ANNECY, France (AFP) - France's Christophe Moreau won the Dauphine Libere here on Sunday after the final stage of this Tour de France warm-up went to Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov.
Moreau, who joined the AG2R team last year, was following up his win in this Pro Tour event in 2001.
The key to the 36-year-old's success was his dominant display in the Alpine mountain stages, winning the second stage in Saint Etienne and the fourth up the fearsome Mount Ventoux.
Moreau climbed to the top of the overall standings in Saturday's penultimate stage and did enough in the 129km seventh stage, holding off a challenge from his nearest title rival, Australia's Cadel Evans, to finish seventh and take the yellow jersey.
Evans, who finished third on Sunday, finished second in the overall standings, 14sec behind, with Kazakh Andrey Kashechkin third, 1min 27sec off the pace.
"It was tough," said Moreau, who was part of the Festina team kicked out of the 1998 Tour de France for systematic drug abuse.
"Anything could have happened but thankfully I've got experience and maturity on my side and never panicked.
"The descent down to the finish was tricky and I had to make double sure of myself."
The last day honours went to Vinokourov, winner of Wednesday's time-trial who made his winning move in the rain seven kilometres from the finish in Annecy.
Vinokorouv, who will start as one of the favourites to win next month's Tour de France, had a 37sec cushion over runner-up Oscar Pereiro of Spain, who finished second to Floyd Landis in last year's Tour de France and is still awaiting confirmation that he will be crowned the winner following the American's positive dope test in the race.
"Favourite for the Tour? It's true, I'm in form and the team's shown to everyone that's it's in good shape," said the Astana rider.
Third-placed Pereiro was more than satisfied with his week's work.
"This was a really important result for me, it gives me a morale boost," the Spaniard said.
"I'm leaving here happy, even if there's still work to do, I've got two kilos to lose.
"But I'm on the right path to arrive in form at the start of the Tour de France."
