Froome’s 4th Tour win was his hardest and most fulfilling
PARIS — After the champagne bubbles fade and Chris Froome drifts away from his Sunday night celebrations to reflect on a fourth Tour de France win, he may do so with greater fondness than the others.
The first, in 2013, brought the bursting pride of a first success. But he won by more than four minutes, as he did last year. Although Nairo Quintana finished a little over one minute behind him in 2015, this year’s victory — by just 54 seconds — over another Colombian, Rigoberto Uran, tastes sweeter.
“This Tour has been my toughest yet,” Froome said.
Froome temporarily lost the race lead to the daring Italian Fabio Aru in the Pyrenees on a huge climb to the ski station of Peyragudes, and thought he’d lost it altogether two days later.