Chris Froome cruised through the second to last stage of the Tour de France today to all but guarantee himself a fourth yellow jersey in Paris on Sunday. All that stands between him and victory now is tomorrow’s time-trial, where he is expected to compound his advantage.
Edvald Boasson Hagen, for so long the bridesmaid at the Tour de France, won his first ever stage of the race, sprinting clear from a 20-man breakaway.
Although Froome’s dominance has been crushing, his likely victory is as much a product of his team’s expertise as it is his own panache. Jeremy Whittle analyses what each member of the Sky squad has contributed so far this year - and gives them a mark out of ten for their efforts.
Sergio Henao (Colombia, 29)
Winner for Sky of the Paris-Nice stage race in March, Henao has been one of the mountain mainstays in the five ranges that the Tour has crossed this year and was particularly evident in support of Froome during both Alpine stages, to Serre Chevalier and the Col d’Izoard. 7/10
Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus, 36)
With Luke Rowe, this veteran has been at the heart of the Sky train engine room, expressionlessly turning in giant pace-making efforts at the front of the peloton, either to protect Froome’s overall lead or to control potentially threatening breakaways.
8/10
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Christian Knees (Germany, 36)
Another veteran of the peloton and, with Kiryienka, another of the front rank drive-train domestiques that have enabled Sky to exert such a stranglehold on what was touted as the “anti-Sky” Tour.
7/10
Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland, 27)
When Geraint Thomas crashed out of the Tour on the stage to the Mont du Chat, Froome needed a replacement wingman to set the pace in the mountains. Former world road race champion Kwiatkowski stepped into the breach and became a cornerstone to Froome’s success, riding himself to a literal standstill on the final summit finish, on the Izoard.
9/10
Mikel Landa (Spain, 27)
Any suggestion of disloyalty to Froome by the Spaniard at the stage finish at Peyragudes, have long since been scuppered by another pivotal performance from one of Sky’s riders who could be a leader at any other team. Landa’s pace-making and his occasional forays into attacking moves, made him the perfect foil to Froome’s consistency and also gave Sky renewed tactical options after losing Thomas.
9/10
Mikel Nieve (Spain, 33)
Climbing specialist Nieve is another of Sky’s Grand Tour veterans who might once have led a rival team, but who has now established himself as one of Froome’s key pacemakers. Lacked the high-altitude profile of Landa and Kwiatkowski and seemed under-powered at times.
6/10
Luke Rowe (Wales, 27)
As road captain and all-round mainstay. Rowe has come of age in this Tour, despite a heavy fall during the Tour’s first week. He was also one of those most able to motivate Froome, after he lost the yellow jersey to Fabio Aru and is now dead last, or lantern rouge, overall as he prefers to save energy for the next stage each day.
8/10
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Geraint Thomas (Wales, 31)
After his flying start to the Tour, by claiming the first yellow jersey three weeks ago in Dusseldorf, Thomas’s crash and subsequent abandon on the chaotic mountain stage to Chambery, hot on the heels of his quitting the Giro d’Italia, was a bitter disappointment. 5/10