Thanks to an irresistible move on the last and decisive climb of the final stage at Criterium International, Chris Froome (Sky) took both the stage and the overall, snatching the honours from teammate Richie Porte.

“The stage panned out more or less how we expected,” Froome said, relishing his victory and the work of his teammates. “The plan was to control the race throughout the day. It was a huge job and we really put pressure on the other teams. Richie and I didn’t have to make any big efforts until right at the end there. The team did that work for us and all we had to do was finish it off.”

Elaborating on his decisive move, Froome said he never meant to attack but took the opportunity as it presented itself. “I didn’t really intend to attack on the climb, but when the gap widened between me and Richie, I felt I could go on, so I went for it. It was that quick thinking between us which brought about the victory and we couldn’t ask for any more than a one-two on the stage and GC.”