Mont Venoux, Tour de France, stage 15

The longest stage of the 100th Tour de France – one held on Bastille Day, with a mountain-top finish on the Giant of Provence – was always going to provide something special. The average 7.5 per cent gradient of the 20.8km ascent from Bedoin is demanding enough, but with some ramps – including the famous 9.5 per cent gradient to the finish – well above that, and with more than 220km of racing already in their legs, it was going to require a special rider to reach the famous peak, some 1,912m above sea level, ahead of his rivals.

And a special rider was exactly what we got as Team Sky’s Kenyan-born Brit, Chris Froome, racing in the maillot jaune of race leader, launched a stunning attack to further sink his beleaguered yellow jersey rivals. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Movistar’s Colombian climbing ace, Nairo Quintana, took up the challenge first, building a small lead, but Froome burst away from the pursuing group to pass Nieve, before catching Quintana. And having already destroyed his GC rivals with that stunning attack, Froome found enough in his legs to go again, grimacing with the sheer effort of his attack to drop the Colombian with little over one kilometre remaining and secure one of the most famous victories in the 100 editions of cycling’s greatest race.

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