Chris Froome all but secured his second Tour de France victory after holding off a stirring fightback by Nairo Quintana on Alpe d’Huez yesterday.
“It really was a tough today, but at the finish it was incredible, an incredible feeling and emotion,” Froome said.
Frenchman Thibaut Pinot salvaged something from his disappointing Tour with victory on the 20th and penultimate stage, but it was the battle between Froome and Quintana that really mattered.
Quintana finished second in the stage, 18 seconds behind Pinot, but Froome, who started the day with a 2 mins 38 secs advantage, dug in to finish the stage fifth, just 1 min 20 secs behind Quintana.
The Colombian took six bonus seconds on the line, but that still left him 1 min 12 secs short of overhauling Froome ahead of today’s final stage, which will culminate in Paris.
That was less than the minute-and-a-half Quintana had given up to Froome almost three weeks ago on the second stage when he was caught behind a crash in crosswinds.
“I gave everything right from the first week. We had some difficulties because I had crashed and I was alone in the wind. I lost 1 min 30 sec and that’s what lost me the Tour,” Quintana said.
Just as in 2013, Froome, 30, fought off an Alpine comeback from Quintana to beat the 25-year-old Movistar leader to Tour success.
But Froome acknowledged that he had been a worried man in the saddle.
“I knew I had a 2 min 38 sec lead to keep the jersey, but at one point it was difficult because I realised he might win,” he said.
His Sky manager Dave Brailsford told ITV in England that the race had been closer than they expected.
“It was a bit close in the end. I think after everything he’s endured, Chris has shown his real mettle,” Brailsford said.
The final encounter took place on the 13.8-kilometre climb to the finish at Alpe d’Huez at the end of a 110.5km stage from Modane. Today’s final stage to Paris is nothing more than a procession and barring an unlikely crash, Froome will be crowned Tour champion for the second time in three years.
But Quintana, who was 3 mins 10 secs behind following Thursday’s 18th stage, did not give up easily.
He had already attacked on the hors category Col de la Croix de Fer some 60km from the finish and briefly had Froome in trouble before a small lead peloton regrouped on the descent off that mountain.
But right from the foot of the climb to Alpe d’Huez, Quintana launched the first of four attacks.
Froome’s Sky teammate Wouter Poels chased down the Colombian the first three times, but on the fourth, Quintana got away. From there it was a race against time as Quintana tried to hunt down Pinot for the stage win, while also aiming to claw back his deficit to Froome for overall success.
By the end, though, Quintana had come up short on both counts. “It was the last day and I had to try, I had to go for it,” Quintana said.
“I thought we could get away on the Col de la Croix de Fer, but it didn’t work.
“I tried again on the final climb and got some time, but it wasn’t enough and I lost the Tour.”
Froome, 30, revealed he had been struggling with illness for a few days. “Since the second rest day I’ve been a bit chesty, tight-chested with a bit of a cough.
“I was on my limits, it felt like I was dying a thousand deaths today but being with my teammates makes it a little bit more manageable and I had a little left to do that last kilometre and limit those losses.”
The Briton said he expects Quintana to be back next year pushing him hard again. “He’s young, he’s very strong and has a great mentality. He races hard, and at the right times,” Froome said.
“He’s got a great future and I think next year we’ll come back to do battle again.”
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Frida%20
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
BRIEF SCORES
England 228-7, 50 overs
N Sciver 51; J Goswami 3-23
India 219, 48.4 overs
P Raut 86, H Kaur 51; A Shrubsole 6-46
England won by nine runs
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The%20specs
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