Posted at 7:27 a.m., Monday, October 15, 2007
Cycling: Pereiro finally named Tour de France winner
By Harold Heckle
Associated Press
"Finally, we have a winner and it's Oscar," Tour director Christian Prudhomme said at the handover ceremony at the Spain's Sports Ministry. "Oscar, you have won the Tour out on the road."
The Spaniard moved up from second to first after the disqualification of Floyd Landis for a doping violation.
"I'm excited, but we'll see how it feels after I'm actually holding it later today," Pereiro said earlier today.
The International Cycling Union formally declared Pereiro the winner on Sept. 21, one day after a U.S. arbitration panel voted 2-1 to remove the title from Landis for using synthetic testosterone during the Tour.
It's the first time in the 105-year history of the race that a winner has been stripped of the title.
Landis has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is expected to issue a final and binding ruling by mid-February.
Spanish Sports Minister Jamie Lissavetzky and Patrice Clerc, head of Tour organizers ASO, were attending the ceremony.
Pereiro held a lead of more than eight minutes over Landis before the American made a spectacular comeback in the 17th stage to set up his 2006 Tour victory. Pereiro finished 57 seconds behind Landis in the final standings.
