Wiggins crowned champion

Chatel, France - Britain's Team Sky rider Bradley Wiggins won the Criterium du Dauphine for the second year running here Sunday, as Spain's Daniel Moreno won the seventh and final stage.

Moreno edged ahead of compatriot Luis Leon Sanchez and Australia's Cadel Evans - last year's Tour de France winner - to win the 124.5km ride from Morzine to Chatel in the French Alps.

Wiggins' triumph capped a fantastic race for his Team Sky, who had three of the top four riders in the general classification.

Australia's Michael Rogers finished second, 1min 17sec behind Wiggins, while Briton Chris Froome was fourth at 1:45.

Evans was third overall, 1min 26sec adrift of Wiggins.

The breakaway trio of Jerome Coppel, Pierre Rolland and Alexandre Geniez were all reined in by the leading members of the peloton 2.5km from the finish line.

Moreno then edged out Sanchez in the sprint for the line to take his second stage of the week.

The 30-year-old had also won Tuesday's second stage in Saint-Felicien.

Wiggins' victory is his second in succession and the third for a British rider in the 64 editions of the race, after Robert Millar (1990) and Brian Robinson (1961).

The 32-year-old Wiggins seized the overall lead on Monday's first stage and all but assured victory after his performance in Thursday's time-trial in Bourg-en-Bresse.

This was an eighth win of the season for the triple Olympic champion, who will now be among the leading contenders to win this year's Tour de France, which starts in Liege, Belgium, on June 30.

Overall standings and stage results from the seventh and final stage of the Criterium du Dauphine, a 124.5km ride from Morzine to Chatel on Sunday:

Stage

1. Daniel Moreno (ESP/KAT) 2hr 59min 37sec, 2. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) same time, 3. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) s.t., 4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/SKY) s.t., 5. Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA/ALM) s.t., 6. Pieter Weening (NED/GEC) s.t., 7. Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) s.t., 8. Dries Devenyns (BEL/OPQ) s.t., 9. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) s.t., 10. Michael Rogers (AUS/SKY) 7sec, 11. Chris Froome (GBR/SKY) 7, 12. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP/RSH) 7, 13. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/AST) 10, 14. Anthony Charteau (FRA/EUC) 10, 15. Wilco Kelderman (NED/RAB) 10

Selected

19. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 10sec

General classification:

1. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 26hr 40min 46sec, 2. Michael Rogers (AUS/SKY) at

1min 17sec, 3. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) 1:26, 4. Chris Froome (GBR/SKY) 1:45, 5. Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) 2:12, 6. Vasil Kiryienka (BLR/MOV) 2:58, 7. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/AST) 3:07, 8. Wilco Kelderman (NED/RAB) 3:26, 9. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) 3:34, 10. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP/RSH) 3:50, 11. Pieter Weening (NED/GEC) 3:55, 12. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) 3:57, 13. Daniel Moreno (ESP/KAT) 4:34, 14. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) 4:49, 15. Bruno Pires (POR/SAX) 5:21

Selected

23. Tony Martin (GER/OPQ) 10:16, 28. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ) 14:36, 42. Denis Menchov (RUS/KAT) 19:09, 49. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/OPQ) 22:38, 65. David Millar (GBR/GRM) 29:50, 119. Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ/AST) 53:32