Stage 21: Etampes - Paris/Champs Elysees (Jul. 27, 12:00 AM - 11:00 PM)

Gerald Ciolek came close to winning his first Tour de France stage, taking second place on the Champs Élysées and finishing the Tour de France campaign for Team Columbia in style.

During the three week race Team Columbia won 5 stages and held the yellow, green and white jerseys. With the first week being a highlight, Columbia's Kim Kirchen earned the points jersey after high placings in the first three stages and went on to take the yellow jersey after the stage to Super Besse. He held the green for six days and the yellow for four.

Young Thomas Lovkvist had the ride of his life in the first Time Trial of the Tour and took the white jersey, holding it for five days.

Mark Cavendish certainly had the highlight of career winning his first stage of the Tour de France in Châteauroux. He went on the win another three stages becoming the first rider to win four stages in the Tour since Mario Cipollini.

Topping off the success was Marcus Burghardt in stage 18. Burghardt, who had spent the first two weeks of the Tour working for his teammates Mark Cavendish and Kim Kirchen took of in a break from kilometer zero. Persistence paid off and the young German rider went on to experience the highlight of his career and adding to the Team Columbia tally.

"It was a great tour for us," said Team Columbia Owner Bob Stapleton. "We really couldn't have hoped for any better. I'm really proud of what the whole team achieved together." 

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