Paris, July 23 :

American Floyd Landis won the Tour de France following the 20th and final stage Sunday to succeed compatriot Lance Armstrong. Landis came over the finish line of the race’s final stage, held over 154km after the victory of Norwegian Thor Hushovd.

Hushovd, of Credit Agricole, surged to his second stage win, after his prologue victory, after outsprinting Australian Robbie McEwen 100 metres before the finish line. Another Australian, Stuart O’Grady of CSC, finished third on the stage.

Landis, 30, becomes the third winner of the race from the US. Greg LeMond was the first American to win the yellow jersey in 1986 and the first American to win it three times having also triumphed in 1989 and 1990. Armstrong’s seven-year reign as the race champion came to an end last year when he retired from the sport.

Landis won the race with a lead of 59sec on Spaniard Oscar Pereiro of Caisse d’Epargne. McEwen, of the Davitamon team, won the race’s points competition for the third time, allowing him to win his third green jersey after those of 2002 and 2004.

Denmark’s Mickael Rasmussen of Rabobank won the polka dot jersey, for the race’s best climber, for the second year running.

Italian Damiano Cunego meanwhile won the white jersey for the best young rider under 25 years old.