Chris Froome confirmed his status as a cycling great with a historic maiden victory in the hallowed Giro D'Italia.
The Team Sky rider breezed through ten laps of Rome’s cobbled streets in the final 115km processional stage before crossing the finish line arm-in-arm with his teammates.
He finished 46 seconds clear of last year’s Dutch winner Tom Dumoulin, to claim his sixth Grand Tour title and become only the third person to hold the Giro, Tour de France and La Vuelta titles simultaneously - the famed Tiger slam.
“It is such an emotional feeling to be in the pink jersey going into Rome,” said the 33-year-old.
“It’s especially emotional after the rollercoaster the race has been.
"It was great to be able to soak up the atmosphere here in Rome with all the monuments and crowds. That certainly didn't disappoint.
"It hasn't sunk in yet but for any cyclist this is the dream: to have all the leader's jerseys within ten months. I'm still pinching myself – I can't believe it's happening.
“I've always been a little afraid of coming here [to the Giro] and really targeting it because of the demands it takes to win it. To come here and win the race, I can't quite believe it."
Froome made his move at stage 19, in a moment of pure sporting magic on the lengthy ascent of the Colle delle Finestre, surpassing compatriot Simon Yates, who had led for most of the race and had three stage wins.
As Froome broke away solo with 80km remaining, Yates slowed and relinquished his lead, eventually falling ten seconds behind.
But Yates, who had poured everything into his race, dropped down the general classification final days, finishing the race in 22nd place overall.
Some had questioned whether Froome could cut it in the Giro, crashing on a reconnaissance lap during the time trial stage in Jerusalem before crashing again on the eighth stage, with most writing off his chances.
But with this emphatic display, he has certainly proved his critics wrong. Sportsbeat 2018