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Credit overdue Hushovd takes stage, Armstrong plays safePosted: Friday July 26, 2002 10:19 AMUpdated: Friday July 26, 2002 12:31 PM
BOURG-EN-BRESSE, France (Reuters) -- Norwegian Thor Hushovd, the heaviest rider in the Tour de France, showed he had plenty still in reserve after 20 days on the road when he sprinted to victory on the 176.5-km 18th stage Friday. The Credit Agricole rider beat breakaway companions Christophe Mengin of France and Denmark's Jakob Piil for the biggest win of his career so far and become only the second Norwegian to win a stage on the Tour de France. The 24-year-old Hushovd, who was on the verge of abandoning the Tour in the first week with cramps, proved he had fully recovered to emulate compatriot Dag-Otto Lauritzen who won a stage 15 years ago. "I can hardly believe it," he said at the end of the ride between Cluses and Bourg-en-Bresse. "Everybody told me I had great abilities to recover and it's true. I was with the best in the mountains yesterday and today I won a stage. "I'm a rider for the future," he added.
In winning the stage Hushovd also partly made up for a miserable Tour for his Credit Agricole team, whose leader Christophe Moreau abandoned in Les Deux Alpes after his fourth crash since the start in Luxembourg. It was their first stage victory this year. Hushovd, Mengin and Piil had parted company with seven other breakaway companions in the last five kilometres of the route from the Alps back to the valleys, which included seven climbs. Touching distance The 10 had attacked after only two kilometers and the main bunch, including overall leader Lance Armstrong, did not react. The Texan and his rivals finished 11 minutes 42 seconds behind Hushovd. Armstrong, within touching distance of his fourth successive victory, easily retained his yellow jersey with a 5:06 lead over Spaniard Joseba Beloki with Lithuanian Raimondas Rumsas third, 7:24 adrift. Beaten by Colombian Santiago Botero in the first long time trial of the race in Lanester, Armstrong says he is determined to underline his status in the 50-kms time trial in the vineyards of Beaujolais between Regnie-Durette and Macon on Saturday -- the penultimate stage. "I want to prove the value of the yellow jersey tomorrow and today I tried to ride on a bigger ring to prepare for tomorrow's time trial," he said. With the yellow jersey seemingly staying with Armstrong, Frenchman Laurent Jalabert is all but assured of winning the king of the mountains classification for the second year running. Only one registered climb is left on the Tour route before the finish in Paris and, unless he crashes, Jalabert can no longer be beaten. Like last year, German Erik Zabel will have to wait for the last day to know whether he can win his seventh points standings green jersey. Australian Robbie McEwen currently leads him by one point. Last year, Zabel beat Australian Stuart O'Grady on the last day for the green jersey.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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