The largest and most insane bike race in the world drew to a close this week with an unlikely winner swooping in to take the crown from four-time champion Chris Froome.
The man in question, Geraint Thomas, is a 32-year-old Welshman on Britain’s Team Sky, and his role as “support player” to teammate Chris Froome did a quick swap this weekend when Froome managed to come in third after Thomas and Dutch cyclist Tom Dumoulin. This is only the third win by a British cyclist, and the first by a Welshman, so it’s no surprise that Thomas started popping bottles as soon as he put on the champion’s yellow jersey.
The race takes up three weeks of July, and it is no easy feat, with competitors scrambling up and down the Pyrenees, getting tear-gassed by local farmers, and doing things like riding with a broken pelvis. But it’s all worth it for that ceremonial final stretch into Paris, ending at, fittingly, the Arc de Triomphe.
Want a look at exactly how tough this race was? Click here to see a 3D map of the Tour’s hardest bike route.
