Story highlights
- Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins wins Tour de France
- Wiggins is first British rider to claim overall victory in cycling's most famous race
- Teammate Chris Froome finishes second with Italy's Vincenzo Nibali third
- Mark Cavendish wins 20th and final stage in Paris
Bradley Wiggins made history on the Champs Elysees Sunday as he became the first British rider to win cycling's Tour de France.
And in a double triumph for Britain, his Team Sky teammate Mark Cavendish claimed the 20th and final stage in Paris for the fourth successive year.
Proudly wearing the race leader's yellow jersey, Wiggins finished safely in the bunch, pumping the air in triumph as he crossed the line after three weeks and 3,497km of racing.
The 32-year-old Londoner finished three minutes 21 seconds clear of Chris Froome to complete a one-two for Britain and Team Sky.
Italy's Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) claimed the final podium position.
Wiggins was assured of overall victory after his brilliant victory in the individual time trial Saturday, his second on this year's race.
Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins, left, celebrates on the finish line with teammate Michael Rogers of Australia after becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France on Sunday, July 22, in Paris.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – From left, best sprinter Peter Sagan of Slovakia, overall race winner Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain, best climber Thomas Voeckler of France and best young rider Tejay Van Garderen of the United States celebrate on the podium after finishing the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris on Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Mark Cavendish of Great Britain celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the bunch sprint during the 20th and final stage of the Tour de France.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack of cyclists rides toward the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – British fans celebrate during the 20th and final stage of the Tour on Sunday in Paris.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Cavendish and Wiggins, in yellow, ride past the Arc de Triomphe as the three-week race comes to an end in Paris on Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton rides towards the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Sunday for the ceremonial finish on the Champs-Elysees.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Wiggins leads the pack on the Place de la Concorde in Paris as the final stage of the Tour de France comes to an end Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Overall race leader Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain rides next to a team car with a team member carrying a cup of Champagne during the final stage.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – From left, best young rider Tejay Van Garderen of the United States, overall race leader Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain, best sprinter Peter Sagan of Slovakia and best climber Thomas Voeckler of France ride together the final stage, which is largely ceremonial.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Briton Bradley Wiggins, wearing the leader's yellow jersey, celebrates finishing the 19th stage of the 2012 Tour de France on Saturday, July 21.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Briton David Millar tapes an energy gel to his top tube Saturday before stage 19.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Blel Kadri of France waits to start on Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Nicki Sorensen of Denmark races down the starting ramp.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – France's Jerome Coppel readies himself before Saturday's stage.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – British rider Stephen Cummings wears bandages on his legs.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Denmark's Nicki Sorensen races up a hill during the 19th stage of the 2012 Tour de France on Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – France's Thomas Voeckler (in the best climber's polka dot jersey), Slovakia's Peter Sagan (in the best sprinter's green jersey) and stage winner Great Britain's Mark Cavendish ride in the pack in the 222.5 km 18th stage of the 2012 Tour de France on Friday, July 20.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans watch as the peloton passes through sunflower fields on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans cheer on the pack riding past a windmill on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Mark Cavendish of Great Britain and SKY Procycling celebrates winning Stage 18 on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton is chased by a television helicopter on Friday during stage 18.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain and SKY Procycling retained his race leader's yellow jersey after Stage 18 on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins of Britain, riding for SKY Procycling in the race leader's yellow jersey, makes the climb of the Cote de Saint-Georges with the peloton on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton crosses La Dordogne River during Stage 18 on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins, left, of Great Britain, riding for SKY Procycling, cycles with the peloton Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack of riders glide past a field of sunflowers Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The leaders cruise past a windmill Friday on the 18th stage of the Tour de France.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Spectators cheer on Spain's Alejandro Valverde as he rides to victory during the 143.5 kilometer (89 miles) Stage 17, starting in Bagneres-de-Luchon and finishing in the ski resort of Peyragudes, southern France, on Thursday, July 19.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack of riders descends the mountainous terrain of Thursday's race.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Thomas Voeckler of France and Fredrik Kessiakoff of Sweden ride in a breakaway group together through the Pyrenees mountains.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Overall race leader Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain, in yellow, rides in the main group during Thursday's race.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton wind through the narrow mountains rodes of Thursday's race which included several several long difficult climbs on the way to the finish in Peyragudes.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Australian rider Cadel Evans of Team BMC, right, follows closely behind teammate Tejay Van Garderen of the United States, left, who is currently wearing the race's "best young rider's" jersey.