Tour de France - Cav wins, Contador makes it three

Eurosport - Sun, 25 Jul 17:07:00 2010

Record-breaking Mark Cavendish won the showpiece final stage on the Champs Elysees as Alberto Contador became a triple Tour de France winner.

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HTC-Columbia's Cavendish beat Julian Dean (Garmin-Transitions) and Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) with an emphatic dash to the line to become the first rider in Tour history to win successive stages on the Champs Elysees.

It was the Briton's fifth stage victory on this year's race - but not enough to move ahead of Petacchi at the top of the green jersey standings.

Spaniard Contador (Astana) finished safely in the pack to secure a second successive Tour victory - the third of his career.

Contador, 27, beat rival Andy Schleck of Luxembourg by 39 seconds while Russia's Denis Menchov completed the podium in third position, 2:01 off the pace, after the gruelling three-week race.

  • Highlights: Cav wins in Paris as Contadour takes Tour

"It's been very hard for me psychologically and I am so happy today. This is a very important victory for me," Contador told fans from the podium in Paris.

Contador, who won both the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana in 2008, is now only the 10th rider in history to win at least five Grand Tours.

Schleck, 25, won his third consecutive white jersey as the Tour's best young rider, matching German Jan Ullrich's record set between 1996 and 1998.

France's Anthony Charteau (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) won the polka dot jersey for best climber while Petacchi's second place in Stage 20 was enough to guarantee the Italian a maiden green jersey victory in the Tour. At 36 years of age, Petacchi is the oldest rider to win the green jersey in the 57-year history of the sprinters' competition.

Cavendish's victory saw the Manxman move ahead of Norway's Thor Hushovd in the points standings, but he was still 11 points short of Petacchi's total.

"In the Tour you have got to be happy with just one win because it's the hardest race in the world," said Cavendish, who won last year's final stage in Paris 12 months ago.

"The first week was tough for me but the team kept going and we were rewarded with five victories. The finish here on the Champs Elysees is an icon of the sport. I'm so happy to have won it again."

Cavendish's triumph came after a brilliant turn of pace in the final 200 metres on the famous cobbles of France's capital city. Hushovd led the peloton as the riders swept across the Place de la Concorde and onto the Champs Elysees for the final time.

Petacchi then launched an attack on the left-hand side of the road but it was the 25-year-old Cavendish, coming from behind, who showed just why he is the world's fastest man on two wheels, winning by a large margin despite the absence of his lead-out man Mark Renshaw, who was eliminated from the race for dangerous sprinting on stage 11.

American Lance Armstrong finished comfortably in the bunch in what was the final Tour of his illustrious career.

The 38-year-old caused a ripple at the start of the 102.5km stage in Longjumeau after he and his RadioShack team-mates donned all-black jerseys inscribed with the number 28 - to represent the 28 million people living with cancer worldwide.

But the nine riders switched to the official red and grey RadioShack colours after the race jury threatened the entire team with disqualification.

RadioShack won the team classification award for the best-placed overall team while Armstrong said "adieu" to the sport with a disappointing 23rd place, 39:20 behind his one-time great rival Contador.

Felix Lowe / Eurosport

Comment 24 - 43 of 43

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  1. 5 stage wins but no green jersey,he is still THE CAV.

    From Freddybee, on Tue 27 Jul 6:20

  2. a wee thought for Freddie and a few others to­ ponder how many stages in a grand tour against 1­ yellow 1 green and 1 polka dot jersey oh what it means ­ to win 5 stages or 1 jersey take your pick what­ colour means nothing.

    From free2disagree2323, on Tue 27 Jul 6:16

  3. what a great tour drama spills tears blood and sweat­ couldn't have been made better if it had been­ written. so many high and low points.and that last­ sprint man is he lightning fast when it comes to that­ break for the line. i'm delighted to see all­ cav's critics are wonderfully quiet. wonder if­ contador would have been on the podium if frank had­ been there in the mountains to help his brother. roll­ on july 2011.

    From jmarkainger, on Mon 26 Jul 22:03

  4. Bicycle racing is THE sport; all the rest are merely­ games.

    From wheelman42, on Mon 26 Jul 21:09

  5. kevin said"strange no one got caught using ilegal­ substances,guys on bikes,not even a sport",why it­ strange?,the soccer world cup and euro champs never­ announce publicaly the drug cheats caught in the­ tournament,but when the season starts again it­ discreetly leaks out how many failed the drug checks­ without declaring names!,and as the season starts­ certain players do not play for a month or so due to­ unexplained injuries and illness!,just why do you­ think?..
    and as for guys on bikes and cycling not being­ a sport,you try and cover 125 miles on a mountain stage­ in the pyrenees in 6 hours!,or 4 kilometres round a­ velodrome in less than 5 minutes without a bike and we­ will call it a miracle!.
    as for npn-sports,try­ golf,formula 1 car racing,moto gp on motorised­ bikes,high board diving,synchronised swimmingand­ darts!,whats all that about?.

    From Freddybee, on Mon 26 Jul 20:10

  6. Why did Alberto win a different Giro helmet from what­ he wore through the whole Tour? His helmet looked quite­ old fashioned during the Tour - but on the last stage­ he wore the more recent version. Strange.

    From fotodelicto, on Mon 26 Jul 18:54
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Strange how no one been caught using illegal­ substances,,or has it been covered up? Pointless thing­ anyway,,guys on bikes..not even a sport..

