Contador leads tarnished Tour

ITALY’S Daniele Bennati won stage 17 of the Tour de France yesterday in a race from Pau to Castelsarrasin overshadowed by drug scandals.

The Lampre sprinter cruised over the finishing line after a game of cat-and-mouse with trio Jens Voigt, Martin Elmiger and Markus Fothen, who were part of a decisive breakaway just 13 kilometres into the race.

The quartet had featured in an eight-man attack, which included fifth-placed Briton David Millar, before they pulled clear in the closing stages.