Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France as compatriot Mark Cavendish claimed a fourth consecutive final-stage victory.

Wiggins, 32, finished with a winning margin of three minutes and 21 seconds after ending Sunday's race around the streets of Paris in the peloton.

Fellow Brit and Team Sky team-mate Chris Froome consolidated second place with Italy's Vincenzo Nibali third.

Wiggins' key Tour moments

• Stage 7: Finishes third to take yellow jersey for the first time
• Stage 9: Wins time trial from Arc-et-Senans to Besancon
• Stage 13: Ensures he will become first Briton to wear yellow jersey for a seventh time
• Stage 14: Praised for slowing the pace after rival Cadel Evans falls victim to tacks
• Stage 17: Extends lead over his main rivals during final day in mountains
• Stage 19: Wins time-trial on penultimate day to all but secure victory

Cavendish won the traditional sprint down the Champs Elysees with some ease.

The 27-year old from the Isle of Man is unbeaten in Paris, having also won on his three previous Tour finishes in 2009, 10 and 11.

He began his sprint early and held off the challenge of the faster-finishing Peter Sagan of Slovakia, with Australia's Matthew Goss third.

It lifted his tally of Tour de France stage wins to 23, to surpass seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong and Frenchman Andre Darrigade and move into fourth in the overall stage-win standings, 11 short of Belgian Eddy Merckx's record of 34.

But the day belonged to Wiggins, who safely negotiated himself around the streets of Paris, to complete the formalities after Saturday's stunning time-trial victory gave him an almost unassailable lead.

 

 

The three-time Olympic track champion crossed the line arms raised having helped set up Cavendish's sprint victory in front of thousands of British fans on the Champs Elysees, who had come to witness history being made.

 

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