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Milan - Alberto Contador secured his second Giro d'Italia title on Sunday with a comfortable third-place finish in the final stage, beating his closest rival for the pink jersey by more than six minutes.
The Spaniard and pre-race favourite beat his chest and celebrated with his traditional pistol shot sign as he finished the 26-km individual time trial around the streets of Milan 36 seconds behind stage winner David Millar's time of 30 minutes, 13 seconds.
"It is an amazing feeling to win the Giro here today and it is a dream finale," Contador said. "My team was really supportive throughout and we didn't really have a bad day."
With his hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport pushed back until later in the summer, it opens up the possibility that Contador could try for a clean sweep of the Giro, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espagna.
Contador, who also won the 2008 edition, finished with an overall time of 84 hours, 5 minutes, 14 seconds. He was six minutes, 10 seconds ahead of Michele Scarponi, and also won the red jersey for points winner with a total of 202, 80 ahead of Scarponi.
"Myself and Vincenzo (Nibali) fought to the end, but it wasn't to be," Scarponi said. "Alberto Contador was stronger than all of us. He's stronger than everyone. I'm happy with second though and I've had a good Giro."
The win is Contador's sixth success in a grand tour event. He won the Tour de France in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and the Vuelta in 2008.
However, if he is found guilty of doping offenses when he appears before CAS there is the possibility that he could be stripped of the title, meaning that Scarponi would be promoted to first place.
Contador has been unchallenged at the top of the classification since winning the ninth stage on Mount Etna in Sicily to take the lead.
Local favorites Scarponi and Nibali were unable to keep pace with him whenever he attacked on the mountain stages and they had to watch the Spaniard open a morale-sapping lead that he regularly extended over the race.
Contador only added one other stage win - the 16th from Belluno to Nevegal - but was second on four occasions to keep Scarponi and Nibali at arm's length.
"The stage yesterday and Gardeccia was bad, but I still believe that I can win in the future," Nibali said. "Yesterday, I started with the idea of doing something, but then something went wrong. At least I tried."
Roman Kreuziger of Astana took the white jersey for best young rider, while Acqua & Sapone's Stefano Garzelli claimed the green jersey for king of the mountains.
Results from the 21st and final stage of the Tour of Italy on Sunday:
Stage
1. David Millar (GBR/GRM) 26km in 30min 13sec
2. Alex Rasmussen (DEN/HTC) 0:07
3. Alberto Contador (ESP/SAX) 0:36
4. Richie Porte (AUS/SAX) 0:43
5. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR/RSH) 0:55
6. Jos van Emden (NED/RAB) 1:02
7. Cameron Meyer (AUS/GRM) 1:04
8. Patrick Gretsch (GER/HTC) 1:08
9. Tiago Machado (POR/RSH) 1:12
10. Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR/HTC) 1:16
11. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ) 1:18
12. Matteo Montaguti (ITA/ALM) 1:19
13. Vasili Kiryienka (BLR/MOV) 1:22
14. Kristof Vandewalle (BEL/QST) 1:24
15. Sebastian Lang (GER/OLO) 1:26
16. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/AST) 1:26
17. Michele Scarponi (ITA/LAM) 1:28
18. Rick Flens (NED/RAB) 1:28
19. Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU/MOV) 1:30
20. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/RAB) 1:31.
Overall
1. Alberto Contador (ESP/SAX) 84:05.14
2. Michele Scarponi (ITA/LAM) at 6:10
3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ) 6:56
4. John Gadret (FRA/ALM) 10:17
5. Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP/KAT) 11:05
6. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/AST) 11:28
7. Jose Rujano Guillen (VEN/AND) 12:12
8. Denis Menchov (RUS/GEO) 12:18
9. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/RAB) 13:51
10. Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR/HTC) 14:10
11. Mikel Nieve (ESP/EUS) 16:08
12. Hubert Dupont (FRA/ALM) 18:06
13. Dario Cataldo (ITA/QST) 18:23
14. David Arroyo (ESP/MOV) 26:56
15. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA/GRM) 32:08
16. Johann Tschopp (SUI/BMC) 35:20
17. Matteo Carrara (ITA/VAC) 37:08
18. Igor Anton (ESP/EUS) 37:39
19. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA/AST) 38:21
20. Tiago Machado (POR/RSH) 39:59
