Vincenzo Nibali emerged Sunday as the first Italian winner of the Tour de France in 16 years after a race defined by inclement weather and painful eliminations of other favorites.

To some extent, Nibali benefited from the misfortunes of others. Chris Froome of Britain, the defending champion, quit early in the three-week race after three crashes amid miserable rain and cold that made the Tour sometimes seem as if were being run in the early spring.

Read more

Source: http://www.nytimes.com