Sastre keeps the Spanish flag flying high

Carlos Sastre became the third successive Spaniard to win the Tour de France yesterday in another major sporting triumph for his country this year. Sastre's victory follows triumphs for Oscar Pereiro in 2006 and Albert Contador last year.

Contador's Astana team were not invited to this year's race because of their past doping record.

Australian Cadel Evans finished second overall, 58 seconds behind Sastre, who effectively secured victory on Saturday after resisting Evans in the decisive time-trial.

Austrian Bernhard Kohl was third, one minute and 13 seconds off the pace, also taking the polka dot jersey for the best climber.

"It's a dream come true, I have been waiting so long for this," said Sastre, who rides for the winning CSC team.

Towards the end of the 21st and last stage yesterday, the peloton split and Sastre was in a group that lost seven seconds to Evans and Kohl, but the Spaniard had plenty of time in hand.

The 33-year-old Sastre took the overall leader's yellow jersey by winning Wednesday's last Alpine stage atop l'Alpe d'Huez, one of the Tour's renowned climbs.

It was a great year for Spain on the Tour, with Oscar Freire also becoming the first Spaniard to take the green jersey for the best sprinter.

In the last seven weeks, Spain also won the Euro 2008 football tournament and Rafael Nadal clinched a fourth French Open tennis title and his maiden Wimbledon crown.

Yesterday's win also belongs to CSC team manager Bjarne Riis, the Dane having decided to give the leadership to Sastre at the expense of Luxembourg brothers Frank and Andy Schleck.

Both sacrificed their chances for Sastre, whose experience on the major tours eventually paid off after 17 unsuccessful attempts between the Tour, the Spanish Vuelta and the Giro d'Italia.

The Madrid-born Sastre was the only man who dared to attack in the Alps, while Evans, who had already finished second last year, tried to limit the damage before the decisive time trial.

The Silence-Lotto rider, bidding to become the first Australian to win the Tour, was proven wrong, collapsing in the solo effort against the clock.

Belgian Gert Steegmans, of the Quick Step team, prevailed in a bunch sprint to win the last stage on the Champs Elysees in Paris, ahead of Gerald Ciolek and Freire.

The 95th edition of the race was hit by doping affairs.

Yesterday, Kazakh Dmitriy Fofonov, of the Credit Agricole team, tested positive for the banned stimulant heptaminol after the 18th stage of the Tour de France, the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) said.

He was immediately fired by his team.

The 18th stage, 196.5 km from Bourg d'Oisans to St Etienne, took place on Thursday. Fofonov finished the Tour de France in 19th place overall.

His positive test is the fourth in this year's Tour after Spaniards Manuel Beltran and Moises Duenas Nevado, as well as Italy's Riccardo Ricco, who tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO.

The 31-year-old Fofonov started his professional career in 1999 with Belgian team Collstrop.

This year, he geared up for the Tour with a stage win in the Dauphine Libere race in June.

Factbox - Carlos Sastre

Born: April 22, 1975 in Madrid.

Team: CSC.

Tour de France stage wins: 2.

1997: Turns professional with Spanish team ONCE.

1999: Takes part in his first big stage race, the Giro d'Italia. Finishes 101st.

2001: Signs for the Danish team CSC run by Bjarne Riis.

2003: Wins his first Tour de France stage in Ax-3 Domaines.

2005: Finishes second in the Spanish Vuelta.

2006: Finishes third in the Tour de France and fourth in the Spanish Vuelta. Becomes only the 29th rider to complete all three big Tours in the same season.

2007: Finishes fourth in the Tour de France and second in the Spanish Vuelta.