Chris Froome on verge of Tour de France glory after penultimate stage

• Nairo Quintana wins stage 20 to move second overall

• Froome finishes third on summit finish in Annecy-Semnoz

 

Chris Froome.

Britain's Chris Froome is set to win the 100th Tour de France after finishing third on stage 20 to Annecy-Semnoz. The Team Sky rider will take a lead of more than five minutes into tomorrow's processional final stage into Paris.
The relatively short 125km penultimate stage was won by Team Movistar's Colombian rider, Nairo Quintana, whose victory moved him up to second overall and into the top of the King of the Mountains classification.
Team Katusha's Joaquim Rodríguez came in second on the stage, riding himself up from fifth overall to third. Alberto Contador, who could only manage a seventh-place finish on the day, dropped out of the podium places into fourth overall
With only Sunday's stage into Paris to go, Froome will be the second British winner in as many years, after his Team Sky team-mate Bradley Wiggins, who was the first ever 12 months ago.
The 28-year-old has led the race since winning stage 8 to Ax 3 Domaines, and had looked like kicking for victory himself as they neared the flamme rouge final kilometre marker, but it was a short-lived move, as Quintana immediately responded and moved away to take the stage ahead of Rodríguez.