Hushovd wins bumpy 3rd Tour stage as Armstrong drops back
Source: Agencies |
July 7, 2010, Wednesday
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THOR Hushovd of Norway won a bumpy third stage of the Tour de France over cobblestones yesterday, while Lance Armstrong was held up by a flat tire and lost time to other title contenders.
Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, who finished in a five-man group behind Hushovd, regained the yellow jersey that he had ceded just a day earlier to France's Sylvain Chavanel.
Hushovd finished ahead of Britain's Geraint Thomas and Cadel Evans of Australia in a sprint finish among the leading group of riders.
Chavanel wore the yellow jersey for yesterday's 213-kilometer ride as the race headed from Wanze, Belgium to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut in France.
But the Frenchman had to cope with two flat tires, along with a mechanical problem, and lost time on Cancellara.
"It's not bad, I just didn't have the legs," said Chavanel, with his face caked in dust. He won Monday's stage in a breakaway that took a lot out of him. "I had a nice day in yellow, over the cobbles, it's great."
Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, who won the Tour of Switzerland last month, crashed on the fourth of seven sectors of cobbles. His Saxo Bank team said he was out of the race with a broken collarbone.
Cancellara, who won the opening prologue, was delighted to retrieve the leader's jersey. "Yesterday I gave it up, today I took it," he said. "We can call it a good day for Saxo Bank despite the loss of Frank, a great friend."
Gained time
Defending Tour champion Alberto Contador, whose abilities on cobbles had been in doubt, and last year's runner-up Andy Schleck, Frank's younger brother, were among the title contenders who gained time on Armstrong.
Andy Schleck was fifth, in the same time as Hushovd: 4 hours, 49 minutes, 38 seconds. Spain's Contador came in 13th, 1 minute, 13 seconds back. Armstrong was 32nd, 2:08 back.
In the overall standings, Cancellara leads second-place Thomas by 23 seconds and two-time Tour runner-up Evans by 39.
Contador is ninth, 1:40 back, and Armstrong tumbled to 18th, 2:30 back.
The cobblestones stage, which tests bikes and bodies alike, had been billed as the biggest trouble spot of the first week, even after two straight days of crashes on slick roads. It was the first time the biggest race in cycling had covered cobbles since 2004.
On Monday, the riders were divided in their reactions to the mini protest staged by Cancellara in the second stage. The main pack, headed by Cancellara, decided not to sprint to the finish line after rain and an oil spill combined to make the roads very slippery on the 201km second stage from Brussels.
Hushovd was angry because it dented his chances of claiming the green jersey for the best sprinter. "What happened is not normal. Why would it be for Fabian to decide? I was not okay with this," Hushovd said.
Cancellara decided to play it safe after a massive crash had split the pack into three groups, with the Swiss in the front, Armstrong and Contador one minute back and the Schleck brothers a further three minutes behind.
But Cancellara was praised by other riders for allowing those who had been caught in the pile-up a chance to catch up and regroup the peloton.
"Fabian is the big man of cycling physically, he is also the big man of cycling tactically," HTC-Columbia team manager Bob Stapleton said yesterday.
Cancellara lost his yellow jersey due to the protest but the move allowed the Schlecks to stay in contention.
Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, who finished in a five-man group behind Hushovd, regained the yellow jersey that he had ceded just a day earlier to France's Sylvain Chavanel.
Hushovd finished ahead of Britain's Geraint Thomas and Cadel Evans of Australia in a sprint finish among the leading group of riders.
Chavanel wore the yellow jersey for yesterday's 213-kilometer ride as the race headed from Wanze, Belgium to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut in France.
But the Frenchman had to cope with two flat tires, along with a mechanical problem, and lost time on Cancellara.
"It's not bad, I just didn't have the legs," said Chavanel, with his face caked in dust. He won Monday's stage in a breakaway that took a lot out of him. "I had a nice day in yellow, over the cobbles, it's great."
Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, who won the Tour of Switzerland last month, crashed on the fourth of seven sectors of cobbles. His Saxo Bank team said he was out of the race with a broken collarbone.
Cancellara, who won the opening prologue, was delighted to retrieve the leader's jersey. "Yesterday I gave it up, today I took it," he said. "We can call it a good day for Saxo Bank despite the loss of Frank, a great friend."
Gained time
Defending Tour champion Alberto Contador, whose abilities on cobbles had been in doubt, and last year's runner-up Andy Schleck, Frank's younger brother, were among the title contenders who gained time on Armstrong.
Andy Schleck was fifth, in the same time as Hushovd: 4 hours, 49 minutes, 38 seconds. Spain's Contador came in 13th, 1 minute, 13 seconds back. Armstrong was 32nd, 2:08 back.
In the overall standings, Cancellara leads second-place Thomas by 23 seconds and two-time Tour runner-up Evans by 39.
Contador is ninth, 1:40 back, and Armstrong tumbled to 18th, 2:30 back.
The cobblestones stage, which tests bikes and bodies alike, had been billed as the biggest trouble spot of the first week, even after two straight days of crashes on slick roads. It was the first time the biggest race in cycling had covered cobbles since 2004.
On Monday, the riders were divided in their reactions to the mini protest staged by Cancellara in the second stage. The main pack, headed by Cancellara, decided not to sprint to the finish line after rain and an oil spill combined to make the roads very slippery on the 201km second stage from Brussels.
Hushovd was angry because it dented his chances of claiming the green jersey for the best sprinter. "What happened is not normal. Why would it be for Fabian to decide? I was not okay with this," Hushovd said.
Cancellara decided to play it safe after a massive crash had split the pack into three groups, with the Swiss in the front, Armstrong and Contador one minute back and the Schleck brothers a further three minutes behind.
But Cancellara was praised by other riders for allowing those who had been caught in the pile-up a chance to catch up and regroup the peloton.
"Fabian is the big man of cycling physically, he is also the big man of cycling tactically," HTC-Columbia team manager Bob Stapleton said yesterday.
Cancellara lost his yellow jersey due to the protest but the move allowed the Schlecks to stay in contention.
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