    From kossoff, on Mon 26 Jul 18:10

  8. have loved the whole tour, everything about it but i­ wont miss seeing navarro suffer, go n have a lie down­ love.

    From Wendy S, on Mon 26 Jul 18:00

  9. Sprinting & climbing are different disciplines,­ each should be appreciated for what it is. Personally,­ I like the variety of both in the TDF. I get a buzz­ from watching mountain stages and a buzz from watching­ a flat out sprint. That's why I love cycling; it is­ a team sport and each team member has his role. The­ peleton is full of riders who are happy to get round­ just to support their No 1, whether that be Contador or­ Cavendish. Teamwork at it's best.

    From Liz S, on Mon 26 Jul 15:48

  10. SPAIN HAVE WONDERFUL ATHELETES RAFAEL NADAL WON­ WIMBLEDON SPAIN WON THE WORLD CUP
    NOW CONTADOR WILL­ TOUR DE FRANCE

    From Dada, on Mon 26 Jul 14:35

  11. What a year for Spain ! Nadal winning Roland Garros ans­ Wimbledon, the World Cup victory, now Contador, amazing­ indeed.

    From global trotter, on Mon 26 Jul 7:37

  12. Give up 5 stage victories for the green jersey? Are you­ kidding? No way.

    Brilliant job by Cav and his team,­ but i'd rather have a breakaway any day - riders­ gutting it out and being daring. A sprint is mundane -­ 100s of Kms of chase then a lead out train and a sprint­ with the leader maybe in the leasd for 100 meters!

    I­ get the skill and pure speed, but I prefer someone­ taking a chance and riding on the rivet all day for a­ breakaway win and glory.

    From Freddie, on Mon 26 Jul 7:10
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    "cav doesnt need the green jersey, all the world­ knows­ he is the best" - He's the best, except­ he doesn't win huh? Let's face it, he bottled­ it, and was outwitted and outfought over 21 days by a­ veteran Italian who demonstrated what true big-time­ mental class is, and physical stamina. Anyway, i'll­ never understand the attention given to sprinters.­ Surely the real race takes place over 3 weeks, in the­ mountains and the long road stages. Surely what counts­ is who can cover the entire 3-week distance of the race­ in the least time? Simple. As i see it the guy who­ finishes 20th overall, or 30th or 40th or even 50th is­ a better athlete than a sprinter who is built like a­ tank and enjoys the odd day of glory but chugs in 170th­ overall.

    From Mark, on Mon 26 Jul 6:20
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Eunan. get a grip it's the green jersey that­ counts i think cav would give up his 5 stage wins to­ have the green jersey, and mickyduff47 i agree with you­ in so far as the this years tour being a good one and­ cav is far and away the best sprinter in the peloton­ but i think the best brit sprinter would be sirrrr ­ chris hoy

    From free2disagree2323, on Mon 26 Jul 5:46

  15. Why dont only people who know something about cycling,­ and who have done a bit make the comments on this­ page.This was the best tour for years,the action was­ close, you couldnt split the winners up till the last­ couple of days, and Cav is the greatest brit sprinter­ ever.

    From mickyduff47, on Mon 26 Jul 5:14

  16. For or against team TT ?? Great to watch but­ disadvantage to GC riders with a weak TT team. So why­ not just run the team TT for the team prize and not­ include it in the GC timings? We all get to watch it­ without messing up the GC. But I am sure some of­ y'all find the team TT a waste of time - just a­ thought. Today's Cav performance was just great on­ TV. He just went from right to left on our screen like­ the others were standing still.

    From Rob-2-Jim, on Mon 26 Jul 5:10
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Contador commented that he will win by minutes!!! He­ cheated just as in football players dive. This attitude­ of win at all cost has to be removed as Schleck and­ Contador had exact same times if one removes the unfair­ advantage Contador took. World is round and Contador­ will suffer the same one day.

    From vnbapat, on Mon 26 Jul 5:10

  18. The rules never apply to Lance; just ask him.

    From j.chivers, on Mon 26 Jul 5:08

  19. I was really hacked off with LA & Radioshack trying­ to take all the headlines with their­ "illegal" tops. It was funny watching­ Lance's @#$% tripping him when the race commissars­ told them "Change, or you're out!"

    Nice­ to see Petacchi win Green though. One of the few men to­ have won the points jersy on all three Grand Tours­ (Giro, Le Tour & Vuelta).

    Makes a difference from­ the usual Italian attitude, of winning 5 stages, then­ climbing off and going home, when they can haul their­ backsides over the mountains in Italy in May.
    All for­ the vanity of believing their own race is­ superior.

    Top sprint from Cav, the fastest man in the­ peketon, just hav to screw the nut, if he wants that­ Green Jersey, next year.

    From Kiddy, on Mon 26 Jul 5:05

  20. flibbertgibbet says "Let the peloton be slashed in­ size and only the­ best all-rounders­ admitted"
    '
    For all newcomers to the sport, a­ cycling team has many specialists: puncheurs, rouleurs,­ grimpeurs. There are no "all-rounders". ­
    '
    Two outstanding cyclists IMO were the­ formidable Astana climbers Navarro and Tiralongo who­ ensured no breakaways up a big climb that could­ endanger Contador.
    '
    Flibber and others may­ consider them as "no-hopers", but you­ couldn't be further from the truth. Every­ single rider who completes the tour has scored a­ victory.

    From p, on Mon 26 Jul 4:33
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