Chris Froome has said that so many emotions went through him as he finished fifth on stage twenty of the 102nd Tour De France on Alpe D'Huez to ensure that he rides into Paris today in the leader's yellow jersey, having also taken the KOM jersey as well.
Froome told letour.fr: "There have been so many emotions going through my mind up to that last climb of the Tour de France.
"I've always had team-mates with me. The job they've done has saved my yellow jersey. We were obviously trying to control Nairo Quintana.
"All the weeks of training and time away from my wife and my family came to my head and helped me pushing till the end.
"Stage Twenty was only 110km long but it felt like riding flat out for 300km. It's unreal. Winning the Tour again gives me an unbelievable feeling. Each Tour is different in its own way."
His team mate Richie Porte said: “It was unbelievably hard. Chris was not at his best today but it's nice to see Thibaut win. It's a great day for French cycling as well.
"The last three weeks were very hard, we had to defend the jersey for 18 days.
"Movistar tried everything today but to finish this way is just fantastic.
"Chris is a good friend for me, I was fighting so hard. I'm proud to have been the last man to fight by his side.”
Nairo Quintana said that he had given everything on stage twenty in a bid to get the 2.39 time gap he needed and said: "We had a strategy.
"We thought about attacking up to the col de la Croix-de-Fer but it didn't work out. Plan B was to do it at L'Alpe d'Huez and we took some time [over Chris Froome] but not enough.
"I saw the yellow jersey was far behind but he fought till the end to keep the lead. He and his team defended very well.
"I was only looking for the overall victory, not for the stage win. I've given everything I had in the past two stages but it didn't work out.
"I'm satisfied because we have never stopped trying to win the Tour. I still keep my yellow dream for the coming years."
Peter Sagan admitted that he was pleased to have won the Green Jersey for a fourth time and said: "I'm satisfied and very pleased to win the green jersey once again.
"I've done my best during the whole Tour. I've raced aggressively. I made many breakaways. But I haven't managed to win a stage, at least until now.
"But I haven't said my last word. There's another one in Paris. I'll try my luck again. I've heard it might rain. In this case, before anything else I'll have to avoid crashing."
AG2R's La Mondiale's Romain Bardet said: "I had a lot of dreams in that polka-dot jersey last night. I enjoyed it as much as I could. I have no regrets.
"If I had been told at the end of the first week that I would finish so high in the GC, with a stage win to top it, I would have signed on the dotted line.
"Thibaut Pïnot's victory is great for French cycling. We stimulate each other. Congratulations."