2008 Tour highlights

Team Colombia's Mark Cavendish had confidently predicted stage victories in they year's Tour - his first came on Stage 5 in a sprint finish in Chateauroux.

Mark Cavendish excels in another bunch sprint - this time in Toulouse and Stage 8 - timing his attack perfectly with the help of his team-mates and becoming the first Briton since Barry Hoban to win two Tour stages.

The Pyrenees provided the first trip into the mountains for the riders as a warm-up for the huge peaks of the French Alps. No time to admire the scenery.

Manxman Mark Cavendish makes it three stage wins in a predictable sprint victory on Stage 12 in Narbonne.

Pre-race favourite Cadel Evans assumed the yellow jersey by one second after Stage 10, positioning himself for an assault on the overall win.

Team Colombia's Mark Cavendish won Stage 13 in Nimes - his fourth of the Tour - proving beyond doubt that he was the classiest sprinter in the field.

Team CSC man Carlos Sastre was expected to attack on the climb to Alpe d'Huez - and he didn't disappoint. After hanging back until the foot of the last climb, the Spaniard left the rest of the field behind and built an overall lead which proved unassailable.

Tour winner Carlos Sastre of Team CSC Saxo-Bank sips champagne on the way to Paris, celebrating his first victory in the greatest cycling race of them all.