Alberto Contador with the Giro d'Italia cup, 01 Jun 2008

2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain is the winner of this year's Tour of Italy, becoming the first non-Italian to capture the three-week cycling race since 1996.

Contador defeated runner-up Riccardo Ricco of Italy 1:57 over the 2,424-kilometer course. Contador had had only a four-second lead entering Sunday's 28.5 - kilometer time trial from Cesano Maderno to Milan, but he finished 11th and Ricco was 68th.

The final stage winner was Italian Marco Pinotti in 32:45.

Contador joins Miguel Indurain, who won in 1992 and 1993, as the only Spaniards to win the Tour of Italy. Contador won this year's event without taking a single stage. Placing third overall was Italian Marzio Bruseghin.

The top American finisher in this year's race was Levi Leipheimer in 18th place.

Contador will not have the chance to defend his Tour de France title because his team, Astana, has been excluded from the race this year due to a team doping scandal before he joined them.

Astana was invited to enter the Tour of Italy only one week before its start.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.