Wiggins wins the Tour de France, first Briton to do so

By Associated Press Published: Jul 22, 2012 at 10:19 AM PDT
Wiggins wins the Tour de France, first Briton to do so
Mark Cavendish of Britain celebrates as he wins the last stage of the the Tour de France cycling race over 120 kilometers (74.6 miles) with start in Rambouillet and finish in Paris, France, Sunday July 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS (AP) — Bradley Wiggins has become the first Briton to win the Tour de France, after safely protecting the yellow jersey during Sunday's final processional ride into Paris. He even helped Sky teammate Mark Cavendish earn his fourth straight sprint victory on the Champs-Elysees.

Wiggins secured his win with a dominating performance in Saturday's final time trial to extend his already commanding lead. Fellow Briton and Sky teammate Christopher Froome finished second, 3 minutes, 21 seconds behind overall. Vincenzo Nibali of Italy finished third, 6:19 off the pace.

The last time two riders from the same nation finished first and second in the Tour was in 1984, when Frenchman Laurent Fignon defeated Bernard Hinault.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.