July 30, 2007	Monday	Rajab 14, 1428

PARIS, July 29: Spaniard Alberto Contador of the Discovery Channel team won the Tour de France after finishing safe in the main pack in Sunday's last stage won by Italian Daniele Bennati.

The Lampre rider won the bunch sprint on the Champs-Elysees at the end of the 146-km 20th stage from Marcoussis to Paris.

Norway’s Thor Hushovd of Credit Agricole was second with German Erik Zabel third for the Milram team.

Australian Cadel Evans of the Predictor Lotto team finished second overall, 23 seconds adrift of Contador, whose team mate Levi Leipheimer of the US was third 31 seconds off the pace.

It is the second smallest winning margin on the Tour since Greg LeMond beat Laurent Fignon by eight seconds in 1989.

Belgian Tom Boonen took his first green jersey for the best sprinter and Colombia's Juan Mauricio Soler won the polka-dot jersey for the best climber.

The 94th edition of the Tour was marred by doping scandals.

Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov failed a blood doping test and was sent packing with his Astana team.

The Cofidis team also pulled out of the race following Italian Cristian Moreni's positive test for testosterone.

Dane Michael Rasmussen was sacked by his Rabobank team for lying about his training whereabouts and left the Tour when he was the race leader.

With his 23-second lead over Evans and another eight seconds ahead of Leipheimer, the 24-year-old Contador had all but won the race after Saturday's time trial.

The final stage was the last opportunity for South African Robert Hunter to leapfrog

Boonen in the sprinters' standings.

However, the Quick Step rider prevailed after ending the stage in fifth place just behind Hunter.

“I think that winning here in Paris is a dream,” said Bennati. “I came here on the Tour to win a stage and I leave with two stage victories in the bag. My career starts now.”

Some riders, including Italian Alessandro Ballan, took a last opportunity to shine by breaking away during the eight laps of the Champs-Elysees that also took the riders on the Quai des Tuileries, Rue de Rivoli and Place de la Concorde.

Since the Champs-Elysees became the scene of the Tour finale in 1975, the last stage has usually been decided in a bunch sprint.—Reuters