by Our Sports Desk

CHRIS FROOME won the Criterium du Dauphine in the final stages yesterday and said he feels “almost ready” to take on the Tour de France again.

The British Team Sky rider was in second place heading into the 156km Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc to Modane Valfrejus stage sitting 18 seconds behind front Dutchman Tejay van Garderen.

Froome, who won the Tour in 2013, stayed with the peloton before attacking on the final climb and opened up a big enough margin to secure the overall victory.

The 30-year-old had crashed out of last year’s showpiece event on the fifth stage but will now be looking to prepare for the 2015 Tour which begins on July 5 with a time-trial in Utrecht.

Talking to Team Sky’s website the rider said: “The Dauphine was a big focus for me, but the Tour de France is the main objective.

“The team is ready, and I am almost ready.

“We are less than three weeks away now and I am really looking forward to it.”

It is Froome’s second Criterium du Dauphine title in the space of three years and he said of the race: “I couldn’t have expected it to go any better.

“My legs were really tired after yesterday and the whole team was suffering. I don’t know how they did it but everyone lifted themselves with the yellow and blue jersey in sight.

“They gave everything — Ian Stannard rode alone for almost 100km to control the breakaway and the rest of the team were fantastic up to that moment where I could attack and put pressure on Tejay.”

Orica-Green Edge’s Simon Yates claimed the best young rider’s jersey in fifth after the 22-year-old Briton was second on yesterday’s stage.