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders pass through foggy pass in the high altitude of Thursday's route.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Stage winner Alejandro Valverde of Spain is overcome with emotion after crossing the finish line at the end of the race Thursday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Tour de France riders wait before the start of the 17th stage of the race on Thursday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Stage winner Thomas Voeckler of France grabs a bottle of water from a fan as he climbs the final pass before the finish Wednesday, July 18, during the 197-kilometer (122-mile) race through the Pyrenees from Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Race leader Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain, in yellow, and the main pack of riders pass a Nelson Mandela birthday banner Wednesday. People around the globe celebrated Mandela's 94th birthday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders race through the Pyrenees Mountains on Wednesday on a difficult course that contained two "beyond categorization" sections, climbs that are so hard they are considered off the charts.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Katusha team rider Vladimir Gusev of Russia receives assistance from a race official after a fall in the Pyrenees on Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders round a treacherous turn on stage 16 Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – George Hincapie, of the United States and Cadel Evans of Australia on Team BMC talk during Wednesday's race.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins, left, is in first place while Christopher Froome is in second and Vincenzo Nibali is in third place in the race to maintain their standings Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton makes the climb of the Col d'Aubisque in the Pyrenees Mountains during Wednesday's stage.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Germany's Jens Voigt of team Radioshack-Nissan answers journalists' questions Wednesday after teammate Frank Schleck tested positive for a banned substance overnight and withdrew from the race.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Pierrick Fedrigo of France sprints to the finish to win the 15th stage of the Tour de France on Monday, July 16, covering 160 kilometers (99 miles) from Samatan to Pau, France.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Spectators cheer on riders as they pass through a small village along Monday's route.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The main pack of riders pass through the French countryside during Monday's course.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans applaud Great Britain's Bradley Wiggins, here in the yellow jersey, as he makes his way up a climb in the main group Monday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Monday's stage was a mostly rolling course with no major climbs.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – French rider Pierrick Fedrigo celebrates after winning Monday's stage in Pau.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Luis-Leon Sanchez of Spain celebrates after winning the 14th stage of the Tour de France, which ran 191 kilometers (119 miles) from Limoux to Foix, France, on Sunday, July 15.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders make their way around a bend during Sunday's stage, which is the first in the Pyrenees mountains.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – France's Thomas Voeckler, center, helps teammate Pierre Rolland of France, left, change a wheel during the race Sunday. Around 30 punctured tires were reported near the top of the last major climb, apparently caused by tacks thrown on the course by spectators.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain, wearing the yellow jersey, maintains his position as the overall race leader, 2 minutes 5 seconds ahead of Team Sky teammate Christopher Froome, on Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Spectators greet a breakaway group of 11 riders as they picnic along the course Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Philippe Gilbert of Belgium and Team BMC leads a breakaway group as rain starts to fall Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The main group of riders passes by a field during Sunday's stage, which consisted of two major climbs.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – A spectator dressed as Santa Claus rings a bell from a field along the race route as riders pass by.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Spain's Luis-Leon Sanchez, center, eventually created a gap between himself and the rest of the breakaway group and was able to maintain his lead through the finish Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Cheerleaders from the Perpignan rugby club cheer on riders Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Slovakia's Peter Sagan, wearing the green jersey of the sprint points leader, reaches for second place at the finish of the race Sunday and maintains his lead as sprints points leader, 97 points ahead of Andre Greipel of Germany.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans cheer on cyclists participating in the 2012 Tour de France on Saturday, July 14.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Britain's Bradley Wiggins rides in the pack in the 13 stage of the race, which started in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux and finishes in Le Cap d'Agde, France, on Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – A fan cheers on the pack riding in the 226-km (140-mile) stage 12 of the 2012 Tour de France, starting in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and finishing in Annonay Davezieux, southeastern France, on Friday, July 13.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Australia's Cadel Evans checks technical problems with his radio-link earphones as he rides on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans wait for riders in Western garb during stage 12 Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The leading men ride in a tunnel in a breakaway on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Team Europcar rider Pierre Rolland of France is cheered on Thursday, July 12, as he rides to victory in stage 11.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Vincenzo Nibali of Italy, left, and Bradley Wiggins of Britain celebrate at the conclusion of Thursday's race.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Overall race leader Bradley Wiggins of Britain rides ahead of Cadel Evans of Australia, who started Thursday's stage in second place.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders make their way through the French Alps on Thursday during the 11th stage of the Tour de France, which covers 91 miles starting in Albertville and finishes in La Toussuire-Les Sybelles, France.