Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre has confirmed that he will take part in next month’s Vuelta a Espana after competing in the road race at the Olympics. “The Vuelta was part of my plans from the start of the year,” Sastre told said at a municipal reception in the mountain town of El Barraco in Avila.

“I told the organisers that I was going to go and I have no reason to change my plans.”

Sastre received a hero’s welcome when he returned to his hometown of El Barraco after becoming the third Spaniard in a row to win the Tour de France. Hundreds of ecstatic supporters cheered when the 33-year-old held up his yellow jersey during a welcome ceremony held outside of El Barraco’s town hall under bright sunshine. …click here to read more

National time trial champion Sylvain Chavanel claimed a third stage win for the host nation and his maiden Tour de France victory in the 165.5-km 19th stage from Roanne to Montlucon. The 29-year-old Cofidis rider, who recently signed a two-year deal to move to Belgian outfit Quick Step, beat out compatriot Jeremy Roy (Francaise des Jeux) after a 92 kilometre break-away.

Columbia rider Gerald Ciolek finished third in front of German compatriots Erik Zabel and Heirich Haussler in the mass sprint that followed one minute and 13 seconds later.

“I wouldn’t have believed it this morning. Last night I had a problem with my back and I couldn’t move,” said Chavanel.

“I had to call the osteopath. So I am a lot happier today. I’m a lot stronger.” …click here to read more

Frenchman Cyril Dessel won stage 16 of the Tour de France, while Denis Menchov lost crucial time from yellow jersey Frank Schleck on the descent from the highest mountain of the race. AG2R’S Dessel, who wore the yellow jersey for one day and finished sixth overall in 2006, was part of a four-man group that was able to attack on the final Cime de la Bonette-Restefond climb.

The 33-year-old held off compatriot Sandy Casar in the final sprint to claim his maiden Tour victory in the 157-km ride from Cuneo to Jausiers, while fellow escapees David Arroyo and Yarloslav Popovych crossed in third and fourth respectively. …click here to read more

Even by transfer silly season standards, the Gazzetta dello Sport’s claim that Chelsea are hoping to sign Kaka from Milan for a world record £119 million takes some believing, Tom Williams argues. Quite apart from the ludicrously inflated fee, it is difficult to see where Kaka would fit into the Chelsea system, even if that system is a work in progress given the short space of time that new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has had to work on it.

As is common when a coach arrives at a new club, Scolari quickly turned to a trusted former charge, with Deco arriving from Barcelona for £8 million only a few days after Scolari himself had been installed as Blues manager. …click here to read more

Britain’s Lewis Hamilton put McLaren on pole position for engine partners Mercedes’s home German Grand Prix. The 23-year-old will share Sunday’s front row with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, the Brazilian who is level on 48 points with Hamilton and his own world champion team mate Kimi Raikkonen at the halfway point in the season.

Raikkonen, on pole at Hockenheim for McLaren in 2005 and 2006, qualified a distant sixth for Ferrari alongside Renault’s Fernando Alonso. McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen will start third, paying the price for some ‘rallycross moments’ in the final session, with Italian Jarno Trulli fourth for Toyota in what amounts to a second home race for the Cologne-based Japanese team. …click here to read more