A NORTH Yorkshire MP found himself on the winners podium of the 2018 Tour de France last week.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, was on the podium when Geraint Thomas was announced as Tour de France champion on le Champs Elysées in Paris on Sunday.

Mr Adams accompanied the British Ambassador to Paris and the French Sports Minister and represented the UK Government as the British cyclist picked up cycling's most coveted prize, with his Team Sky teammate and four time champion Chris Froome (also pictured) in third place.

He said: "It was a massive honour to be asked to help with the Tour de France presentation and welcome a British winner onto the podium. Le Tour is one of the biggest events in world sport and and it was an incredibly proud and unforgettable moment.

"Geraint Thomas is a great champion and a lovely guy to talk to. I told him and Chris Froome how proud the nation was of their achievements and suggested he should celebrate with a few cold ones. He agreed and told me not to worry as he would be doing just that."

Mr Adams also represented the Government at a British Embassy reception hosted by the UK Ambassador and Welcome to Yorkshire’s Sir Gary Verity, to celebrate Yorkshire’s success in delivering world class cycling events.

Mr Adams also met with bosses of UCI, the sports world governing body and Le Tour organisers ASO and put the case for Selby being considered as a finishing stage of the Tour de Yorkshire in 2019 to coincide with Selby Abbey’s 950th anniversary.

He said: "It would be fantastic for Selby if we could host a finish of the Tour de Yorkshire next year outside the Abbey. We’ve hosted a start of the race previously which was fantastic but a race finish would be really special and another great boost for the district."