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British press toast Froome TDF win

London - Britain's newspapers toasted cyclist Chris Froome as the first Briton to win the Tour de France twice, noting his vow to "never dishonour" his Team Sky yellow jersey by doping.

"I'm no cheat: Froome victory dig" was the headline in The Sun's sport section, while the Daily Telegraph chose "Believe in me".

"I'm a man of honour" read the Mirror sport page, showing Froome punching the air with the caption "Champion Froome's message of defiance".

Froome has suffered accusations of cheating since his victory at the Grand Boucle two years ago, and even complained that a spectator had thrown urine at him while shouting "dope" during the 14th stage of this year's race.

Telegraph sports writer Oliver Brown called it "possibly the most ill-tempered and antagonistic Tour de France in recent memory" and said it was "sordid justice" that Froome should be an unpopular winner despite no evidence of doping.

"Froome enters the City of Lights feeling less like a champion carried aloft on a sedan chair than a persona non grata, maligned and ostracised, the fall guy in a controversy not of his own making," Brown wrote.

The Guardian's William Fotheringham said Froome's victory was overshadowed by the history of doping in the sport, and in particular the memory of Lance Armstrong who was stripped of his seven Tour titles after a long doping scandal.

"The Armstrong legacy remains toxic and that poisonous heritage was seen in the distrust of Froome and Sky," Fortheringham wrote.

The Times' sport section led with comments from Team Sky manager Dave Brailsford, who compared those questioning the team with people searching for mythical Scottish beast the Loch Ness monster.

"We've still got people camping outside with binoculars saying, 'I'm sure we are going to see the monster tomorrow' but it never appears. It doesn't exist," Brailsford told The Times.

Many newspapers underlined the historic nature of the win for a British cyclist.

"King of the road" was the headline in the Daily Express, which said "Chris Froome swept across the final finish line of the Tour de France and into the history books".

The Daily Telegraph put a smiling photograph of Froome with his wife Michelle on its front page, with the caption "Froome makes history on streets of Paris".

"Sky's the limit: Froome secures second Tour win" was the front page headline in The Independent, accompanied by a large photo of the smiling cyclist surrounded by his team-mates.

Other newspapers took the opportunity to play on the cyclist's name: Metro ran with the headline "Froo beauty!" while The Sun described the victory as "Froomin' marvellous".

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