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Representations of Tour de France leaders' jerseys hang along the road during Thursday's race.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain, left, rounds a turn Thursday, followed by teammate Christopher Froome.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Australian fans cheer riders as they pass by during Thursday's race, the first full stage in the Alps.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – France's Thomas Voeckler celebrates after winning stage 10, a 194.5-kilometer (120-mile) course starting in Macon and finishing in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, France, on Wednesday, July 11.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The cyclists cross a bridge in Macon at the beginning of Wednesday's events.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Large cutouts of cyclists in colorful jerseys are featured on the facade of a building in Macon on Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Frederik Kessiakoff of Sweden, wearing the polka dot jersey signifying his position as the best climber in the race, races among the peloton Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bernhard Eisel of Austria and Team Sky drive the peloton as they work to defend Bradley Wiggins' hold on the overall race lead Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Overall race leader Bradley Wiggins, right, receives a water bottle handoff from Team Sky teammate Mark Cavendish on Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Race leader Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain rides through the French countryside in the main pack of riders Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Thomas Voeckler of France, right, leads a breakaway group of four riders through the mountains.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Jens Voigt of Germany attacks on the final climb of Wednesday's race. He finished third, unable to best Thomas Voeckler of France and Michele Scarponi of Italy.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders make their way up the Col du Grand Columbier, the most challenging climb of the race, rated as "beyond categorization." Most climbs are rated from 1 to 4, with four being the easiest.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Voeckler crosses the finish line first at the mountaintop finish at Bellegarde-sur-Valserine on Wednesday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Team Sky rider Bradley Wiggins of Britain, in the leader's yellow jersey, crosses the finish line during the individual time trial in the ninth stage of the 99th Tour de France cycling race between Arc et Senans and Besancon on Monday, July 9.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Radioshack-Nissan rider Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland crosses the finish line during the individual time trials.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – German Tony Martin rides for the Omega Pharma Quick Step team.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Stage winner Bradley Wiggins drinks before entering the anti-doping control bus at the end of the 41.5-kilometer Stage 9 individual time trial.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Sylvain Chavanel of France, riding for Omega-Pharma-Quickstep, races to fifth place in the individual time trials.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Vincenzo Nibali of Italy and Liquigas-Canondale rides in Stage 9.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Australian rider Cadel Evans of the BMC Racing team rides the Stage 9 time trial.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – World time trial champion Tony Martin of Germany rides the Stage 9 time trials on Monday, July 9.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Thibaut Pinot of France celebrates on the finish line after winning Stage 8 of the Tour de France on Sunday, July 8. The stage covered 157.5 kilometers (98 miles) from Belfort, France, to Porrentruy, Switzerland, with seven major climbs.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The main group, known as the peloton, departs from Belfort at the start of the race Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain went into Sunday's stage wearing the yellow jersey as the race's overall leader.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack rides past a field of cows in the French countryside Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Germany's Jens Voigt, the oldest cyclist in the Tour at 40, attempts to break away from the peloton during the race Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Frederik Kessiakoff of Sweden, who led for much of the race, rounds a turn Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans cheer on Kessiakoff during the last major climb of the stage Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Overall leader Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain rides in the peloton with his Team Sky teammates Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton makes its way through the narrow roads of the French countryside on the way to the stage finish in Porrentruy, Switzerland, on Sunday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Great Britain's Christopher Froome celebrates as he crosses the Stage 7 finish line on Saturday to take the win.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bernhard Eisel of Austria leads the main group of riders, or peloton, through the French countryside during Stage 7 on Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack rides by during the seventh stage of the 2012 Tour de France.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Anthony Delaplace of France, who has an injured wrist, retired from the race Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Delaplace is the 17th rider to drop out this year.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans cheer on riders from bales of straw on Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – From left, France's Christophe Riblon, Switzerland's Michael Albasini, Denmark's Chris Anker Sorensen, Spain's Luis-Leon Sanchez and France's Cyril Gautier lead the race on Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen takes a drink during the ride Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, riding for the RadioShack-Nissan team, retained his race lead (signified by the yellow jersey) after Stage 6 on Friday, July 6, in Metz.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders make their way back to the peloton during Stage 6 on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Stage 6 winner Peter Sagan of Slovakia pushes to the finish line ahead of Germany's Andre Greipel on Friday. The 207.5-kilometer stage began in Epernay and finished in Metz, in northeastern France.