Froome wins the Tour de France - but little respect
The British rider has won the race four times, but his 'efficient' style fails to win over the fans
Chris Froome confirmed his reputation as one of the greatest cyclists in history by winning the Tour de France for a fourth time on Sunday.
Froome triumphed for the third year in a row, having opened his account in 2013, as he safely crossed the finish line on the Champs Elysees behind stage winner Dylan Groenewegen following a gruelling battle over the past three weeks.
The British rider is now clear of three-time winners Philippe Thys, Louison Bobet and Greg LeMond with only Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain ahead of him on five.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Froome's domination of the famous race will ensure his place in the sport's record books, says William Fotheringham in The Guardian, but the manner in which he achieved it means he is unlikely to receive the credit he deserves.
"He is a champion who has versatility and grit, if not charisma or popularity. As Froome's fourth win loomed large, it was inevitable that at least one French newspaper would describe the Tour winner using Antoine Blondin's sublime pun, 'gérant de la route' – a wordplay on the verb gérer, meaning to manage or regulate, and the hoary French cliche for the Tour riders, les géants de la route. An English translation might be accountancy on wheels."
In contrast to his previous victories, Froome did show moments of vulnerability this year, which his rivals might have been able to take advantage of but for the strength of Team Sky and his trusty lieutenant Mikel Landa in particular.
He was tested by Fabio Aru – who took the yellow jersey off him for one day before handing it straight back – Romain Bardet and Rigoberto Uran but made sure of victory and with it confirmed his status as the most complete rider across all disciplines in the time trial on the penultimate stage in Marseille.
His Team Sky team-mate Geraint Thomas – who wore the yellow jersey early in the race before crashing out - says in the Daily Telegraph that Froome's achievements cannot be under-estimated.
"I have said it countless times, but he does not get half the credit he deserves in this country. He is on the cusp of legendary status now. If he joins the five-time club next year, or even goes beyond that and beats the record held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, he will have to be regarded as one of the greatest sportsmen this country has ever seen. To my mind he already is."
While the British public are strangely cold to Froome's phenomenal success, compared to the hero-status awarded to the country's first Tour winner Bradley Wiggins, the French are openly hostile towards him.
In previous years Froome has had urine thrown at him by spectators and was once again booed during some of the mountain stages but his latest victory at least brought a kind of grudging respect from Le Figaro.
"Installed behind the legendary Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain, Froome will never have the elegance of the Norman, the versatility of the Belgian, the violence of the Breton or the power of the Spaniard. With his own style, he often gives the impression of pushing a trolley in a supermarket. Elbows spread, upper body straight, head wagging. Without grace but with formidable efficiency."
The ongoing strength of British cycling was confirmed with Simon Yates finishing seventh behind Froome and in doing so emulating the achievement of his twin brother Adam 12 months ago by winning the white jersey for best young rider while Team Sky took the team award.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Tour de France: a return to the glory days?
A stellar line-up of contenders looks set to provide a vintage race
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Cavendish: cycling’s greatest sprinter of all time
Why Everyone’s Talking About Crashes, illness and injury couldn’t stop the ‘Manx Missile’ as he equalled Eddy Merckx’s all-time record at the Tour de France
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tour de France postponed: organisers confirm 29 August start
Speed Read New dates have been announced for cycling’s premier event
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Decathlon: Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas ‘all ok’ after crash
Daily Briefing Ten things from the world of sport on Wednesday 19 June
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Decathlon: cyclist Chris Froome ‘not in great shape’ after high-speed crash
Daily Briefing Ten things from the world of sport on Thursday 13 June
By The Week Staff Published
-
Today’s back pages: Man Utd tell Real Madrid to pay £150m for Paul Pogba
Speed Read A round up of the sport headlines from UK newspapers on 13 June
By The Week Staff Published
-
Team Ineos: Tour de Yorkshire cycling event to be hit by anti-fracking protests
In Depth Team Sky takeover has caused concern among environmentalists and rival cycling teams
By The Week Staff Published
-
Chelsea takeover: will Britain’s richest man buy the Blues?
Speed Read Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also set to add cycling’s Team Sky to his portfolio
By The Week Staff Published