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PARIS, July 28: American Lance Armstrong won his fourth consecutive Tour de France race here Sunday after the 20th and final stage from Melun to Paris won in dramatic fashion by Australian Robbie McEwen.
Armstrong, 30, becomes only the fifth rider in the Tour’s 99-year history to have won it at least four times, after Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain — all five-time winners.
McEwen, the Australian champion who rides for Lotto, finished the 144km stage after 10 laps of the Champs Elysees ahead of compatriot Baden Cooke and Frenchman Damien Nazon.
OVERALL STANDINGS:
1. Lance Armstrong (US) US Postal 82 hours five minutes and 12 seconds; 2. Joseba Beloki (Spain) ONCE 7:17 behind; 3. Raimondas Rumsas (Lithuania) Lampre 8:17; 4. Santiago Botero (Colombia) Kelme 13:10; 5. Igor Gonzalez Galdeano (Spain) ONCE 13:54; 6. Jose Azevedo (Portugal) ONCE 15:44; 7. Francisco Mancebo (Spain) Ibanesto.com 16:05; 8. Levi Leipheimer (US) Rabobank 17:11; 9. Roberto Heras (Spain) US Postal 17:18; 10. Carlos Sastre (Spain) CSC-Tiscali 19:05; 11. Ivan Basso (Italy) Fassa Bortolo 19:18; 12. Michael Boogerd (Netherlands) Rabobank 20:33; 13. David Moncoutie (France) Cofidis 21:08; 14. Massimiliano Lelli (Italy) Cofidis 24:56; 15. Tyler Hamilton (US) CSC-Tiscali 28:36; 16. Richard Virenque (France) Domo Farm Frites 28:42; 17. Stephane Goubert (France) Jean Delatour 29:51; 18. Unai Osa (Spain) Ibanesto.com 30:17; 19. Nicolas Vogondy (France) FDJeux.com 32:44; 20. Nicki Sorensen (Denmark) CSC-Tiscali 32:56; 21. Andrei Kivilev (Kazakhstan) Cofidis 33:41; 22. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) US Postal 36:43; 23. Ivan Gotti (Italy) Alessio 40:16; 24. Dariusz Baranowksi (Poland) Ibanesto.com 43:04; 25. Dario Frigo (Italy) Tacconi Sports 43:15; 26. Laurent Brochard (France) Jean Delatour 44:02; 27. Beat Zberg (Switzerland) Rabobank 44:29; 28. Axel Merckx (Belgium) Domo Farm Frites 45:39; 29. Jose Enrique Guttierez (Spain) Kelme 50:59; 30. Alexandre Botcharov (Russia) Ag2R 51:52.—AFP/Reuters
