LANDIS WINS TOUR DE FRANCE, HUSHOVD WINS PARIS SPRINT

Floyd Landis was crowned the winner of the 2006 Tour de France on Sunday at the end of one of the most dramatic editions of cycling?s biggest race.

Landis pulled on the final yellow jersey on the Champs Elysees, becoming the third American Tour de France winner after Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong.

The 30 year-old Phonak rider finished 57 seconds ahead of Spain?s Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d?Epargne), with Germany?s Andreas Kloden (T-Mobile) also on the final podium in third place at 1-29.

Norway's Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) ended the Tour as he began, with a stage win, storming to victory in the sprint on the Champs Elysees ahead of Robbie McEwen (Davitamon) and Stuart O'Grady (CSC).McEwen had the consolation of winning the green points competition jersey for a third time. Dane Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) won the climbers competition, Italy's Damiano Cunego (Lampre) won the white jersey for best young rider and T-Mopbile won the team prize.

As is tradition Floyd Landis's Phonak team lead the peloton onto the Champs Elysees. David Millar was one of the first to attack and also joined the big break of the ten fast laps around the heart of Paris. Bradley Wiggins lead the chase to bring them back and then after a last chance attack by Yaroslav Popovych (Discovery Channel), the sprinters hit the front and then Hushovd powered past McEwen.There was a split in the bunch, with most riders finishing at eight seconds but Landis was too busy celebrating his first Tour de France victory to notice.

Millar finished 129th on the Champs Elysees, 27 seconds behind Hushovd, with Wiggins just two places behind him in 131st place. Millar was 59th overall, 2-04-10 behind Landis. Wiggins was 124th at 3-25-32. Most importantly they both made it to Paris to give two British Tour finishers for the first time since 1993 when Robert Millar and Sean Yates both finished.

Official Results

1 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole 154.5km in 3.56.52

2 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto

3 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC

4 Erik Zabel (Ger) Milram

5 Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas

6 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance

7 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Francaise Des Jeux

8 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom

9 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre-Fondital

10 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner

Final overall classification

1 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak 3657km in 89.39.28

2 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 0.57

3 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile 1.29

4 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 3.13

5 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 5.08

6 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 7.06

7 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance 8.41

8 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance 9.37

9 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 12.05

10 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile 15.07