Team Ineos - formerly Team Sky - make it seven Tour de France wins out of eight
Sunday 28 July 2019 23:10, UK
Team Ineos' Colombian rider Egan Bernal was confirmed as the youngest Tour de France champion in 110 years as Caleb Ewan won the final stage.
Bernal, 22, cruised through the largely ceremonial final stage in the yellow jersey as Dave Brailsford's team - formerly Team Sky - made it seven general classification victories in eight years from four different riders.
Caleb Ewan beat Dylan Groenewegen and Niccolo Bonifazio to win the 21st and final stage on the iconic Champs-Elysees finish after one of the most memorable Tours in years.
Bernal beat team-mate and defending champion Geraint Thomas by one minute and 11 seconds with Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk coming home third (1:31 behind).
Also the winner of the white jersey for the best U25 rider, Bernal did not win a single stage, but he was first at the top of the Col de l'Iseran when the 19th stage was stopped because of hailstorms and landslides in the Alps.
Kruijswijk's Jumbo-Visma team shone throughout the race, winning four stages through Dylan Groenewegen, Wout van Aert, Mike Teunissen and the team time trial.
Briton Adam Yates failed to impress in the general classification race but his Mitchelton-Scott team also claimed four stages. Yates' twin brother Simon won two while Matteo Trentin and Daryl Impey took one apiece.
France's Julian Alaphilippe, who wore the yellow jersey for 14 days but cracked in the Alps and ended fifth overall, was the race's most exciting rider.
The world No 1, who had looked to become France's first winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985, was voted this year's most aggressive rider after also winning two stages.
"Alaphilippe changed the deal of this Tour de France, no question about it," said Tour director Christian Prudhomme.
"There was also the absence of [four-times champion] Chris Froome, which gave hope to many riders."
Slovakian Peter Sagan wrapped up a record seventh green jersey for the points classification, surpassing the previous mark he held jointly with German Erik Zabel.
Frenchman Romain Bardet won the polka dot jersey as the king of the mountains, an impressive consolation prize after dropping out of overall contention early on.