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – A fan wearing a yellow jersey cheers on the pack riding in Metz on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton was split by a crash in Gorze, with 25 kilometers remaining in Stage 6 on Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – A bloodied Ryder Hesjedal of Canada, riding for Garmin-Sharp, is accompanied by teammate Tyler Farrar of the United States as they ride to the finish of Stage 6 in Metz. Hesjedal was involved in a crash 25 kilometers from the end of the stage and was separated from the yellow jersey group.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Sweden's Gustav Larsson, center, and Italy's Daniel Oss were among the 30 riders involved in the crash Friday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Italy's Davide Vigano is lifted on a stretcher after the crash on Friday, July 6.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Belgium's Johan Van Summeren reacts after the crash on Friday, July 6.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Race leader Fabian Cancellara chats to Ivan Basso of Italy at Stage 5, from Rouen to Saint-Quentin, on Thursday, July 5.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Andre Greipel, second from left, of the Lotto-Belisol team charges ahead to the finish line on Thursday to win Stage 5 of the Tour de France.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans wave French flags and cheer on riders Thursday as the main group passes on the way from Rouen, where Stage 5 of the race started, to Saint-Quentin.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Jonathan Cantwell of Australia lies on the ground after crashing near the finish of Stage 5 Thursday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Tyler Farrar of USA riding for Garmin-Sharp sits on the ground dazed after crashing hard near the end of Thursday's stage.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Farrar bleeds from multiple wounds as he rolls through to the finish line after crashing in the final sprint Thursday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders pass a field of poppies as they race through the French countryside Thursday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fabian Cancellara of team RadioShack-Nissan holds on to the team car as he makes an adjustment during the race Thursday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans cheer and a television helicopter flies above as the riders stream by.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – From left: Julien Simon of Saur-Sojasun, Pablo Urtasun Perez of Euskaltel-Euskadi and Matthieu Ladagnous of FDJ-BigMat ride in a breakaway from the main group Thursday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans line the road and wait for riders to pass along the 196.5-kilometer (122-mile) Stage 5 course Thursday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Riders roll past a hot-air balloon sitting in a field along Thursday's course.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Christian Vande Velde of the Garmin-Sharp team signs an autograph for a fan before the beginning of Thursday's stage.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Jonathan Vaughters, director of Team Garmin-Sharp, addresses the media before the start of Stage 5 on Thursday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Andre Greipel of Germany and the Lotto-Belisol team celebrates winning Stage 4, from Abbeville to Rouen, on Wednesday, July 4.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack of riders cycles past spectators during Stage 4.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton fans out during Stage 4.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton passes through wheat fields.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack of riders cycle through the city of Abbeville.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Liquigas-Cannondale rider Peter Sagan of Slovakia signs autographs for spectators.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack of cyclists streams along a country road during Stage 4.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – An injured Mark Cavendish of Great Britain sits on the pavement just after crashing near the end of the 214-kilometer Stage 4.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Cavendish rolls to the finish with visible injuries and damage to his jersey and helmet after crashing near the finish.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The pack rides by the cliffs of Dieppe.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton passes by windmills on Wednesday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – France's David Moncoutie, Japan's Yukiya Arashiro, and France's Anthony Delaplace ride in a breakaway.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Peter Sagan of Slovakia celebrates while crossing the finish line Tuesday to win Stage 3.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Overall race leader Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, in yellow jersey, rides in the main group during Tuesday's 197-kilometer (122-mile) stage.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans wave the French flag as the peleton, led by team RadioShack-Nissan, rides past.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – France's Thomas Voeckler grimaces during one of the course's many climbs on Tuesday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton, the main group of riders, descends a hill during Stage 3.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – France's Sebastien Minard, left, and Denmark's Michael Morkov, in the polka-dot jersey, lead a breakaway in Stage 3.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Mark Cavendish, left, rides with teammates from Britain's Team Sky, wearing yellow helmets signifying their lead in the team standings.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Tour de France 2011 winner Cadel Evans of Australia rides in Stage 3 on Tuesday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Team Sky sprinter Mark Cavendish of Great Britain arrives for the start of Stage 3 on Tuesday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland riding for Team RadioShack-Nissan arrives Tuesday for the start of Stage 3, which is 197 kilometers (122 miles) from Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans cheer on riders as they climb the Cote de la Citadelle de Namur (Climb of Namur Citadel) during Stage 2, which takes place in Belgium.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland holds the yellow jersey and overall race lead going into Stage 2 on Monday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – A spectator sits along the course Monday in Belgium, where Stage 2 of the race covers 129 miles from Vise to Tournai and is relatively flat.