27 Jul 2009

Contador wins Tour de France

6:07 am on 27 July 2009

Alberto Contador claimed his second Tour de France yellow jersey in Paris to hand Spain their fourth consecutive victory in the world's biggest cycle race.

Astana team leader Contador, the 2007 champion, finished the 21-stage 96th edition, held over a distance of almost 3 and a half thousand kms, with a significant winning margin.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck was the runner-up at 4min 11sec while seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, returning to the Tour for the first time since 2005, was third at 5:24.

Contador finished the 21st and final stage into Paris wearing the yellow jersey he claimed back on stage 15 at Verbier in the Swiss Alps.

Britain's Mark Cavendish claimed a remarkable sixth stage win, his first on the Champs Elysees but his 10th from the past two editions... it is the first time a rider has won six stages on a tour.

Contador first won the race in 2007, and since then he has shown his class by winning the Tour of Italy and the Tour of Spain - winning both races in 2008 when his team were not invited to the Tour de France.