Four straight titles for Armstrong

Lance Armstrong has sealed his fourth straight Tour de France victory in Paris.

The American finished safely in the peloton after a bunch sprint on the Champs Elysees, which was won impressively by Robbie McEwen.

By winning the final sprint, the Australian champion prevented German Erik Zabel winning a seventh successive green jersey.

Lance Armstrong profile

Armstrong had already done more than enough to keep ahead of his rivals after 20 gruelling stages and more than 2,000 miles.

He becomes only the fifth man to win cycling's premier race four times, joining legends Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain and surpassing compatriot Greg LeMond, who won three Tours.

The Texan shared a traditional glass of champagne with his US Postal team-mates on the road to Paris.

And he said afterwards: "It's a great day - it was a difficult race, especially in the mountains," before receiving a congratulatory call from US President George W Bush.

All the action from the Champs Elysees

Armstrong was joined on the final podium by ONCE's
Joseba Beloki and Lampre's Raimondas Rumsas.

Rumsas, who has impressed on his debut Tour, launched an audacious attack on the Champs Elysees in a bid to rob Beloki of second place.

That bid failed, but it added to the excitement on a memorable day of racing.

I had a fantastic Tour - I'm really lucky to have finished on the podium

Laurent Jalabert
Australian McEwen got the better of six-times defending points champion Zabel in the final sprint of this year's Tour.

He allowed Zabel's Telekom team to reel in all breakaways on the streets of Paris, before surging clear of the German and edging out compatriot Baden Cooke on the line.

King of the Mountains Laurent Jalabert received special cheers from thick crowds in the French capital.

The popular Frenchman retires at the end of the season and he launched one last Tour de France attack to seal his combativity award.

Ivan Basso took honours as the best young rider, while Briton David Millar - a pre-race contender for that award - finished safely in the pack after winning one previous stage.

 

The Overall Standings can be viewed here.