Tour de France - report stage 21

Gert Steegmans wins in Paris - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

The final podium - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

The final stage opened as the traditional 'relaxed' arrival of the Tour winner, Carlos Sastre (CSC/Saxo) before the battle for the mush sought after stage win in Paris began.

Stephane Auge (Cofidis) was the first to attack and then he was followed by many more but with Team CSC/Saxo Bank keeping the pace it was hard for anyone to break the elastic. None gained more than a few seconds and with the sprint teams joining in no one was going to sustain a winning break.

In a mass sprint Gert Steegmans won from Gerald Ciolek (Team Columbia).

Steegman's said - “It’s great to win here. Tom Boonen is usually our leader. The fact that he is not here added pressure on me and also Stijn Devolder. It was not easy, and this victory has been a long time in coming."

Race winner Carlos Sastre summed up the final day - "It was a really nice day. The team has done everything to make this Tour as easy as possible for me and even as we came to Paris for the final stage, they continued to work for me. I know that relief has set in and now everyone is happy."

1 Gert Steegmans 97 Quick Step 3h 51' 38"
2 Gerald Ciolek 44 Team Columbia 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
3 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
4 Robbie McEwen 6 Silence - Lotto 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
5 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
6 Julian Dean 193 Garmin Chipotle 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
7 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
8 Robert Förster 112 Gerolsteiner 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
9 Leonardo Duque 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 3h 51' 38" @ 00'
10 Robert Hunter 58 Barloworld 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
11 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
12 Alessandro Ballan 72 Lampre 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
13 Fabian Cancellara 13 Team CSC Saxo Bank 3h 51' 38" @ 00'
14 Filippo Pozzato 61 Liquigas 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
15 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
16 Geoffroy Lequatre 128 Agritubel 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
17 Steven De Jongh 94 Quick Step 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
18 Marco Velo 159 Team Milram 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
19 Murilo Antoniobil Fischer 64 Liquigas 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
20 Ruben Perez 26 Euskaltel - Euskadi 3h 51' 38" @ 00' 00"
24 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 3h 51' 45" @ 00' 07"
26 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 3h 51' 45" @ 00' 07"
30 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 3h 51' 45" @ 00' 07"

Final General Classification (Yellow jersey)
1 Sastre Carlos 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 87h 52' 52"
2 Evans Cadel 1 Silence - Lotto 87h 53' 50" @ 00' 58"
3 Kohl Bernhard 115 Gerolsteiner 87h 54' 05" @ 01' 13"
4 Menchov Denis 131 Rabobank 87h 55' 02" @ 02' 10"
5 Vandevelde Christian 191 Garmin Chipotle 87h 55' 57" @ 03' 05"
6 Schleck Frank 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 87h 57' 20" @ 04' 28"
7 Sanchez Samuel 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 87h 59' 17" @ 06' 25"
8 Kirchen Kim 41 Team Columbia 87h 59' 47" @ 06' 55"
9 Valverde Alejandro 31 Caisse d'Epargne 88h 00' 04" @ 07' 12"
10 Valjavec Tadej 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 88h 01' 57" @ 09' 05"
11 Efimkin Vladimir 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 88h 02' 47" @ 09' 55"
12 Schleck Andy 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 88h 04' 24" @ 11' 32"
13 Kreuziger Roman 65 Liquigas 88h 05' 51" @ 12' 59"
14 Casar Sandy 161 Francaise Des Jeux 88h 12' 15" @ 19' 23"
15 Moinard Amaël 187 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 88h 16' 23" @ 23' 31"
16 Astarloza Mikel 22 Euskaltel - Euskadi 88h 16' 32" @ 23' 40"
17 Siutsou Konstantsin 49 Team Columbia 88h 17' 47" @ 24' 55"
18 Botcharov Alexandre 83 Credit Agricole 88h 20' 03" @ 27' 11"
19 Fofonov Dmitriy 85 Credit Agricole 88h 21' 23" @ 28' 31"
20 Nibali Vincenzo 67 Liquigas 88h 21' 25" @ 28' 33"

Final Sprint (Green jersey)
1 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 270 Pts
2 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 220 Pts
3 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 217 Pts
4 Leonardo Duque 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 181 pts
5 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 155 Pts
6 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 136 Pts
7 Robert Hunter 58 Barloworld 131 Pts
8 Robbie McEwen 6 Silence - Lotto 129 pts
9 Julian Dean 193 Garmin Chipotle 119 Pts
10 Gerald Ciolek 44 Team Columbia 116 Pts

Final Mountains (Polka Dot jersey)
1 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 128 Pts
2 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 80 pts
3 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 80 pts
4 Thomas Voeckler 149 Bouygues Telecom 65 Pts
5 Sebastian Lang 117 Gerolsteiner 62 Pts
6 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 61 Pts
7 John-Lee Augustyn 52 Barloworld 61 Pts
8 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 58 Pts
9 Rémy Di Gregorio 163 Francaise Des Jeux 52 pts
10 Egoi Martinez 24 Euskaltel - Euskadi 51 pts