CYCLING

Contador, Tour de France champion

07-27-2009 | AFP

Panama Star Britain's Mark Cavendish, of the Columbia team, won the final stage at the Champs Elysees to claim a record-equalling sixth victory of the race.

Contador, 26, finished the 96th edition of the world's toughest bike race with a lead of 4min 11sec on Luxembourg's Andy Schleck of Saxo Bank.

Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, Contador's teammate at Astana, was third overall at 5:24.

Schleck, 24, won the race's white jersey for the best placed rider aged 25 and under for the second year in a row.

Armstrong claimed a commendable place on the podium having decided to end a three-and-a-half year retirement when he returned to professional racing in January.