Froome supped champagne with his fellow Team Sky riders as he took it easy on the 103km ride from Montegron to the traditional finish in Paris on the Champs-Elysees. But the hard work had been done earlier in the Tour.

The 32-year-old is only the seventh rider to claim the final yellow jersey without a stage win but was always in control of the Tour, eventually finishing 54 seconds ahead of Colombian Rigoberto Uran, with Frenchman Romain Bardet in third. 

He's now just one Tour de France title behind Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spain's Miguel Indurain and French duo Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault. Froome is also the first to win three consecutive titles since Indurain, who prevailed from 1991-95. The disgraced Lance Armstrong's seven titles since then have been erased from the record book.

"I'm speechless, it's amazing," Froome said after getting off his bike and hugging his wife Michelle and son Kellan.

"The Champs Elysees never disappoints, there is something magical when you have spent three weeks thinking about this moment, it's just so rewarding every time.

"Each win has been so unique, such a different battle and this will be remembered as the closest and most hard-fought."

Dylan Groenewegen, from the Netherlands, won the sprint in Sunday's largely ceremonial stage. Australian Michael Matthews took the green jersey for the points classification, helped by the fact that world champion Peter Sagan was kicked out of the race after elbowing Mark Cavendish in a sprint finish.

Britain's Simon Yates won the white jersey for the best under-25 rider after finishing seventh overall, one year after his twin brother Adam achieved the same feat.

mp/jh (Reuters/DPA)