Chris Froome all but secured his second Tour de France victory after holding off a stirring fightback by Nairo Quintana on Alpe d’Huez yesterday.
“It really was a tough today, but at the finish it was incredible, an incredible feeling and emotion,” Froome said.
Frenchman Thibaut Pinot salvaged something from his disappointing Tour with victory on the 20th and penultimate stage, but it was the battle between Froome and Quintana that really mattered.
Quintana finished second in the stage, 18 seconds behind Pinot, but Froome, who started the day with a 2 mins 38 secs advantage, dug in to finish the stage fifth, just 1 min 20 secs behind Quintana.
The Colombian took six bonus seconds on the line, but that still left him 1 min 12 secs short of overhauling Froome ahead of today’s final stage, which will culminate in Paris.
That was less than the minute-and-a-half Quintana had given up to Froome almost three weeks ago on the second stage when he was caught behind a crash in crosswinds.
“I gave everything right from the first week. We had some difficulties because I had crashed and I was alone in the wind. I lost 1 min 30 sec and that’s what lost me the Tour,” Quintana said.
Just as in 2013, Froome, 30, fought off an Alpine comeback from Quintana to beat the 25-year-old Movistar leader to Tour success.
But Froome acknowledged that he had been a worried man in the saddle.
“I knew I had a 2 min 38 sec lead to keep the jersey, but at one point it was difficult because I realised he might win,” he said.
His Sky manager Dave Brailsford told ITV in England that the race had been closer than they expected.
“It was a bit close in the end. I think after everything he’s endured, Chris has shown his real mettle,” Brailsford said.
The final encounter took place on the 13.8-kilometre climb to the finish at Alpe d’Huez at the end of a 110.5km stage from Modane. Today’s final stage to Paris is nothing more than a procession and barring an unlikely crash, Froome will be crowned Tour champion for the second time in three years.
But Quintana, who was 3 mins 10 secs behind following Thursday’s 18th stage, did not give up easily.
He had already attacked on the hors category Col de la Croix de Fer some 60km from the finish and briefly had Froome in trouble before a small lead peloton regrouped on the descent off that mountain.
But right from the foot of the climb to Alpe d’Huez, Quintana launched the first of four attacks.
Froome’s Sky teammate Wouter Poels chased down the Colombian the first three times, but on the fourth, Quintana got away. From there it was a race against time as Quintana tried to hunt down Pinot for the stage win, while also aiming to claw back his deficit to Froome for overall success.
By the end, though, Quintana had come up short on both counts. “It was the last day and I had to try, I had to go for it,” Quintana said.
“I thought we could get away on the Col de la Croix de Fer, but it didn’t work.
“I tried again on the final climb and got some time, but it wasn’t enough and I lost the Tour.”
Froome, 30, revealed he had been struggling with illness for a few days. “Since the second rest day I’ve been a bit chesty, tight-chested with a bit of a cough.
“I was on my limits, it felt like I was dying a thousand deaths today but being with my teammates makes it a little bit more manageable and I had a little left to do that last kilometre and limit those losses.”
The Briton said he expects Quintana to be back next year pushing him hard again. “He’s young, he’s very strong and has a great mentality. He races hard, and at the right times,” Froome said.
“He’s got a great future and I think next year we’ll come back to do battle again.”
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