Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) stormed to one of the most comprehensive Tour de France victories in recent history, winning four stages on his way to pulling on the prestigious maillot jaune on the final Paris podium.
The Shark, written off by many prior to the Tour as he struggled for form earlier in the season, reached peak form in perfect time as he proved his all-round riding skills with phenomenal rides across the board.
Though some will point to the race-ending crashes suffered by defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) and fellow pre-race favourite Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), the Italian champion left nobody in any doubt as to whether he deserved the third Grand Tour win of his career.
Having pulled on the jersey of Italian national road race champion for stages one and two, Nibali only aired the controversial jersey on the road once more as he led the GC after all but two stages of this year’s race.
So how, and where, did Nibali – the first man Tour winner since Eddy Merckx in 1974 to win four stages – claim the final piece of his ‘Grand Tour holy trinity’?
Relive the decisive moments of this year’s race, complete with photos from Stefano Sirotti, Bruno Bade and Simon Wilkinson, over the following pages.
