PARIS: 

At Last: Spanish rider Carlos Sastre celebrates on the podium after being crowned the Tour de France champion yesterday. PIC/AP

Two weeks into the Tour de France, it was not entirely clear to the casual observer who was leading Team CSC.

Carlos Sastre was the anointed captain, but Frank Schleck was out front in the general classification and looking the most likely to challenge pre-race favourite Cadel Evans.

But come July 26, and the decisive time-trial from Cerilly to St Amand Montrond, there was not any doubt as to the identity of the true champion.

Clad in the yellow lycra of the race leader, Sastre turned the pedals with an ease not usually associated with a climber, hardly ever coming out of the saddle to disrupt his rhythm. In contrast, Evans was ragged, slow and tired.

Sastre lost only 29 seconds to the Australian, enough to give him the Tour by over a minute, but the crucial moment.

The man himself was typically humble: "Without the support of Frank and Andy (Shleck) , none of this would have happened. Normally, a good climber is able to capitalise on this sort of situation, and I did."

He was in danger of being typecast as the quiet man of the peloton, but when it really mattered, Carlos Sastre delivered the crucial knockout blow.