Tour de France – Bradley Wiggins Takes Yellow Jersey On The Champs ?lys?es

By Caelli Greenbank (Twitter @fireflycaelli) Paris.? Capital of France.? One of the paramount cities of Europe.? Home of the final [W:Tour de France] stage since 1975.? The heralded ?city of love? provided a stunning backdrop for the finish of the historic 99^th edition of Le Tour, truly a grand finale for this most prestigious of races. Stage 20 went from Rambouillet to the Champs-?lys?es of Paris, the flat road stage that rounds out every Tour de France.? As usual the stage was more of a tradition than an actual race for most, a longstanding gentleman?s agreement in the peloton meaning that [W:Bradley Wiggins] would not be challenged for his yellow jersey on the final stage.? Instead the peloton took an easy morning with Sky arranging themselves for the usual team photograph, spread across the road with their arms on their teammates? shoulders. The jovial mood was clear in the decorations of the riders for day.? Each of the leaders of the four classifications ?- Bradley Wiggins in GC, [W:Peter Sagan] in sprints, [W:Tejay van Garderen] (BMC) in young rider and [W:Thomas Voeckler] (Europcar) in the mountains ? was riding a bike that matched their jerseys as the leader of their respective classification.? Team Sky had also made some changes to their wallpaper, the characteristic blue stripe on their black uniforms magically turning to yellow overnight, even on the team cars, in celebration of Wiggins? impending victory. The first 50 kilometres passed without incident, the highest forms of excitement a puncture in the peloton and six riders forming an ?escape? 50 metres ahead of the peloton.? The race passed by Versailles, the palatial residence of the last French king, Louis XIV, located in huge grounds on the outskirts of Paris.? By now the landmark synonymous with the French city was visible, the Eiffel Tower reaching up in front of the riders like a homing beacon. Team Sky and its leader, Bradley Wiggins, were staying close to the front of the peloton as [W:George Hincapie] (BMC) and [W:Chris Horner] (Radioshack-Nissan-Trek) led the race over the finish line to begin eight laps of the 6.5 kilometre Champs-?lys?es circuit.? That was the signal for the attacks to commence, Jerome Pineau (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) happily obliging.? He was soon joined by a number of other riders, but it was [W:Jens Voigt] (Radioshack-Nissan-Trek) and [W:Danilo Hondo] (Lampre-ISD) who made the cut, taking it in turns to ride on the front.? The race began cycling between the landmarks of Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde and golden statue of young French martyr Joan of Arc dominating the visions of passing riders. It was probably the only flat stage in which the intermediate sprint was uncontested, Team Sky following the now three-strong breakaway over the line with 35 kilometres left in the race.? Another eight riders rode out to join the leaders, the 11 having less than 30? advantage on the Liquigas-led peloton.? An attack from Jens Voigt at 13 kilometres to go shattered the escape group, most being quickly collected by the chase group while Voigt and two companions continued pushing the pedals up the front. The second-to-final lap was when riders started hearing commands from their sports director to catch the breakaway in their earpieces, ready to set the stage up for a sprint finish.? That proved easier said than done, though, Voigt and his companions holding onto enough seconds to stay off the front of the peloton.? Only half a lap remained in the Tour de France by the time the Sky-controlled peloton finally caught the leading trio.? The chase was now on. The teams of the sprinters were now visible at the front, each trying to do something for their man to take the most coveted stage victory in professional road racing.? Yellow jersey wearer Bradley Wiggins was setting the pace on the front of the peloton, swinging off just past the flamme rouge to make way for [W:Mark Cavendish]?s leadout train.? Despite launching from the 350 metre mark once again, Cavendish reaffirmed his title as the ?Manx Missile?, holding off Peter Sagan and Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) to take his third stage win of the 2012 Tour. Bradley Wiggins ascended the podium as the first-ever British winner of the Tour de France, Sky teammate [W:Chris Froome] and Liquigas-Cannondale?s [W:Vincenzo Nibali] standing beside him in second and third places.? Tejay van Garderen retained his hold on the white jersey, as did Peter Sagan his green and Thomas Voeckler his polka-dots, while Radioshack-Nissan-Trek took out the teams? classification and [W:Chris Anker Sorenson] claimed the SuperCombativity Prize for the most spirited rider.? All should be back next year to defend their titles in the 100^th edition of the world?s oldest and most famous Grand Tour, which will be a showdown not to be missed.