Tour de France 2016: Five moments that won the yellow jersey for Chris Froome

Chris Froome (centre) celebrates winning the 2016 Tour de France. Photo / Getty Images

Chris Froome has all but secured his third Tour de France title ahead of Sunday's traditional procession into Paris.

The Team Sky man has taken a different approach to this year's tour, using his domestiques to set a punishing tempo in the mountains to reign in his rivals and chipped away a lead with attacking moves.

The 31-year-old has shown himself to be the best all-rounder contending for the general classification, adding strings to his bow to surprise the other yellow jersey hunters. Here Sportsmail looks at five key stages where Froome won the Tour.

Stage 8 - Pedalling Crouch

On the descent to the spa town of Luchon, after the summit, and just as rival, Nairo Quintana, was taking a drinking bottle, Froome opened a gap and then took risks on the descent, even pedalling in a crouching position, to win the stage.

Stage 9 - Falling Movistar

Quintana's Movistar team tried to hit back the next day, placing riders in the early breakaway to help Quintana later in the stage, but Team Sky allowed the breakaway's lead to grow so big that they were never caught - and Quintana didn't see his team-mates until the finish.

Stage 11 - Beating The Wind

On a flat stage that was buffeted by strong winds Froome followed Peter Sagan's attack and they were joined by a team-mate each to prove a strong foursome.

STAGE 12 - Running Man

The Mont Ventoux stage provided the abiding image of this Tour de France - but not one that Froome or the organisers could ever have envisaged. Froome had escaped with Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema when a motorbike stopped in front of them. Bike broken and no spare he started running. Fortunately the stewards decided in his favour and he stayed in yellow.

STAGE 19 - Thanks Geraint!

In the Alps Froome crashed on a descent. Once again his bike was broken. Geraint Thomas gave him his. It wasn't the right size, and had different chainrings (Froome rides oval rather than round chainrings) he rode Thomas's bike to the finish (right), losing only seconds. Thomas reckoned Froome was 'inspired by the Welsh dragon on the top tube.'