PARIS, July 25: Lance Armstrong became the most successful rider in the history of the Tour de France when he won the race for the sixth time on the Champs Elysees on Sunday.
The American crossed the line at the back of a split bunch of 147 riders left in the Tour after three weeks and 3,500 km of racing, at the end of the 163-km last stage from Montereau to Paris won by Belgian Tom Boonen.
German Andreas Kloeden was second overall, six minutes and 19 seconds behind the US Postal team leader and Italian Ivan Basso was third, 6:40 adrift. "The Tour de France is the most beautiful race in the world. For me, for cycling, for my team, for my new sponsor Discovery Channel, I cannot think of not doing another year on the Tour de France," Armstrong told French television.
Thanks to his victory in 83 hours 36 minutes and two seconds, Armstrong, who won five individual stages this year, eclipsed former five times Tour winners Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain.
The 2004 Tour was the second fastest in history after last year's at an average speed of 40.553 kph. Boonen outs printed the main bunch to snatch his second stage victory this year, but it was not enough for the Belgian to prevent Australian Robbie McEwen from winning the points classification green jersey for the second time.
McEwen, who was fourth in the stage behind Frenchman Jean-Patrick Nazon and German Danilo Hondo, won the green jersey in 2002. The King of the Mountains classification went to Frenchman Richard Virenque, who won the distinctive polka dot jersey for a record seventh time.
Russian Vladimir Karpets won the white jersey for the best young rider while the team classification went to Kloeden's and fourth-placed Jan Ullrich's T-Mobile team. Usually a relaxed ride through the outskirts of Paris to the Champs Elysees, the final stage was a little bit more animated than usual as Italian Filippo Simeoni attacked three times to try and spoil Armstrong's show.
The Domina Vacanze rider and the Texan are involved in a bitter legal battle and Simeoni was out for revenge after Armstrong forced him back into the main bunch after he had tried to attack in Friday's 18th stage.
LEADING 20TH STAGE PLACINGS:
1. Tom Boonen (Belgium) Quick Step-Davitamon 4:08:26, 2. Jean-Patrick Nazon (France) AG2R, 3. Danilo Hondo (Germany) Gerolsteiner, 4. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Lotto-Domo, 5. Erik Zabel (Germany) T-Mobile, 6. Jimmy Casper (France) Cofidis, 7. Stuart O'Grady (Australia) Cofidis, 8. Baden Cooke (Australia) FDJeux.com, 9. Massimiliano Mori (Italy) Domina Vacanze, 10. Bram de Groot (Netherlands) Rabobank, 11. Laurent Brochard (France) AG2R, 12. Julian Dean (New Zealand) Credit Agricole, 13. Fabio Baldato (Italy) Alessio-Bianchi, 14. Jimmy Engoulvent (France) Cofidis, 15. Franck Renier (France) Brioches La Boulangere, 16. Thor Hushovd (Norway) Credit Agricole, 17. Martin Elmiger (Switzerland) Phonak, 18. Scott Sunderland (Australia) Alessio-Bianchi, 19. Allan Davis (Australia) Liberty Seguros, 20. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Norway) Team CSC, 21. Stefano Zanini (Italy) Quick Step-Davitamon, 22. Marcus Ljungqvist (Sweden) Alessio-Bianchi, 23. Frederic Finot (France) RAGT Semences-MG Rover, 24. Filippo Pozzato (Italy) Fassa Bortolo, 25. Viatceslav Ekimov (Russia) US Postal, 26. Kim Kirchen (Luxembourg) Fassa Bortolo, 27. Marius Sabaliauskas (Lithuania) Saeco, 28. Christian Vandevelde (US) Liberty Seguros, 29. David Loosli (Switzerland) Saeco, 30. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukraine) AG2R all same time.
LEADING OVERALL FINAL STANDINGS:
1. Lance Armstrong (US) US Postal 83:36:02; 2. Andreas Kloeden (Germany) T-Mobile 6:19; 3. Ivan Basso (Italy) Team CSC 6:40; 4. Jan Ullrich (Germany) T-Mobile 8:50; 5. Jose Azevedo (Portugal) US Postal 14:30; 6. Francisco Mancebo (Spain) Illes Balears Santander 18:01; 7. Georg Totschnig (Austria) Gerolsteiner 18:27; 8. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Team CSC 19:51; 9. Levi Leipheimer (US) Rabobank 20:12; 10. Oscar Pereiro (Spain) Phonak 22:54; 11. Pietro Caucchioli (Italy) Alessio-Bianchi 24:21; 12. Christophe Moreau (France) Credit Agricole 24:36; 13. Vladimir Karpets (Russia) Illes Balears Santander 25:11; 14. Mickael Rasmussen (Denmark) Rabobank 27:16; 15. Richard Virenque (France) Quick Step-Davitamon 28:11. -Reuters
