Contador wins Tour overshadowed by doping

Spaniard Alberto Contador of the Discovery Channel team won the Tour de France after finishing safe in the main pack in yesterday's last stage won by Italian Daniele Bennati.

Bennati, of Lampre team, won the bunch sprint on the Champs-Elysees at the end of the 146-km 20th stage from Marcoussis to Paris. Norway's Thor Hushovd of Credit Agricole was second with German Erik Zabel third for the Milram team.

Australian Cadel Evans of the Predictor Lotto team finished second overall, 23 seconds behind Contador, whose team-mate Levi Leipheimer of the US was third 31 seconds off the pace.

It is the second smallest winning margin on the Tour since Greg LeMond beat Laurent Fignon by eight seconds in 1989.

Contador, who received the visit on Saturday of seven-times Tour winner and former Discovery Channel leader Lance Armstrong, became the first Spaniard to win the world's greatest race since Miguel Indurain's fifth victory in 1995.

He also became the first mere climber to prevail on the roads of France since Italian Marco Pantani in 1998.

Belgian Tom Boonen took his first green jersey for the best sprinter and Colombia's Juan Mauricio Soler won the polka-dot jersey for the best climber.

The 94th edition of the Tour was marred by doping scandals. Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov failed a blood doping test and was sent packing with his Astana team.

The Cofidis team also pulled out of the race following Italian Cristian Moreni's positive test for testosterone.

Dane Michael Rasmussen was sacked by his Rabobank team for lying about his training whereabouts and left the Tour when he was the race leader.

With his 23-second lead over Evans and another eight seconds over Leipheimer, the 24-year-old Contador had all but won the race after Saturday's time trial.

The final stage was the last opportunity for South African Robert Hunter to leapfrog Boonen in the sprinters' standings.

However, the Quick Step

rider prevailed after ending the stage in fifth place just behind Hunter.

"I think that winning here in Paris is a dream," said Bennati. "I came here on the Tour to win a stage and I leave with two stage victories in the bag. My career starts now."

Some riders, including Italian Alessandro Ballan, took a last opportunity to shine by breaking away during the eight laps of the Champs-Elysees that also took the riders on the Quai des Tuileries, Rue de Rivoli and Place de la Concorde.

Since the Champs-Elysees became the scene of the Tour finale in 1975, the last stage has usually been decided in a bunch sprint.

Last 10 years winners:

2007 Alberto Contador (Spain)

2006 Floyd Landis (US)

2005 Lance Armstrong (US)

2004 Armstrong

2003 Armstrong

2002 Armstrong

2001 Armstrong

2000 Armstrong

1999 Armstrong

1998 Marco Pantani (Italy)