• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

Hushovd finally secures stage win

Adjust font size:

LEON, Spain -- Norway's Thor Hushovd finally clinched a stage win on this year's Tour of Spain on Thursday after taking three second places.

German Andre Greipel was runner-up to the Credit Agricole rider in the bunch sprint at the end of stage six, with Erik Zabel third.

Italian Danilo Di Luca retained the race lead, following his victory in Wednesday's mountain top finish at la Covatilla.

Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia is four seconds behind, with Kazakh Andrey Kashechkin in third, 18 seconds adrift.

"I definitely needed this victory for my morale," said Hushovd, race leader for three days before Di Luca took over.

"Sometimes you spend a bit too much energy when you're race leader defending it, so that's why I didn't win before."

"This time, though, I profited from Milram's hard work in the final kilometers," added Hushovd, who won the first and last stages of this year's Tour de France.

"My objectives in the Vuelta are already fulfilled, but I hope to win more stages in the second week."

Italian squad Milram kept the pace high in the finale in Leon for German Zabel, winner of stage four in Caceres, and Italian Alessandro Petacchi, but had little to show for their hard work.

Displaying the first signs of a return to form after his bad crash in May, Petacchi nonetheless finished fourth behind Hushovd.

The Norwegian's chances of repeating his victory on Friday are slim, however, as the race tackles its second mountain top finish in three days, the Alto de el Morredero.

Overall leader Di Luca told reporters he expected to defend his position on the first category climb, but remained doubtful about a race win.

"My problem is that the third week of this race is too tough for me." Di Luca said. " I'm really thinking about the world championships in Salzburg (September 24), not winning the Tour of Spain."

"If I can get through the first week okay, though, I might change my mind -- but not yet," he added.

The Tour of Spain finishes on September 17 in Madrid.

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

---

• Are Zhu Zhu pets safe? Consumer group says no
• Wrestlers grapple with issues in, out of ring
• Texas escapee joins most-wanted list
• Knox prosecutor: It's not over till it's over
• Petra on Prague

• Irish PM to quit over payments scandal
• NATO chief: Afghan troop increase likely
• Militants hunted as calm retuns to Basra
• Pressure on Bush to skip Olympics
• BA sending misplaced T5 baggage to Milan

• Recruiting suicide bombers (2:50)
• London was lucky (2:36)
• Cars in London rigged as bombs (3:48)
• Second explosives-packed car foun (2:32)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)