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Three riders broke away from the main group early in Stage 2, including (left to right): Anthony Roux of France, Michael Morkov of Denmark and Christophe Kern of France.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The main group of riders quickly fell several minutes behind the breakaway group as they traveled along Belgian roads Monday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton races through the Belgian countryside Monday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Peter Sagan of Slovakia celebrates on the finish line as he wins Stage 1, just ahead of Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, on Sunday in Seraing, Belgium.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Cancellara, wearing the yellow jersey, rides alongside Cadel Evans of Australia, second from left, and Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, left, on Sunday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton follows the official Tour de France vehicle at the beginning of Sunday's Stage 1.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – A spectator waves the Belgian flag as fans wait for riders to pass along the Stage 1 route on Sunday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – A group of six riders, including Nicolas Edet of France, left, breaks away from the main group very early in Stage 1on Sunday. The riders were able to maintain a gap of several minutes until they were eventually caught about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the finish line.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton travels along a narrow road through the Belgian countryside on Sunday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans wait on the roadside for the almost 200 riders to pass during Stage 1 on Sunday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fans peer over a railing as riders crest a small hill on Sunday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Anthony Delaplace of France leads the six riders in the breakaway group on Sunday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – The peloton begins the final climb of Sunday's stage, called the Cote de Seraing, as riders near the finish of the 198-kilometer (123-mile) course.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Peter Sagan of Slovakia, right, sprints to victory at the Stage 1 finish line Sunday ahead of Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, left, and Edvald Boasson Hagen of Norway, center.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Overall race leader Cancellara embraces former Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx after Sunday's stage.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland lunges out of the starting gate for the individual time trial and first test in the 2012 Tour de France in Liege, Belgium, on Saturday, June 30.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Cycling fans sit on a bronze statue in the town of Liege, Belgium, to get a glimpse of the individual time trial on Saturday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Nicki Sorensen of Denmark eyes the finish line as he nears the completion of the 6.4-kilometer (4-mile) course on Saturday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Sylvain Chavanel of France rounds a sharp turn on the course in Liege on Saturday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Bradley Wiggins of Britain sprints to the finish line on Saturday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – A performer wearing a hat decorated with toy cyclists poses for spectators on Saturday.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Andriy Grivko of Ukraine grimaces as he nears the finish line during the time trial, cheered on by fans.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Cadel Evans of Austraila, last year's Tour winner, rounds a turn during the time trial. He finished witih the 13th best time.
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Photos: Tour de France 2012: The best photos
Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Cancellara, who won the prologue with an individual time trial time of 7 minutes, 13 seconds, sprints to the finish on Saturday.
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Tour de France 2012: The best photos – Cancellara celebrates on the podium Saturday and pulls on the yellow jersey, worn by the overall race leader.
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"It's very surreal at the moment. This sort of thing happens to other people, you never imagine it happens to you," he told ITV Sport after his triumph.
"It's incredible. I bet I'll look back in years to come and think 'God, that was special'."
Wiggins was quickly congratulated by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who said his victory was an "immense feat of physical and mental ability".
CNN Explains: Tour de France 02:53
"Bradley Wiggins has scaled one of the great heights of British sporting achievement, to be the first person in 109 years to win the Tour de France.
"I think the whole country wants to say well done, brilliant -- the perfect backdrop and start to the Olympics," he told Sky News.
The final stage over 120km from Rambouillet to Paris was largely processional until hitting the finishing circuit in the French capital where the action started.
Wiggins had vowed to deliver victory to world champion Mark Cavendish and in the final kilometer he came to the front of the bunch to set the pace.
Cavendish then took it up in his trademark style to hold off green points jersey winner Peter Sagan of Slovakia and Australia's Matthew Goss.
It was his third stage win of this year's Tour de France and sixth for Team Sky.
Wiggins and Cavendish will now turn their attentions to the London Olympics, which start later this week.
Cavendish is favorite for the men's road race next Saturday, where he will again look for Wiggins for support.
Wiggins is targeting the individual time trial later in the Games for his tilt at a fourth Olympic gold medal.
In anticipation of a triumph for Wiggins, thousands of jubilant British fans watched the action unfold on the Champs Elysees, waving Union Jack flags as he stood on the podium to receive the yellow jersey for the final time.
Wiggins had been in the most famous outfit in cycling for 13 days after seizing control of the race at the end of the first week.
With superb support from his teammates, and in particular Kenyan-born Froome, he tightened his grip on the overall classification as defending champion Cadel Evans of Australia fell by the wayside.
Nibali offered the strongest challenge to the British duo, but he eventually finished over six minutes adrift of Wiggins.
Thomas Voeckler gave the home nation some cheer by claiming the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey while Tejay Van Garderen of the United States finished fifth overall, two places ahead of BMC teammate Evans, to win the white jersey for best rider under 25.
