Tour de France 2016: How Chris Froome won third yellow jersey

Froome celebrates with the team that helped him become the first man to defend his title in more than 20 years

Chris Froome became the first British rider to win three Tours de France with his victory in 2016.

He is just the eighth rider to win the race at least three times and is just two behind joint record holders Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault of France, Belgium's Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain of Spain.

The 2013 and 2015 champion took the race lead with a victory on stage eight and held on to it for the next 13 stages to win in Paris.

This is how the race unfolded.

Saturday, 2 July - Stage 1: Mont-Saint-Michel - Utah Beach, 188km (116.8 miles)

Cavendish moved just one stage win behind Bernard Hinault with his 27th Tour win and seven behind all-time leader Eddy Merckx

Report: Cavendish wins to wear yellow for first time

Mark Cavendish produced a sensational sprint to claim his 27th Tour de France stage win and put himself in the yellow jersey for the first time. Coastal cross-winds did not create too much havoc on a day when one of the race favourites, Alberto Contador, crashed heavily but escaped with bruises. Defending champion Chris Froome was anonymous for much of the day, which is just how he would have wanted it.

Sunday, 3 July - Stage 2: Saint-Lo - Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, 183km (113.7 miles)

Sagan's fifth Tour de France stage win is his first since 2013

Report: Sagan claims first yellow jersey with stage win

A solo break by Jasper Stuyven came within 500m of producing an upset but he was caught with the finish line in sight. Peter Sagan battled with Julian Alaphilippe on the run-in and the Slovak world champion emerged victorious, although he did not initially realise he had won the stage. Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana finish together but Alberto Contador and Richie Porte lose time.

Monday, 4 July - Stage 3: Granville - Angers, 223.5km (138.9 miles)

Cavendish timed his lunge for the line to perfection to edge out Greipel

Report: Cavendish edges out Greipel to draw level with Hinault

A photo finish was needed to split Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel in Angers. The German looked to have won the stage but a late lunge from the Manx Missile saw him nick it by millimetres on the line. The victory was Cavendish's 28th Tour stage win, pulling him level with French legend Bernard Hinault and joint second on the all-time list behind Eddy Merckx on 34. Peter Sagan retained the race lead as the favourites for the overall win all finished together.

Tuesday, 5 July - Stage 4: Saumur - Limoges, 237.5km (147.6 miles)

Marcel Kittel missed last year's Tour, but collected his ninth career stage win

Report: Cavendish misses out as Kittel wins thrilling finish

For the second stage running, a photo finish was needed to decide the winner, and this time it was German Marcel Kittel holding off Frenchman Bryan Coquard by millimetres on the line. Peter Sagan retained the yellow jersey by finishing third and Mark Cavendish remained on 28 stage wins as he came eighth. Chris Froome and his overall rivals finished safely with the same time as the winner.

Wednesday, 6 July - Stage 5: Limoges - Le Lioran, 213.5km (132.7 miles)

Greg van Avermaet won the second individual stage of his Tour career

Report: Van Avermaet takes five-minute Tour lead

Belgian Greg van Avermaet was the sole survivor of an early breakaway as he conquered the first mountain stage of this year's Tour to take the yellow jersey. Defending champion Chris Froome dropped more than five minutes behind Van Avermaet, but remains level with his main rivals for the title.

Thursday, 7 July - Stage 6: Arpajon-sur-Cere - Montauban, 190.5km (118.4 miles)

Mark Cavendish moved above Peter Sagan in the sprinter's green jersey standings

Report: Cavendish secures 29th Tour stage win

Mark Cavendish earned a 29th career stage win, taking him above Bernaud Hinault to second outright in the overall Tour standings, after a thrilling sprint finish. The Manxman rode on the back of Marcel Kittel's wheel to beat the German to the line, also picking up the green jersey. Britain's Daniel McLay finished third, with Belgian Greg van Avermaet remaining in yellow.

Friday, 8 July - Stage 7: L'Isle-Jourdain - Lac de Payolle, 162.5km (101 miles)

Steve Cummings won his first Tour win on stage 14 last year

Report: Cummings takes brilliant second Tour win

Steve Cummings formed part of a breakaway on the first stage in the Pyrenees to earn a brilliant solo victory and a fourth win for British riders in this year's Tour and for the Dimension Data team. Britain's Adam Yates fell foul of a collapsed inflatable marking the 1km to go point, while Greg van Avermaet produced a solid display to stay in yellow.

