MILAN: Alberto Contador secured his second Giro d'Italia title 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 favorite beat his chest and celebrated with his traditional pistol shot sign as he finished the 26km 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 Giro, Tour de France and 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. Roman Kreuziger of Astana took the white jersey for best young rider, while Acqua and Sapone's Stefano Garzelli claimed the green jersey for king of the mountains.
