Used with permission of Team Astana

Stage 21: San Sebastián de los Reyes - Madrid, 102.2km / 63.5mi    
-by Chris Brewer

Sep 21 – Alberto Contador made history today by becoming the only Spaniard to win all three Grand Tours, and joined the likes of Anquetil , Gimondi , Merckx, and Hinault as one of only five men who have accomplished this feat – and he did it in only 14 months.  But first he would have to complete the final stage, granted for the most part it was more club ride than race for the 131 riders still left in the peloton.

The pack rode along at a casual 30kmh with Team Astana proudly on point.  While the race would surely go high-speed on the eight final circuits in Madrid, it was now time for some on-the-bike celebration, not only for Contador and the other race category leaders, but for all of those still left in the race.  Completing a Grand Tour is a significant accomplishment in itself, 3173km / 1971mi now under their wheels.

As soon as the bunch hit the line for the first time in Madrid three riders were off the front.  Team Astana would have to control things one more time until the sprinters teams would come to front and keep their interests in the hunt.  While the trio dangled 30 seconds or so from the very attentive bunch, Team Cofidis came up on point to start the reel in process, and with the help of riders from CSC and Credit Agricole the escape was caught just before the final bell lap – 6km to go.

Team Euskaltel now took control with 4km to go, driving to the line, only to see Milram and CSC ride up and take the reins from them.  The pack was now totally energized and that lead to some twitchy reactions and crashes, the main concern for Contador’s victory.  A couple of riders went down in the process, including Astana’s Assan Bazayev, but he was able to complete the stage.

As for the finale, Team CSC would get the final stage result as Matti Breschel took the sprint over AG2R’s Alexandre Usov and Quick Step’s Davide Viganò.  But the day would ultimately belong to Contador and his boys in blue.  After all, it’s not every day you finish 1-2 on the final podium (congrats to Levi Leipheimer!), win multiple stages, and make history in the process.

Top twenty-five Stage 21 finishers:

1. Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 2.44.39 (37.24 km/h)
2. Alexandre Usov (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale                                       
3. Davide Viganò (Ita) Quick Step                                               
4. Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                         
5. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto                                     
6. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre                                             
7. Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                           
8. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Crédit Agricole                                     
9. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                                        
10. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Bouygues Telecom                              
11. Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas                                             
12. Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank                                                 
13. Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank                                         
14. Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                     
15. Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram                                               
16. Matej Jurco (Svk) Team Milram                                              
17. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                             
18. Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit Systems                              
19. Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                           
20. Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                                   
21. Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                   
22. Mickael Delage (Fra) Française des Jeux                                    
23. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                          
24. Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia                             
25. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner

• 74 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana – s/t

Top twenty-five Final General Classification:

1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana -- 80.40.08
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana -- 0.46
3. Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 4.12
4. Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 5.19
5. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.00
6. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 6.50
7. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank -- 6.55
8. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone -- 10.10
9. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi -- 10.57
10. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre -- 11.56
11. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner -- 12.38
12. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 13.35
13. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole -- 13.41
14. David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia -- 15.59
15. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step -- 17.53
16. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Team CSC - Saxo Bank -- 20.14
17. David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 21.33
18. John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale -- 22.34
19. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux -- 24.57
20. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana -- 25.13
21. Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Andalucía – Cajasur -- 26.22
22. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana -- 28.26
23. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale -- 28.38
24. Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne -- 29.28
25. Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre -- 41.42