Armstrong Stays Sixth in Tour De France
QUIMPER, France – Thor Hushovd sprinted to the finish line to win the rain-soaked eighth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, with Lance Armstrong and other top contenders behind in the trailing pack.
Hushovd, from Norway, used a closing burst of speed to win the 104-mile stage from Lamballe to Quimper. The ride included four modest hill climbs and was run mostly through rain.
“The Vikings have returned to Brittany,” said Hushovd, who completed the stage in 3 hours, 54 minutes, 22 seconds. “Today really was my day. I’m very happy.”
Overall, Armstrong remained in sixth place, 9 minutes and 35 seconds behind leader Thomas Voeckler. Jan Ullrich is still 55 seconds behind Armstrong. American Tyler Hamilton is 36 seconds behind the five-time champion.
All three riders clocked the same time as Hushovd. Ullrich finished 21st, Hamilton 30th and Armstrong 33rd.
Hushovd placed third in the first stage, second in stage two and wore the overall leader’s yellow jersey for one day in the first week. He said he is aiming to win the green jersey for the best sprinter when the Tour finishes in Paris on July 25.
Armstrong, Ullrich and other top riders have largely focused on avoiding crashes that could end their Tour hopes. Their sights are fixed on the Pyrenees that come at the end of this week and the Alps that follow.
“Today, I had trouble because it was slippery and dangerous,” Ullrich said.
On Monday, the tired pack get a well-earned day of rest before embarking on the trials of the Massif Central, where the Tour will get its first taste of the mountains.
Johan Bruyneel, sporting director of Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team, said the rest would allow the squad to catch its breath. Overall, Armstrong is satisfied with the first week, he said.
“He is happy despite the bad weather, the falls. We try to avoid the falls,” Bruyneel said. “We had some scary moments, but I think it was the same for all the teams. Every team has suffered some damage.
“Seeing all that has happened, the rest day will be very welcome.”
The victory by the 26-year-old Hushovd capped a week where youth has largely triumphed over experience.
The Tour’s youngest rider, Italy’s 22-year-old Filippo Pozzato, won Saturday’s stage from Chateaubriant to Saint-Brieuc in Brittany.
Voeckler is just 25. Other young stars of the first week included 23-year-old Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, who beat 32-year-old Armstrong into second place in the debut time trial.
“This is a real turning point,” said Jean-Rene Bernaudeau, general manager of Voeckler’s team. “There’s a generation arriving and some old riders in their thirties who are still in the saddle.”