Saturday, 9 July - Stage 8: Pau - Bagneres-de-Luchon, 183km (113.7 miles)

Chris Froome ensured that British riders have won five out of eight stages on this year's Tour

Report: Froome launches surprise attack to win stage and take yellow

After a quiet start to the Tour, defending champion Chris Froome exploded into this year's race by launching an unexpected attack on the descent into the finish at Bagneres de Luchon. Team Sky set up the win with a grinding surge up the Col de Peyresourde but Froome surprised his rivals by sprinting down the other side, edging fellow Briton Adam Yates into second place in the overall standings.

Sunday, 10 July - Stage 9: Vielha Val d'Aran - Andorre Arcalis, 184.5km (114.6 miles)

Tom Dumoulin and other riders had to contend with encroaching fans on the mountain-top finish

Report: Dumoulin breaks clear to take stage win as Froome retains yellow

On a day of contrasting weather, Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin was one of a big group to break free of the peloton in scorching temperatures. He attacked on the final descent of the first mountain-top finish of the Tour in pouring rain to earn his first Tour de France win. Chris Froome withstood several late attacks from his yellow jersey rivals to come through the day unscathed. Adam Yates stayed second in the general classification.

Monday, 11 July - Rest day

Tuesday, 12 July - Stage 10: Escaldes-Engordany - Revel, 197km (122.4 miles)

Michael Matthews said he almost gave up on the Tour de France after crashes in the past two years

Report: Matthews sprints to victory as Froome enjoys easy day in yellow

Australia's Michael Matthews achieved a first Tour win thanks to a breakaway masterclass from his Orica-BikeExchange team-mates. Matthews beat the more isolated Peter Sagan to the line, although the Tinkoff rider took over in the green points jersey from Mark Cavendish. Chris Froome enjoyed an easy day in yellow as the main contenders gained no advantage.

Wednesday, 13 July - Stage 11: Carcassonne - Montpellier, 162.5km (100.1 miles)

Peter Sagan and Chris Froome extended their respective green and yellow jersey leads after an unlikely alliance

Report: Sagan wins after unlikely break with Froome

The expected bunch sprint in Montpellier failed to materialise after Peter Sagan and Chris Froome took advantage of cross winds to break clear in the final 15km and take a one-two on the stage. Both riders benefited with Froome extending his lead over Adam Yates and Nairo Quintana by 12 seconds, while Sagan moved 90 points clear in the green jersey classification.

Thursday, 14 July - Stage 12: Montpellier - Mont Ventoux, 184km (114.3 miles)

Chris Froome (right), Bauke Mollema (centre) and Richie Porte were left in a heap by the collision with the motorbike

Report: Froome gets running after chaotic finish

It was one of the most remarkable days the Tour de France had seen in its 113-year history.

With the stage reaching the final moments, Richie Porte crashed into a motorbike, bringing Chris Froome and Bauke Mollema down with him, after the trio had escaped their yellow jersey rivals. Froome, with his bike unusable, started to jog towards the finish line, before being given a replacement bike, but could not get his cycling shoes into the pedals. The defending champion finally received a new bike, but finished down on his rivals. The times were eventually neutralised, meaning Froome kept hold of the yellow jersey. Thomas de Gendt won the stage having been part of an early 13-man breakaway.

Friday, 15 July - Stage 13: Individual time trial, Bourg-Saint-Andeol - La Caverne du Pont-D'Arc, 37.5km (23.3 miles)

Yellow jersey holder Chris Froome, stage winner Tom Dumoulin (right) and the Tour's other jersey wearers laid their bouquets in tribute to the Nice victims

Report: Froome increases lead as Tour pays tribute to Nice victims

Tour de France organisers had considered cancelling the stage after Thursday's attack in Nice that killed at least 84 people. But racing continued, with heightened security and in a sombre atmosphere, as a minute's silence was held before and after the stage.

On the road, Chris Froome extended his lead in the yellow jersey to one minute and 47 seconds, after finishing second in the time trial behind Dutchman Tom Dumoulin.

Saturday, 16 July - Stage 14: Montelimar - Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux, 208.5km (129.6 miles)

Mark Cavendish collected his fourth stage win of this year's Tour

Report: Cavendish wins 30th career Tour stage

Mark Cavendish's excellent Tour continued as he won his fourth stage his year - taking his career tally to 30, just four short of Eddy Merckx's record. Cavendish upset rival Marcel Kittel, who believed he was cut up by the Manxman on the way to the finish line, but the result stood.

It was a more relaxing day for the general classification contenders, with Chris Froome finishing in the peloton and maintaining his lead of one minute 47 seconds in the yellow jersey.

