Froome was virtually assured of becoming the first Briton to win the Tour more than once, having earned his first victory at the 100th edition of the race in 2013, with only a crash standing in his way of topping the podium in front of the Arc de Triomphe.

Due to the wet conditions race referees opted to take the final time of the stage upon the peloton's completion at the end of the first of the ten ocassions in which they would cross the finishing line.

It meant Froome was effectively confirmed as overall winner with 41km completed of the stage having arrived safely in the French capital with the 159 remaining riders.

The Briton's overall margin of victory would be the narrowest since 2008, when Spain's Carlos Sastre beat Australia's Cadel Evans by 58 seconds.

His finishing time of 84 hours 46min 14sec was only 1min 12sec ahead of Colombia's Nairo Quintana, the runner-up.

"The yellow jersey has a long history, I've always respected and honored it, I've been proud of it every day I've had it," said Froome afterwards.

"It's been long to reach this second win, step by step, it's been stressful.

"We've had to fight, on the bike and off the bike.

"I feel better now because I I wanted this picture of the podium so badly."

Froome also became the first man since Belgium's Eddy Merckx in 1980 to win both the general and king of the mountains classifications, the former seeing him become the first Briton since Robert Millar in 1984 to don the distinctive polka dot jersey at the finish.

Quintana claimed the best young rider classification, just as the 25-year-old had done in 2013.

Spain's Alejandro Valderde, meanwhile, secured his maiden Tour de France podium finish having ended 5:25 down on the winner in third place.

The podium positions may have been secured before the stage started but the sprinters teams were determined to end the 102nd edition of the race with a flourish.

Greipel's Lotto-Soudal team set the pace at the front of the peloton, making sure any opportunistic attacks were covered, including one from Australia's Rohan Dennis, winner of the opening stage, and Belgium's Kenneth Van Bilsen inside the final 12km.

They were only reeled in with five kilometres remaining as Greipel was sealed victory in a sprint finish ahead of France's Byran Coquard.

His fourth stage win made was his most ever at one Tour, as well as being his maiden win on the famous Parisian boulevard.

it was still not enough, though, to overhaul Peter Sagan as the winner of the points classification, the Slovakian champion claiming the green jersey by 66 points, ending on a total of 432.

Prior to the men’s race reaching Paris. the second edition of the 89km one-day women’s race, La Course by Le Tour de France, was won by The Netherlands’ Anna Van der Breggen.

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