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Videos: Chris Froome helps man propose after Tour de France win – while AG2R rider pops the question en route to Paris

“I’ve been carrying this around for three and a half weeks,” jokes Tour de France champion

Paris is known as one of the world’s most romantic destinations and lived up to its reputation yesterday with news of two marriage proposals as 104th Tour de France concluded in the City of Lights – one carried out with the help of race winner, Chris Froome.

After the podium ceremonies, as Froome made his way through a scrum of people, he passed a small jewellery box to a man.

The Tour de France champion said to the woman who was with him: “Rachel, I’ve been carrying this around for three and a half weeks.”

“Have you?” replied the man.

Referring to how closely fought this year’s race was, he added: “Is that what almost made you lose it?”

“It’s pretty heavy,” admitted Froome.

At that, the man went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend, who had been open-mouthed from the moment Froome passed the box across.

The episode was filmed by Sky Sports journalist Orla Chennaoui, who posted another video confirming that the answer had been ‘yes.’

Earlier, as the race made its way into the French capital, AG2R-La Mondiale rider Cyril Gautier proposed to his girlfriend with the assistance of a TV moto as he held up a page ripped from the Tour roadbook with a handwritten message popping the question.

As Gautier blew a kiss at the camera, his former Europcar team mate Pierre Rolland, now with Cannondale-Drapac, rode past in the background, making a heart sign with his hands.

It seems Gautier’s girlfriend said “yes” too – well, “oui” more likely.

It also seems that he avoided being sanctioned by commissaires, unlike LottoNL-Jumbo rider Vincent Campanaerts who used a time trial stage at the Giro d’Italia to ask a friend on a date through a message scrawled on his chest.

To add insult to injury, as well as being fined by the race jury, he also got turned down by the object of his affections.

> Giro d'Italia rider fined - for asking a woman out on a date

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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Froome is a proper champion, what a lovely way to be asked to get married!

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