|
"That was incredible, what a sight," Cavendish said. "The yellow jersey, Brad Wiggins pulling at the end after Chris Froome had been riding. ... I just gave everything to the line, I wanted it so bad. It's the cherry on top of an amazing Tour for us."
Froome, another British rider on Team Sky, finished second overall. The last time two riders from the same nation finished first and second in the Tour was in 1984, when Frenchman Laurent Fignon defeated Bernard Hinault.
Wiggins congratulated his teammates after crossing the line, gave a big hug to his wife and clutched the hands of their children.
The lanky Wiggins blew kisses and bowed to a sea of union jacks.
After a soprano sang the British anthem, Wiggins thanked the crowd with a touch of British humor.
"Cheers, have a safe journey home, don't get too drunk," said Wiggins, who wrote in his autobiography about overcoming drinking problems after his early successes in the Velodrome.
Wiggins' father died four years ago after struggling with alcohol and drug addiction.
Cavendish became the first reigning world champion to win on the Champs-Elysees.
"It's been incredible," Cavendish said. "We've come in with the aim of winning the yellow jersey. We got first and second on GC. We've won six stages as a team. It's a very successful Tour for Team Sky. Maybe there would've been more opportunities for sprints, but we won six stages. We've raised the profile of British cycling and it's been an incredible thing to be a part of."
The seven stage wins was a record haul for British riders in the Tour, beating the previous record of six stage wins -- all by Cavendish -- in 2009.
This time the victories were divided up between Cavendish (3), Wiggins (2), David Millar (1) and Froome (1).
All four, with Ian Stannard, will compete in Saturday's road race on the opening day of the Olympics with the aim of propelling Cavendish to another triumph.
"We won seven stages in total, that's one out of three stages won by a British rider," Cavendish said. "The guys in the Olympic team have one more job to do, but it's been an incredible few weeks for us."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries
Community |
Perspectives
|
Law & Courts |
Leisure Time
|
Spiritual Life |
Health & Fitness |
Teen Scene
Calendar
|
Letters to the Editor