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Cobo had led the three-week road cycling event for the last week before he crossed the line for an emotional win in the Spanish capital.

However British fans heading to the finish line from their apartments in Madrid would not have been too disappointed as Team Sky's Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins took historic second and third places, which saw them become the first Britons to stand side-by-side on the podium at a Grand Tour event.

At the finish line Froome was just 13 seconds behind Cobo and Wiggins 99 seconds further back.

Team Sky boss David Brailsford hailed the finish by the two colleagues saying it was a sign of how far the team had come in its short history.

He said: 'Obviously we'd have liked to be on the top step but credit to the guys, they've both done fantastic races.

'We set out wanting to be the first team that puts a British rider on the top step of a Grand Tour and we've come a long, long way and as close as we could possibly get to that which gives us great confidence looking ahead to the three Grand Tours next year.'

Meanwhile Froome said: 'I'm over the moon and it was an experience of a lifetime.

'Over the last week when it became clear that my early form and time trial performance were not one-off results I really began to enjoy myself and came to the realisation that I can now compete with some of the best GC riders in the world.

'The highlight for me was definitely winning that 17th stage at the top of the Pena Cabarga climb; it was a special day and will live long in my memory.'

Froome and Wiggins become the first Britons to make a Grand Tour podium since Robert Millar's second place at the 1987 Giro d'Italia, and Sky team boss Dave Brailsford said: 'It's never been done before by two Brits so it's very, very pleasing.