28 Jul 2008

Sastre holds off Evans to win first Tour de France

9:07 am on 28 July 2008

The Spanish rider Carlos Sastre has won the Tour de France.

The Tour is usually decided in the penultimate time trial, in which Sastre held off Australia's Cadel Evans yesterday - so Sastre was able to clinch victory with a finish in the pelaton as the Tour ended along the Champs Elysee.

But Evans wasn't giving up during this morning's final stage into Paris and actually gained seven seconds on the last stage.

The stage was won by the Quick-Step rider Gert Steegmans, somewhat rectifying an average Tour for the cycling-mad Belgians.

New Zealand's Julian Dean was sixth today to finish ninth overall in the race for the green sprinter's jersey.