Spain celebrated another sporting triumph on Monday following Carlos Sastre's victory at the Tour de France.
Sastre became the third consecutive Spanish rider to win cycling's premier event on Sunday, only weeks after Rafael Nadal took the Wimbledon title and Spain's football team won the European Championship. Nadal also won the Rogers Cup on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nicolas Kiefer and is closing in on Roger Federer's No.1 ranking.
"Ecstasy for Spanish sport," El Mundo's Web site edition said, with photos of Sastre and Nadal. El Pais saw "A total revolution of Spanish sport."
Politicians welcomed the latest win.
"These months of June and July hold no comparison in our history," sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky said.
The news could hardly be better for the Spanish with the Olympic Games less than two weeks away.
Spain is expected to take golds in cycling thanks to Sastre, sprint specialist Oscar Freire and 2007 Tour champion Alberto Contador, while Nadal leads its tennis hopes. World champion Spain is also expected to contend with the United States for basketball gold.
The 33-year-old Sastre, who received a telephone call of congratulations from Spanish King Juan Carlos after his victory over Cadel Evans of Australia, is expected to be honored in Madrid on Wednesday.
Contador, who won the Tour in 2008 but was unable to race due to his Astana team's past involvement in doping scandals, also took the Giro d'Italia in May. Oscar Perreiro won the 2006 Tour after American cyclist Floyd Landis was disqualified for doping.
Spain snapped a 44-year winless streak in major football tournaments with a 1-0 victory over Germany in the Euro 2008 final on June 29.
Also Sunday, Francisco Javier Fernandez set a world record in the 10,000-meter race walk at the Spanish nationals.
