Contador wins 2010 Tour de France as Cavendish takes final stage

Tour de France 2010, stage 20 photo gallery by Graham Watson>>

Mark Cavendish wrapped up the 2010 Tour de France with his fifth stage win of the race, claiming the twenty-first stage on the Champs Elysees.

This time, Cavendish did it without the help of leadout man Mark Renshaw, again using his guile and speed to piggyback onto a Cervelo effort and accelerate away to victory.

Alberto Contador crossed the line mid-bunch to make sure of his third Tour de France win - his most hard-fought to date.

After an abortive RadioShack bid to wear custom jerseys with the race number 28 - denoting the number of cancer sufferers in the world in millions - on the last day of the Tour, the bunch set off slowly from Longjumeau.

The traditional demob-happy bunch antics were on display. Riders posed for photographers, the Astana team supped champagne and Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck enjoyed a good-natured faux sprint before shaking hands.

The speed shot up as the bunch entered central Paris and the famous city-centre circuit.

An eleven-strong group escaped soon after the first of nine passings of the Champs Elysees, consisting of Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia), Christian Knees (Team Milram), Alan Perez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Danilo Hondo (Lampre), Christophe Riblon (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Alexander Kuschynski (Liquigas), Karsten Kroon (BMC Racing Team), Remi Pauriol (Cofidis), Aitor Perez (Footon-Servetto) and Francaise des Jeux pair Anthony Roux and Sandy Casar.

Though never enjoying more than 25 seconds advantage, the escapees took the intermediate sprint points on offer, further strengthening Alessandro Petacchi's position in the green jersey.

With a doomed survival bid, Knees, Kroon and Sorensen held off the chase of the bunch, led by Sky and HTC, for longest.

The finale saw several leadout trains clashing for control of the bunch. First, Team Sky had a four-man effort on the front, before Cervelo took over through the final corner, slipping Thor Hushovd into the best position for the final straight.

However, Mark Cavendish was well-placed behind, and the Briton used Hushovd as a slingshot, firing down the right side of the road with 200 metres to claim his fifth stage of this year's Tour - in very different circumstances to his win twelve months ago, which saw him ably guided into the final corner by Mark Renshaw.

Indeed, it was very different circumstances to the Tour's first road stage to Brussels, when he crashed on a corner in the closing kilometres. Since his emotional win in Montargis just over a fortnight ago, Cavendish has hardly put a foot wrong.

Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) followed the Briton across the line to secure the green points jersey, as Cavendish fell just 11 points short in his late push. 

Flanked by Astana teammates as he finished mid-pack, Alberto Contador added to his overall Tour victories in 2007 and 2009, having been thoroughly tested by second-placed Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank), who finished just 39 seconds behind. It was the fourth-closest Tour win in the race's history.

Contador won the Tour without a single stage victory; in contrast, Schleck won two. Denis Menchov (Rabobank) completed the final podium in third overall.

RESULTS

Tour de France 2010, stage 20: Longjumeau to Paris Champs-Élysées, 102.5km

1. Mark Cavendish (GB) HTC-Columbia in 2-42-21

2. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini

3. Julian Dean (NZ) Garmin-Transitions

4. Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto

5. Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank

6. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Milram

7. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo

8. Matti Breschel (Den) Saxo Bank

9. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Katusha

10. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo all same time

Other

81. Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana

Final overall classification

1. Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana in 91-58-48

2. Andy Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank at 39 seconds

3. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank at 2-01

4. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi at 3-40

5. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma at 6-54

6. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank at 9-31

7. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Transitions at 10-15

8. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha at 11-37

9. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas at 11-54

10. Chris Horner (USA) RadioShack at 12-02

Other

15. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Ag2r-La Mondiale at 16-59

23. Lance Armstrong (USA) RadioShack at 39-20

24. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Team Sky at 39-24

26. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team at 50-27

67. Geraint Thomas (GB) Team Sky at 2-00-05

151. Steve Cummings (GB) Team Sky at 3-45-47

154. Mark Cavendish (GB) HTC-Columbia at 3-51-23

158. David Millar (GB) Garmin-Transitions at 3-56-46

163. Jeremy Hunt (GB) Cervelo at 4-02-21

164. Daniel Lloyd (GB) Cervelo at 4-02-59

Points classification: Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre

Mountains classification: Anthony Charteau (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom

Young rider: Andy Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank

Team: RadioShack

Please play below to watch video highlights of stage 20

Alberto Contador sits safely in the bunch on the Champs Elysees

Mark Cavendish takes his fifth stage of the 2010 Tour

Final podium (l-r): Andy Schleck (second), Alberto Contador (winner), Denis Menchov (third

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Tour de France 2010: Stage reports

Stage 19 ITT: Contador lines up 2010 Tour win in final time trial

Stage 18: Cavendish wins fourth stage of Tour in Bordeaux

Stage 17: Schleck wins on the Tourmalet but cannot shake off Contador

Rest day review (July 21)

Stage 16: Fedrigo takes tough Pyrenean stage

Stage 15: Victorious Voeckler continues fine Franch Tour as Contador takes yellow jersey

Stage 14: Riblon hangs on in Pyrenees to give France fourth stage win

Stage 13: Vino returns to top of Tour after doping ban

Stage 12: Rodriguez wins as Contador attacks

Stage 11: Cavendish bags third stage win but lead out man kicked out of Tour

Stage 10: Cavendish bags third stage win but his lead-out man is kicked out of race

Stage 10: Paulinho claims narrow stage victory on Bastille day

Stage nine: Casar wins stage as Schleck and Contador go head-to-head

Stage seven: Chavanel wins stage and takes overall as Thomas drops out of Tour's white

Stage six: Cavendish makes it two as Tour hots up

Stage five: Cavendish wins his first stage of Tour

Stage four: Petacchi wins into Reims

Stage three: Hushovd takes dramatic win; Thomas second on stage and GC

Stage three live coverage: As it happened

Stage two: Comeback man Chavanel takes victory in Spa

Stage one: Petacchi wins in Brussels as bunch left in tatters

Prologue: Cancellara pips Martin to win

Tour de France 2010: Photos

Stage 19 photo gallery

Stage 18 photo gallery

Stage 17 photo gallery

Stage 16 photo gallery

Stage 15 photo gallery

Stage 14 photo gallery

Stage 13 photo gallery

Stage 12 photo gallery

Stage 11 photo gallery

Stage 10 photo gallery

Stage nine photo gallery

Stage eight photo gallery

Tour 2010 wallpaper

Stage seven photo gallery

Stage six photo gallery

Stage five photo gallery

Stage four photo gallery

Stage three photo gallery

Stage two photo gallery

Stage one gallery

Prologue photo gallery

Tour de France 2010: Videos

Stage 19 ITT video highlights

Stage 18 video highlights

Stage 17 video highlights

Stage 16 video highlights

Stage 15 video highlights

Stage 14 video highlights

Stage 13 video highlights

Stage 12 video highlights

Stage 11 video highlights

Stage 10 video highlights

Stage nine video highlights

Stage eight video highlights

Stage seven video highlights

Stage six video highlights

Stage five video highlights

Stage four video highlights

Stage three video highlights

Stage two video highlights

Stage one video highlights

Prologue video highlights

Tour de France 2010: Race guide

Tour de France 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index

Official start list, with race numbers

Brits at the Tour 2010

Tout team guide

Tour jerseys: What they are and what they mean

Brits in the Tours: From Robinson to Wiggins

Tour de France 2010: Pictures

Tour team presentation, Rotterdam

Tour teams take to the cobbles: Photo special