ARMSTRONG'S TOUR DE FORCE

Six of the best from Armstrong. (Getty Images)

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Lance Armstrong drank what must have been sweetest champagne he has ever tasted after he became the first man to win the Tour de France six times.

And the awkward truth for those who would hope to topple him is that he has rarely looked stronger. What is more, he is likely to be back next year to try for a seventh.

Circumstances were stacked against the Texan when the race started three weeks ago in Liege - the route was implicitly designed to counter his strengths, and his rivals looked to be in fine form.

History was also against him; ill health or bad luck had sabotaged the efforts of Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain, who were all younger than him when they attempted a sixth win.

But the 32-year-old, who survived an aggressive testicular cancer which had spread to his lungs and his brain eight years ago, thrives in adversity.

He has been racing for three weeks, covering 3,391.1 kilometres in 21 days' racing but the result has not been in serious doubt, certainly not since Stage 12 when an attack on the ski station to La Mongie established a lead of over two minutes on Jan Ullrich.

The 1997 winner from Germany, who has finished second five times - including three times to Armstrong, did not even get a podium place.

Arguably the most gifted cyclist of his generation, Ullrich may be causing his team T-Mobile to ponder the wisdom of re-employing a man who has been fighting a one-man battle against the stereotype of Teutonic efficiency for some time now.

None of the other men expected to challenge Armstrong - Tyler Hamilton, Iban Mayo and Roberto Heras - finished, although they were out of contention before injury made them give up.

Instead, the German champion Andreas Kloden - a lowly domestique for Ullrich with T-Mobile - was second, over six minutes behind Armstrong while CSC's young Italian Ivan Basso was grateful for third.

With a comfortable lead, the final stage was mostly a ceremonial procession for Armstrong - who also finished second in the King of the Mountains competition - with his feud with Filippo Simeoni and the race for the green points jersey offering the only drama.

Simeoni has provided an interesting sub-plot to the main action in the final week. The Domina Vacanze rider is suing Armstrong for calling him a liar after he testified against Dr Michele Ferrari, an associate of the American, who is being prosecuted for doping offences in Italy.

On Friday, Armstrong personally chased down a breakaway featuring the Simeoni and made it clear he would not allow the attack to succeed as long as the Italian was part of it.

And there were similar incidents today as Simeoni - plainly trying to prove a point - attacked three times only for the Blue Train, as Armstrong's US Postal team is known, to run him down.

Despite a valiant effort from the Norwegian champion Thor Hushovd, Australia's Robbie McEwen held on to the green points jersey he lost to compatriot Baden Cooke on the final day last year.

The French, who have had a mixed relationship with Armstrong over the years, had patriotic reasons to celebrate with Richard Virenque winning a seventh King of the Mountains jersey.

And Thomas Voeckler, the French champion who surprised everyone by holding on to the yellow jersey for 10 days, also sprinted ahead of the peloton to take the home cheers.

But the day belonged to Armstrong and the thousands of Americans who crammed the streets of Paris in what must have been the biggest invasion from the New World since the French capital was liberated.

The Texan's place in cycling's hall of fame will continue to be debated long after today. True, he has not won as many races as Eddy Merckx - who was also victorious in the Giro d'Italia and numerous classics - but then the great Belgian never underwent chemotherapy or brain surgery.

As well-worn as the tale of Armstrong's illness is, it remains a story as compelling as Muhammad Ali's return to glory, drawing in millions around the world who would never consider watching a bike race.

And that is Armstrong's achievement, like Ali, like Donald Bradman, like Pele, he has transcended the ultimately inconsequential world of sport.

Final General Classification:

1 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal p/b Berry Floor 83hrs 36mins 02secs

2 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile Team at 6:19

3 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC at 6:40

4 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team at 8:50

5 Jose Azevedo (Por) US Postal p/b Berry Floor at 14:30

6 Francisco Mancebo Pérez (Spa) Illes Balears - Banesto at 18:01

7 Georg Totschnig (Aut) Gerolsteiner 18:27

8 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC at 19:51

9 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Rabobank at 20:12

10 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems at 22:54

11 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi at 24:21

12 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Crédit Agricole at 24:36

13 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Illes Balears - Banesto at 25:11

14 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank at 27:16

15 Richard Virenque (Fra) Quick Step-Davitamon at 28:11

16 Sandy Casar (Fra) Fdjeux.com at 28:53

17 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saeco at 29:00

18 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère at 31:12

19 Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) US Postal p/b Berry Floor at 32:50

20 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance at 37:11

Final Positions after the final stage of the Tour de France

Stage 20: Montereau to Paris-Champs-Elysees, 163km

Leading Positions:

1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step-Davitamon 4hrs 08mins 26secs

2 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance

3 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Gerolsteiner

4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo

5 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile Team

6 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit Par Téléphone

7 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis - Le Crédit Par Téléphone

8 Baden Cooke (Aus) Fdeux.com

9 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Domina Vacanze

10 Bram de Groot (Ned) Rabobank

11 Laurent Brochard (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance

12 Julian Dean (NZl) Crédit Agricole

13 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi

14 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit Par Téléphone

15 Franck Renier (Fra) Brioches La Boulangère

16 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole

17 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems

18 Scott Sunderland (Aus) Alessio-Bianchi

19 Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros

20 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC all at same time