The 2007 Tour de France has been anything but dull |
After three weeks of racing, it’s all over for the 142 riders left in the Tour |
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Contador gets a specially painted Trek Madone for the final stage – he’s a lucky chap… |
Stage 20
Daniel Bennati took his second win in as many days on the final stage in Paris. Holding off Thor Hushovd, Erik Zabel and Robert Hunter, Bennati turned the final page of what was an intriguing Tour de France.
Sheltered by his Discovery Channel team, Alberto Contador came home safely to retain the yellow jersey and win the 2007 Tour de France. Cadel Evans and Levi Leipheimer both made it safely across the line for second and third places respectively.
Stage 20 results
1 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Lampre – Fondital 3.51.03 (37.91 km/h)
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
3 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
4 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld
5 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep – Innergetic
6 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux
7 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC
8 David Millar (GBr) Saunier Duval – Prodir
9 Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
10 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas
Final general classification
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 91.00.26
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor – Lotto 0.23
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.31
4 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC 7.08
5 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 8.17
6 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 11.37
7 Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile Team 12.18
8 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 12.25
9 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 14.14
10 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 14.25
Stage 19
The final time trial was the last chance for any major shake-ups in the general classification, but it wasn’t to be. Levi Leipheimer won his first stage of the Tour de France in impressive style. Cadel Evans closed to within 23 seconds of Alberto Contador, but the Discovery Channel rider managed to keep the pace just high enough to keep the yellow jersey.
1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 1.02.44 (53.068 km/h)
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor – Lotto 0.51
3 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d’Epargne 1.56
4 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.01
5 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.18
6 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 2.27
7 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.33
8 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 2.36
9 Leif Hoste (Bel) Predictor – Lotto 2.48
10 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 2.50
Stage 18
No major upsets in this flat 210km stage to Angoulême, with Alberto Contador wearing the yellow jersey for the first time. Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux) won from a four man breakaway.
1 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 5.13.31 (40.38 km/h)
2 Axel Merckx (Bel) T-Mobile Team 0.01
3 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
4 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
5 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep – Innergetic 8.34
6 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld
7 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
8 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux
9 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) T-Mobile Team
10 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
