Although crowned by his achievements in the 100th Tour de France, Froome has enjoyed phenomenal success across the board in 2013. Kick-started by overall victory the Tour of Oman – his first career stage race victory – against an elite field including Alberto Contador, Cadel Evans and Joaquim Rodriguez, Froome also topped the points classification to highlight his consistency in his first race of the year. He followed it with second to Vincenzo Nibali at Tirreno-Adriatico – the only time he was beaten in a stage race all season.

Froome excelled on both tough climbs and in time trials, earning a further victory at the Criterium International – after blasting away from his closest rivals on the final day’s climb of the Col de l’Ospedale and soloing to victory – before taking the prologue at the Tour de Romandie and retaining his yellow jersey to the end. He sunk his closest rivals at the Criterium du Dauphine too, finishing third in the individual time trial and then catching Alberto Contador and dropping El Pistolero on the climb into Valmorel, just 200m from the finish, to win the stage and take the yellow jersey – which he successfully defended to the end of the race.