Tour de France 2019 news - The final day of the Tour de France in their own words

"I don't know what to say. I think that I think I should say thank you to all my team. Thank you, G [Geraint Thomas] for the opportunity, and all the team for believing in me.

"I think that I am today the most happy guy in the world. I just won the Tour de France, and I cannot believe it."

"Thank you to France for the most beautiful course in the world, and the most beautiful victory in my life. Thank you. Vive La France! Vive La Colombie."

"This is my first Tour de France and I hope there are more to come."

Former Tour champion Wiggins pondered if the other teams could find the mental strength to compete with Ineos after Egan Bernal's success.

"That's what we're up against. Any dominant team in a sport, that's the question being asked. And it's for the other teams to raise their game and come to the level of Ineos.

"I think we saw signs of that this year with [Thibaut] Pinot: a good time trial. But for his knee injury and his loss in the crosswinds, we expect that he would have given them some challenge, certainly.

"We were almost fooled that it wasn't a dominant performance by Ineos but we can look back now, and it's a bit like with Manchester CIty. Do people believe they can actually beat this team? Ineos have that dominance and that fear factor."

Talking of Geraint Thomas' campaign, he said:

"He is capabale of winning the Tour de France. What a defence of his title. For Egan Bernall, just to have that man in your corner, guiding you through this thing at 22. You couldn't have asked for a better teammate. For Geraint, hats off to him or being the sportsman he has been."

Wiggins, though, was most effusive when discussing Egan's all round talents.

"He's a supreme talent. Physically he's got everything. He can time trial, he can ride the mountains, but mentally, that's the big thing. To win the Tour de France, to win a Grand Tour."

"It's the record for the green jersey. It's nice, at least that's something.

"I'm very happy and very glad I could achieve something like this because green jersey for me is something like the yellow for the GC riders. I'm very happy I could hold the record.

"When I crossed the finish line [it was my happiest moment]."

"It's slightly mixed emotions, but I can be proud. Two years ago I was watching [Chris] Froome win his fourth, with my arm in a sling, feeling devastated that I wasn't able to ride my book. Two years on I'm slightly disappointed not to win a second tour, which is crazy really.

"I'm proud of myself, getting into decent enough shape. This team is incredible, and it's a pleasure just to be a part of it. It's a pleasure to be with Egan winning his first, I'm sure first of many.

"I'm glad to be going home to close the door and get away. Emotionally, physicaly and mentally it's just been draining. It's still enjoyable, it's the pinnacle of the sport and what you dreamed of when you were a kid. At the same time it's been hard work."

2018 Tour de France champions Geraint Thomas praised Egan Bernal ahead of the final stage of this year's championship, where he is set to take the trophy.

Speaking ahead of the last, largely ceremonial stage tonight, the Team Ineos rider acknowledged he had a disappointing campaign but remained proud.

He said: "It feels like it's just been one thing after the other with me but it's been great. Egan took the jersey yesterday - to get first and second doesn't get any better."

There was not a hint of regret from Thomas as he continued: "The fact that Egan's one step above me, he's the best person to have in front of me.

"Obviously its been a crazy year for me but I can be happy and proud to have given everything to be in the best shape to run the best race here. I think as a team, from day one, has been amazing. We've taken a lot of flak, as always, but we've proven time and time again we're a really strong unit. We've shown we know how to ride in this race."

Team manager Dave Brailsford was in triumphant mood, but had time to praise Julian Alaphilippe and Thibaut Pinot for their efforts.

"Everyone's been question the team a bit," he said of the early stages. "It was a brilliant race. It's probably the most exciting Tour de France we've taken part in. Credit to Julian Alaphilippe because he died for that jersey everyday. He made a lot of people second-think what they knew.

"I think Thibaut Pinot did the same in the Pyrenees. He was extremely strong and brave, but in the end, strategy played out over chaos and teamwork played out over individuals. That's why I started him. It looked very hard. We knew that we had some older guys who were performing very well, but we looked long and hard to find a new generation rider. We decided that was going to be Egan. We signed him, not for very much. Anyone else could have signed him. We took him, fought pretty hard to get him, and he developed fantastically well."

Speaking after the race, he continued:

"He'd been mountain biking and just switched to road, we were looking around for our next big champion after Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, contrary to popular belief we don't want to just buy the top riders, we like younger guys that we can develop.

"We brought Egan to the Giro, we liked him and his family so we signed him and off we went.

"When you have riders the calibre of Froome, Thomas and they turn round and realise it is the moment to support and switch, they do it, without being told.

"They understand the sport, they have respect for each other our guys, they are a team, and G has demonstrated that once again."