Green, white, polka-dot jerseys claimed

PARIS (AP) -- Australian Robbie McEwen captured the Tour de France green jersey Sunday, a reward for his performance as best sprinter in cycling's showcase race.

McEwen won his second title with 272 points, outpacing Norway's Thor Hushovd, who finished second with 247 points. German Eric Zabel, a six-time winner between 1996 and 2001, came in third with 245.

The victory was especially sweet for McEwen, who clinched the green jersey in the 2002 Tour but lost to countryman Baden Cooke last year.

"Green is my favorite color," McEwen, holding his young son in his arms, told French television. "Last year on the Champs-Elysees it was like a bad dream, a nightmare. It has been perfect this year. Now I want to spend some time with my family."

Completing the grueling, 23-day race in 83 hours, 36 minutes and 2 seconds, Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France for an unprecedented sixth time. German Andreas Kloden of the T-Mobile team took second overall, 6 minutes, 19 seconds behind; Italian Ivan Basso of Team CSC finished 6:40 adrift in third spot.

Russian Vladimir Karpets held on to the white jersey, awarded to the best young cyclist in the overall standings. Riders must be born after Jan. 1, 1979 to qualify. Karpets finished 3:42 and 6:01 ahead of Frenchmen Sandy Casar and Thomas Voeckler -- second and third respectively.

Frenchman Richard Virenque clinched the polka-dot, or red-spotted jersey, as the best mountain climber. Virenque, 34, won it for a record seventh time with 226 points.

Armstrong, who won one Pyrenean and two Alpine mountain stages, finished second in the battle for the polka dot jersey with 172 points, while Dane Mickael Rasmussen placed third with 119.

The best overall team title went to German-backed T-Mobile, with Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service in second and Danish-owned Team CSC, managed by 1996 Tour winner Bjarne Riis, in third.

(jp-ps)