Floyd Landis captures Tour de France after improbable comeback.

Trailing by over eight minutes going into the 17th stage of racings premier event, Floyd Landis shaved Spain's Oscar Pereiro’s lead to 30 seconds. In what was described as "the best performance in the modern history of the Tour" by race director Jean-Marie Leblanc, Landis finished 57 seconds ahead of the man he trailed going into the final day.

The victory ride down the Champs-Elysées for Landis ended one of the most memorable Tours in history. With doping allegations sending several riders home, including pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso, before the race even began nobody was sure what to expect. What the Tour ended up with was the sixth smallest victory in the race’s history.

Bothered by an arthritic hip that was caused from a crash during training in 2003 Landis displayed the courage and competitiveness needed to overcome the odds. It was the competitiveness that marks Landis’ personality that brought him the yellow jersey despite his ailments. Leaving the podium Landis said, “I kept fighting, never stopped believing”, an attitude that made him just the third American in the Tour’s 103 year history to capture the top spot.

Landis joins three time winner Greg LeMond and seven time champion Lance Armstrong in the exclusive club. Floyd was a key member of Armstrong’s U.S. Postal team before leaving to become leader of the Phonak team.

Despite winning just one stage throughout the race Landis reminded whoever would listen, “What's important is to be the winner in Paris.”