The Spaniard won last year's Tour de France by 39 seconds from Luxembourg's Andy Schleck.

BBC: Spanish rider Alberto Contador cleared of doping charge

The 2010 champion Andy Schleck missed this year's race with a broken pelvis, while Spain's Alberto Contador is still serving a ban for doping offenses.

CNN: Blue Sky thinking delivers historic yellow for Wiggins

So, with the dramatic backdrop of the Champs Elysees beckoning, Sastre has the yellow jersey, Oscar Freire the green, Bernard Kohl the polka dots, and Andy Schleck the white.

BBC: Stage 20 as it happened

Contador, given a retrospective two-year ban which ends after this year's Tour de France, is set to make his return at the Tour of Spain where Andy Schleck hopes to compete.

CNN: 2010 champion Andy Schleck out of this year's Tour de France

The 2012 Tour was thought to be well-suited to Wiggins' strength as a time-trial rider, and the absence of contenders like Alberto Contador (banned) and Andy Schleck (injured) opened up the field.

WSJ: Tour de France: The Brits Rule World of Wheels - Bradley Wiggins

On Col d' Agnes, 45km from the finish, Luxembourg's Andy Schleck also tried to spring free but the Astana team, a permanent fixture at the front of the pack, reacted instantly and ensured their two big stars stayed out of danger.

BBC: Sanchez secures stage eight win

Saxo Bank, including Luxembourg's Andy and Frank Schleck and Swiss time trial world champion Fabian Cancellara, were third, 12 seconds behind the winners and two seconds off the Liquigas outfit of Italy's Vincenzo Nibali.

BBC: Cavendish in red