Coventry cyclist Jake Stewart finishes Tour de France for first time

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Phil Upton

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BBC Two men in dark blue tshirts and a woman in a white and black striped shirt and grey cardigan are standing in a line with their arms around each other and are smiling at the camera. The man and the woman on each end of the row are wearing yellow bucket hatsBBC

Jake’s parents were in Paris to cheer him on

A professional cyclist has completed this year’s Tour de France for the first time.

Jake Stewart, 25, from Coventry, took on the three-week and 3,500km (2,175 miles) race with the Israel-Premier Tech team. He crossed the finish line on the Champs Elysee in Paris on Sunday.

He made his debut at cycling’s showpiece stage race a year ago but did not complete it.

Known as The Coventry Comet, he has now set his sights on September’s Tour of Britain. Stage five starts in Atherstone and finishes at Burton Dassett Hills Country Park.

Two men in dark blue tshirts and a woman in a white and black striped shirt and grey cardigan are standing in a line with their arms around each other and are smiling at the camera. The man and woman on either end of the row are both wearing yellow lanyards while the man in the middle is wearing a cap

The rider will now be gearing up for the Tout of Britain race

Stewart attributed his success in the sport (he got a World Tour race win at the Criterium du Dauphine) to his upbringing in the West Midlands.

“Cycling is a very inaccessible sport, it’s becoming more and more expensive for less privileged families to be able to provide for their kids.

“Growing up in Coventry, it keeps you humble when you make it on the big stage.”

Parents Ester and Paul Stewart watched their son cross the finish line in Paris.

“He’s got no ego, he just goes out there and he just wants to find his place in the peloton and be the best rider he can be,” Mr Stewart said.

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