Sastre Wins Tour de France

PARIS — Carlos Sastre won the Tour de France on Sunday, sipping champagne in the processional to the Champs-Elysees and becoming the third consecutive Spaniard to capture cycling’s premier event.Sastre held his narrow lead over Cadel Evans of Australia, finishing seven seconds behind his main rival for a 58-second victory. Bernhard Kohl of Austria was 1:13 back for third place, the second tightest podium finish in the 105-year-old race.“It’s very moving,” Sastre said, hugging his two children.As the main pack headed toward Paris, Sastre cruised alongside a CSC car and drank from a champagne flute handed to him by team owner Bjarne Riis.Sastre crossed arms and butted helmets affectionately with CSC teammate Stuart O’Grady as they crossed the finish line. He was then surrounded by his family after getting off his bike.The 21st and final stage was won by Gert Steegmans of Belgium. He prevailed in a final sprint from the pack at the end of the 89-mile course from Etampes to the French capital.The ride was largely ceremonial for Sastre, who all but assured himself victory a day earlier in the final time trial by holding off Evans. The 33-year-old Spaniard claimed the yellow jersey by winning the toughest Alpine ride this year — Stage 17 into the famed Alpe d’Huez — and held it to the finish.Sastre is among the oldest to have won the Tour for a first time. This was his sixth top-10 finish in the race, and he is the seventh Spaniard to win.Alberto Contador won last year, and Oscar Pereiro inherited the 2006 title lost by American Floyd Landis in a doping scandal.As in the last two years, this year’s Tour was plagued by doping. Three riders were ousted in drug busts: Italy’s Riccardo Ricco and Spain’s Manuel Beltran and Moises Duenas Nevado.

Sastre Wins Tour de France

Sastre Wins Tour de France

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