Froome wins stage 4, overall Australia tour

Having raced into to leader’s jersey following a superb Team Sky one-two with Tour de France champion Chris Froome on Thursday, the 26-year-old Manxman followed it up with another determined ride during the 144-kilometre stage from Yarra Glen to Moe.

His Team Sky team-mate and fellow Brit Chris Froome is second, 13 seconds behind, heading into the final stage.

“It’s quite a sentimental feeling looking back to 2008… obviously what’s happened between then and now, it’s wonderful to come back here and have won this final stage and the race overall”, Froome, who won the Tour de France in 2013 and 2015, said. The stage ended with three circuits of the steep 3km climb at Arthurs Seat and the summit finish. The second pass saw Joseph Cooper attack, with Froome sitting in behind as the pair opened out a gap.

Kennaugh finished second overall to Froome at 29 seconds and Howson improved to third. “Avanti took it up on the main climb, I wasn’t too sure why, perhaps they were going for the King of the Mountains points, but either way it made it an exciting race and the stage really hard”, said Kennaugh.

Kennaugh said he was “a bit gutted not to win” but said teammate Froome deserved the victory.