Bradley Wiggins is on final straight to victory in Tour de France

 
20 July 2012

It is so very close now: barring last-minute accident or injury, Bradley Wiggins and Sky team-mate Chris Froome are a little over two days away from celebrating Britain’s first-ever victory — and runners-up spot — in the Tour de France.

For over a century, Britain has failed to place a rider on the Tour’s final podium, let alone the top step, in cycling’s blue riband event. But the

32-year-old from Kilburn, with Froome waiting in the wings should he fail, now has all but secured a triumph that proved beyond the ability of previous British cycling greats, namely Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman in the 1990s, Scottish climbing star Robert Millar in the 1980s and world champion Tommy Simpson in the 1960s.

As the duo of Sky leaders pedal steadily northwards today on a 222 kilometre stage from the Toulouse suburb of Blagnac to the picturesque country town of Brives-la-Gaillarde, Wiggins has a comfortable cushion of two minutes and five seconds on his British team-mate, with their closest rival, Vincenzo Nibali of Italy, two minutes and 41 seconds adrift of the top spot.

The last remaining challenge after today’s relatively straightforward grind through central France is a 53km individual time trial on Saturday. But this should not represent a problem either for the Londoner or for Kenyan-born Froome, 27.

In the Tour’s first time trial in Besancon 10 days ago, Wiggins already stamped his authority on the race with a convincing victory that reinforced his overall lead. And Froome finished an encouraging second. Then as the race tackled the Alps and Pyrenees, Wiggins and his line of blue-clad support climbers from Sky played a rock-solid defensive game. Wiggins’s last big obstacle was yesterday’s final leg through the Pyrenees, where he and Froome vanquished their most persistent rival, Nibali, drawing away in the final kilometres of the summit finish at Peyragudes. Wiggins’s only difficulty was that as the reality he was all but certain of taking Britain’s first-ever win in one of cycling’s three Grand Tours — of Spain, Italy and France — sunk in, he wavered slightly.

Froome’s loyalty had been questioned after he launched an unscripted attack on the Toussuire climb in the Alps. Yesterday he played the faithful sherpa, waiting for Wiggins as the Londoner’s focus drifted slightly and then guiding him through the final kilometres and ensuring Wiggins is safely on track for final victory.

“When it got close to the finish I started to realise for the first time in this race that I have almost won the Tour de France and I couldn’t help losing my concentration. I was in another world,” admitted Wiggins.

Froome’s loyalty almost certainly cost him the stage win — which went to Spain’s Alejandro Valverde — and Wiggins recognised that Froome has been the strongest rider in the mountains in this year’s Tour.

He said: “I’m not a natural climber but I know how to time trial and then limit the gaps on the cols.”

Wiggins could yet add a second stage win in tomorrow’s time trial.

As for Sunday’s largely ceremonial stage onto the Champs Elysees, Sky’s Mark Cavendish — who crashed yesterday when a fan’s flag tangled up in the world champion’s handlebars, fortunately without serious consequences — could have a chance for a fourth straight sprint win on Paris’s most famous boulevard.

Unless disaster strikes, it will then be Wiggins and Froome’s turn to join Cavendish on the final winner’s podium.

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