Finale on the Champs Elysees

The 2009 edition of the Tour de France ended today as the peloton crossed the line on the famed cobbles of the Champs Elysees. Astana's Alberto Contador had his victory ride in from Montereau as he sipped champagne with his teammates and adorned the Spanish flag on his way to Paris.

Once in Paris the race heated up as the peloton began it's circuit up and down the cobbles. A small breakaway lead for most of the time on Champs Elysees but there was the inevitable feeling that Mark Cavendish would take the stage.

On the final appraoch down the Champs Elysees, George Hincapie brought the Columbia-HTC train out and away from Garmin Slipstream and propelled his teammates onto the final stretch. Mark Renshaw towed Cavendish almost up to the line before Cavendish exploded off the front to take the stage and his sixth stage victory this year.

As Alberto Contador crossed the line he put two fingers in the air to symbolize his second tour win.

Final Results:

Overall GC

1:Alberto Contador, Team Astana 85hr 48' 35"

2:Andy Schleck, Team Saxo Bank 4'11"

3.Lance Armstrong, Team Astana 5'24"

4:Bradley Wiggins, Team Garmin Slipstream 6'01"

5:Frank Schleck, Team Saxo Bank 6'04"

Points

1:Thor Hushovd, Cervelo Test Team 280 points

2:Mark Cavendish, Team Columbia-HTC 270 points

3:Gerald Ciolek, Team Milram 172 points

4:Jose Joaquin Rojas, Team Caisse d'Epargne 145 points

5:Tyler Farrar, Team Garmin Slipstream 136 points

King of the Mountains

1:Franco Pellizotti, Team Liquigas 210 points

2:Egoi Martinez, Team Euskaltel-Euskadi 135 points

3:Alberto Contador, Team Astana, 126 points

4:Andy Schleck, Team Saxo Bank, 111 points

5:Pierrick Fedrigo, Team BBox Bouygues Telecom, 99 points

Notes: Andy Schleck took home the white jersey for the best rider under the age of 26. It is the second year in a row he has done this.

Team Astana won the best team overall.