American Lance Armstrong became the first six-time winner of the Tour de France after completing the final 20th stage of the race into Paris.

Belgian's Tom Boonen of the Quick Step team won the final stage, a 163km ride from Montereau to Paris.

Australian Robbie McEwen did enough at the final sprint to guarantee his second green jersey for the points competition having won it in 2002.

Frenchman Richard Virenque won a record seventh polka dot jersey for the race's best climber.

Armstrong, reflecting on his achievement, said: "The Tour de France is the most beautiful race in the world. For me, for cycling, for my team and for my new sponsor, Discovery Channel."

Asked whether he would return next year to try and make it a magnificent seven he shrugged: "I cannot imagine not being here. We'll see..."

The 32-year-old Texan won five stages on this year's race to take his total from 10 participations on the Tour de France to 21.

Armstrong equalled the record of five wins co-held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain last year.

However this year the American was sublime as he held off his main pre-race rival Jan Ullrich of Germany, the 1997 winner and five-time runner-up, down the standings.

In second place overall behind Armstrong was Ullrich's T-Mobile teammate Andreas Kloden, whose performance in the final time trial of the race on Saturday assured the runner-up place at the expense of Italian Ivan Basso.

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