The Hindu : Sport / Cycling : Carlos Sastre wins Tour de France

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 28, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Cycling

Carlos Sastre wins Tour de France

— PHOTO: AFP

A MOMENT TO CHERISH: Carlos Sastre (centre) is all smiles after winning his maiden Tour de France title. Australia’s Cadel Evans (left) finished second while Austria’s Bernhard Kohl was third overall.

PARIS: Carlos Sastre won the Tour de France on Sunday after completing the final processional stage into Paris without mishap, becoming the third Spanish rider in a row to win cycling’s premier event.

Sastre safely held onto his narrow lead over Cadel Evans of Australia, finishing seven seconds behind his main rival for a 58-second victory. Bernhard Kohl of Austria finished 1:13 back overall in third — the second tightest podium finish in the 105-year-old race.

“It’s very moving,” Sastre said, hugging his two children.

The 21st and final stage was won by Gert Steegmans of Belgium, who won a final sprint out of the pack at the end of the 143km trek from Etampes to the Champs-Elysees.

The ride on Sunday was largely ceremonial for Sastre, who all but locked up victory a day earlier in the final time trial by holding off Evans. The Spaniard overtook the yellow jersey by winning the toughest Alpine ride this year — stage 17 into the famed Alpe d’Huez — and held onto to it to the finish.

As the peloton headed toward Paris, Sastre cruised alongside a CSC car and sipped from a flute of champagne that was 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, before being surrounded by his family after getting off his bike.

The 33-year-old Spanish rider is among the oldest men to have won the Tour for a first time, and the seventh Spaniard to win. It’s also his sixth top-10 finish in the race.

His compatriot 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 95th Tour edition was plagued by doping. Three riders were ousted in drug busts — Riccardo Ricco of Italy, and Spanish riders Manuel Beltran and Moises Duenas Nevado.

Positive test

Meanwhile, Dmitriy Fofonov of Kazakhstan tested positive for a banned stimulant after the 18th stage of the Tour de France, the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) said on Sunday.

“Fofonov tested positive for a banned stimulant, we have notified him with the news today,” Pierre Bordry, the head of the AFLD, said.

Fofonov finished the Tour in the overall 19th place. — Agencies

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport