Hushovd roars past Roy with Tour de France masterclass

Published on Friday 15 July 2011 17:51

Thor Hushovd produced a performance worthy of his world champion status at the Tour de France, hunting down long-time leader Jeremy Roy before celebrating a stunning success.

With the overall favourites opting to conserve energy for yesterday's third day in the Pyrenees, a breakaway was able to prevail. And Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) overtook Roy with 2.2-kilometres to go on the 152.5km 13th stage from Pau to Lourdes before roaring in jubilation at the finish.

Frenchman Roy (FDJ), who claimed the King of the Mountains' polka dot jersey for his efforts, had to settle for third place after also being overtaken by compatriot David Moncoutie (Cofidis) in the closing stages.

Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) retained the race leader's yellow jersey, despite finishing seven minutes 37 seconds behind Hushovd. Hushovd, who began the day 37:28 behind Voeckler, wore the yellow jersey for much of the first week of the Tour and made the ten-man break after 57km. He made a solo move at the foot of the hors categorie (beyond category) Col d'Aubisque, but Roy - prominent in Thursday's 12th stage to Luz-Ardiden - surged into the lead, with Moncoutie also passing the Norwegian. Two minutes behind at the summit, Hushovd, wearing the world champion's rainbow jersey, demonstrated his supreme descending ability in the 33km downhill to Lourdes from the top of the Col du Soulor.

He quickly caught Moncoutie and worked with the Frenchman before powering past Roy in the closing stages to celebrate a ninth Tour stage win in a glittering career. After becoming the first world champion to win a Tour stage since 2002, Hushovd said: "I can't believe that I've won a stage of the Tour in the mountains - I didn't think it was possible.

"I did a perfect race tactically and I just managed to do everything good and I won on my own with the rainbow jersey, so it's been an incredible day. This is really my most beautiful win in the Tour de France."

Hushovd claimed the maillot jaune after Garmin-Cervelo won the team time-trial on stage two in Les Essarts. But he insisted an individual win was important to honour his status as world champion. The 33-year-old, who has been linked with a move away from Garmin-Cervelo at the end of the season, added: "As the world champion you have all eyes looking at you and people expect a lot of you."

Five minutes behind Hushovd were the remaining riders of the day's escape, with Lars Bak (HTC-Highroad) fourth, Jerome Pineau (QuickStep) fifth, Team Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen sixth, Vladimir Gusev (Katusha) seventh, Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) eighth and Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) ninth.

The overall favourites, who could come to the fore on today's 168.5km 14th stage from Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille, all finished in a group of 54, 7:37 behind.

The top of the overall rankings was unchanged, with Voeckler leading Frank Schleck (Leopard Trek) by 1:49, Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) third, 2:06 adrift, Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) fourth, 2:17 behind, and defending champion Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) seventh with a deficit of 4:00.

The escapees - including Petacchi did not contest the day's intermediate sprint, with Boasson Hagen rolling over the line in first place for 20 points.

With ten iders in the breakaway, the leading rider in the peloton would claim five points at best. Green jersey incumbent Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) had to settle for 12th after Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar), his nearest challenger in the points race, led the peloton over the line in 11th, trimming the Manxman's points lead by one. There were further ominous signs of the task Cavendish faces to cling onto the maillot vert until Paris when Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) broke out of the peloton on the descent of the Col d'Aubisque before racing to tenth place on the day and six points.

Rojas was 12th, taking four points at the finish, meaning over the course of the day he trimmed Cavendish's lead by five points.

Cavendish now has 264 points - with Rojas second on 251 and Gilbert third on 240 -- and is likely to next score points on tomorrow's 15th stage to Montpellier, where the Manxman will seek a fourth win of the 2011 Tour.

Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) remains the best-ranked Briton overall, despite finishing more than 18 minutes behind today. The Welshman, feeling the impact of his gutsy ride yesterday, dropped to 39th place, 21:16 behind Voeckler.