Thomas wins maiden Tour de France title
Briton Geraint Thomas won his maiden Tour de France title when he retained the overall leader's yellow jersey at the end of the final stage.
The Team Sky rider, 32, beat Dutchman Tom Dumoulin of Team Sunweb by one minute 51 seconds and defending champion, compatriot and team mate Chris Froome by 2:24.
With his title, Thomas joins rugby's Sam Warburton and football's Gareth Bale in the Welsh sports half of fame as all three of them were educated at Whitchurch high school.
"It's just proper, proper happiness," team director Sir Dave Brailsford said.
While before him Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, or even Chris Froome were not hugely popular in the peloton, Thomas is one of the nice guys of the bunch.
"You're not going to find anybody who's got a bad word against Geraint," said Brailsford, who did not even have to manage his two leaders' conflicting ambitions.
Thomas wanted a first Tour crown, Froome a record-equalling fifth, but there was never tension between the two as the road settled a potential dispute.
Both riders sat next to each other and chatted happily in the plane that took the peloton from Pau to the outskirts of Paris for the final stage.
"These two guys deserve so much credit for the way they have handled themselves. I haven't had to manage them at all -– they have worked it out for themselves, and that takes some doing," said Brailsford.
Published: by Radio NewsHub