Froome one ride away from Tour de France win

ANNECY-SEMNOZ, France - Chris Froome has two hands firmly on the Tour de France trophy. All that remains is for the British rider to raise it above his head before cheering crowds in Paris on Sunday.

The Team Sky rider retained his big race lead in Saturday’s penultimate stage to ensure he will become Britain’s second successive champion after Bradley Wiggins.

Only an accident or other freak mishap on Sunday’s largely ceremonial final ride to the Champs-Elysees could stop Froome from winning the 100th Tour.

“It’s been an amazing journey for me, the race has been a fight every single day,” Froome said at the winner’s news conference which the Tour holds the evening before the final stage. “This Tour really has had everything. It really has been a special edition this year.”

Froome, who was clearly superior and never looked really troubled in the three-week race, finished third on Saturday in a dramatic Stage 20 to the ski station of Annecy-Semnoz in the Alps that decided the other podium placings.

Nairo Quintana from Colombia won the stage and moved up to second overall. Joaquim Rodriguez from Spain rode in 18 seconds behind Quintana. He moved up to third overall.

Froome’s lead is more than five minutes over both of them.

Froome said only when he passed the sign showing two kilometers (about one mile) to go on the final steep uphill did he allow himself to believe he’d won the Tour.

“It actually became quite hard to concentrate,” he said. “A very emotional feeling.”

Saturday’s 125-kilometer (78-mile) trek was the last of four successive stages in the Alps and the final significant obstacle Froome needed to overcome before Sunday’s usually relaxed ride to the finish in Paris.

AP