently held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin.
The local rider Bardet, who had finished second last year, had to settle for third place this time, 2 minutes and 20 seconds behind Froome. Meanwhile, Nairo Quintana could not shine and finished the circuit in twelfth position.
SOURCE (AFP)
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"It has been an excellent Tour for me, I have won a stage. But finishing second is the most important thing in my sports career. We'll see what happens in the last stage," said the Cannondale cyclist, who is 54 seconds behind the British Chris Froome.
"For me, finishing in second place is more than enough. It's very nice," said the cyclist. Urán stated that his second place is also good to certify the good moment of Colombian cycling, which in recent years had had a man on the podium with Nairo Quintana.
"Colombia was used to having Nairo and is back on the podium. It is very important for the country, it reaffirms the good cycling we have in Colombia, there is a lot of talent," he said. The Colombian rider indicated that even though he achieved two second places in the Giro d'Italia, it did not mean that he had lost quality.
"I have always been the same, although sometimes I have had some health problems. But when you get on the podium and then finish fifth or sixth, it's like losing everything. On this occasion, I was fine, I was able to be with the best," he said.