Alberto Contador emerged as the new cycling boss on Sunday when the Spaniard wrapped up his second Tour de France title on seven-time champion Lance Armstrong’s return to the race.

The 26-year-old Contador stayed safe in the main bunch as the last stage, over 164 km from Montereau Fault-Yonne, went to Briton Mark Cavendish.

“I am really happy. It was an especially difficult Tour for me but that’s why I am enjoying the victory all the more,” Contador said on the podium.

Over three weeks, Contador proved the strongest rider in the mountains and in the time trials, beating Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck by four minutes 11 seconds. Armstrong, back from 3-1/2 years in retirement, finished third overall 5:24 off the pace.

Schleck, who also took the white jersey for the best under-25 rider, said: “He (Contador) was the strongest rider. He is the boss of the peloton.”

The victory kept the Spanish flag flying high on the Champs-Elysees following triumphs for Oscar Pereiro in 2006, Contador in 2007 and Carlos Sastre last year.

Contador, who missed last year’s Tour after Astana were not invited because of their past doping record, took the overall leader’s yellow jersey with a strong attack in the first Alpine stage in Verbier, Switzerland.

Team troubles

But throughout the race, he had to contend with criticism from team mate Armstrong, who twice said publicly the Spaniard had ignored team orders.

“This Tour was very difficult as you could see and although it sometimes seems easy on television it wasn’t because of other factors,” Contador, who is set to leave Astana at the end of the year, told Spanish television.

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