Sunday, 17 July - Stage 15: Bourg-en-Bresse - Culoz, 160km (99.4 miles)

Jarlinson Pantano won a first Tour de France stage for IAM Cycling

Report: Froome maintains lead as Pantano wins

At the end of a stage considered one of the Tour's most difficult, overall leader Chris Froome went surprisingly unchallenged across the Jura Mountains and maintained his lead of one minute 47 seconds ahead of his closest rival, Dutchman Bauke Mollema. Briton Froome knows it will now take something special to prevent him winning a third Tour title.

Colombia celebrated its first stage win of the 2016 Tour, with Jarlinson Pantano (IAM Cycling) outsprinting Poland's Rafal Majka to claim his maiden Grand Tour stage win.

Monday, 18 July - Stage 16: Moirans-en-Montagne - Berne, 209km (129.9 miles)

Peter Sagan wins a third stage of the 2016 Tour after Kristoff admitted he made a mistake

Report: Sagan claims third win as Froome stays in yellow

Peter Sagan beat Alexander Kritstoff in the third photo finish of this year's race to earn a third stage win. The victory also ensured that if the Slovak can make it to the finish in Paris, he will hold onto the green jersey for a fifth consecutive year. Chris Froome finished safely after what he called a "sketchy" end to the stage and admitted he was looking forward to a rest day before the final push in the Alps.

Tuesday, 19 July - Rest day

Wednesday, 20 July - Stage 17: Berne - Finhaut Emosson, 184km (114.3 miles)

Ilnur Zakarin won his first Tour de France stage with a late breakaway

Report:Froome tightens grip on Tour as Zakarin wins stage

Any faint hopes that Chris Froome's rivals had of chasing down the 2013 and 2015 champion seemed to evaporate, as Bauke Mollema and Nairo Quintana were both dropped on the steep ascent to finish line at Finhaut-Emosson. Froome's fellow Briton Adam Yates continued his wonderful Tour, though, and Ilnur Zakarin had the legs to hold off Jarlinson Pantano to win the gruelling stage, which was held entirely in Switzerland.

Thursday, 21 July - Stage 18: Individual time trial, Sallanches - Megeve, 17km (10.6 miles)

Chris Froome was 23 seconds behind Tom Dumoulin one-third of the way through the stage but won by 20 seconds

Report: Froome close to third Tour title after time trial win

Britain's Chris Froome timed his race to perfection to beat Tom Dumoulin and win a second stage on this year's race and extend his lead over the field to move almost four minutes clear of Bauke Mollema in second. Fellow Briton Adam Yates retained third overall just 21 seconds clear of Nairo Quintana in fourth in the race for the podium places.

Friday, 22 July - Stage 19: Albertville - Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, 146km (90.7 miles)

Chris Froome was one of several riders to fall in wet conditions

Report: Bardet wins stage as Froome suffers crash

In another dramatic stage, Romain Bardet attacked up the last climb of the day to earn a first French win on this year's Tour after several riders crashed in wet conditions, including yellow jersey holder Chris Froome. The Team Sky rider, who also ran up Mont Ventoux after crashing into a motorbike, is forced to borrow the bike of team-mate Geraint Thomas, but extended his lead as second-placed Bauke Mollema tumbled down the general classification.

Saturday, 23 July - Stage 20: Megeve - Morzine, 146km (90.7 miles)

Chris Froome moved into the race lead on stage eight and is set to take the yellow jersey all the way to Paris

Report: Froome set to retain Tour title

After all the drama of this year's Tour, the final day of general classification racing ended up being straightforward for Chris Froome. And he will have been relieved. The wet conditions and the steep, downhill finish could have made it difficult for team Sky to protect their man, but Froome was barely troubled and will go into Sunday's largely processional stage to Paris knowing he jut needs to finish to become the first Briton to win three Tour de France titles and be the first to successfully defend it since Miguel Indurain in the 1990s.

Movistar's Jon Izaguirre won his first grand Tour stage by outpacing Vincenzo Nibali and Jarlinson Pantano on the final descent.

Sunday, 24 July - Stage 21: Chantilly - Paris, 113km (70.2 miles)

Froome (in yellow) linked arms with his team-mates as they rode across the finish line in Paris together

Report:Froome wins third title as Greipel wins in Paris

Chris Froome sipped beer and champagne on the ride to Paris before crossing the finish line arm-in-arm with the eight Team Sky riders who helped him become the first Briton to win three Tour titles. Germany's Andre Greipel continued his record of winning at least one stage in each Grand Tour he has competed in with a second career victory on the Champs-Elysees.

Fellow Briton Adam Yates finished fourth to win the white jersey as best young rider, while world champion Peter Sagan claimed the points classification and Rafal Majka took the polka dot king of the mountains top.

Geraint Thomas was talking to BBC Sport's Peter Scrivener.