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Hushovd closes out his Tour as he began it: With a win
Norwegian Thor Hushovd was all smiles again here Sunday three weeks after he began what has been a spectacular Tour de France with victory on the opening prologue.
Hushovd, of Credit Agricole, surged to his second stage win of the race on the world famous Champs Elysees after out-muscling his biggest rival -Australian Robbie McEwen - 100 meters from the finish line.
Another Australian, Stuart O'Grady of CSC finished third on the stage just ahead of the bunch.
After beating American George Hincapie by less than a second to win the prologue and the yellow jersey, Hushovd's bid for further stage wins was kept in check by a seemingly unstoppable McEwen in the first week.
However the powerful Norwegian champion also fell victim to an overzealous fan. One was holding a camera and a promotional green hand, which he made contact with on stage one and ended lying on the ground bleeding from a deep cut on his arm.
That compromised Hushovd's efforts in a first week in which Davitamon's McEwen won three stages. Spaniard Oscar Freire of Rabobank also got in the mix to claim two stages at the finish line.
After suffering in the Pyrenees and Alps, Hushovd put his defense of the green jersey he won last year on the back burner. And it was perhaps after saving that precious energy that allowed him tooutmuscle McEwen on Sunday.
Hushovd was obviously delighted with a win which left McEwen a surprising three bike lengths behind him.
"For a sprinter to win on the Champs Elysees is exceptional. It's the first time I've done it and to do it after suffering so much in the Pyrenees and Alps is great," said the Norwegian.
Hushovd paid tribute to the teammates who did the groundwork.
"There was a break and then Sébastien Hinault helped to close the gap. After that, McEwen pulled out in front of me, and I took his wheel before pulling well ahead of him." Hushovd said that by the end of the Tour, he just kept getting better and better. "I'm a stage race rider. I go better and better at the end of the Tour de France."
"On a sprint like today it's normally the most powerful sprinter who wins,” he said. “I think today I was just stronger than everybody else."
Despite McEwen picking up his third green jersey, Hushovd said he would let it go - for this year at least.
"I'm very satisfied with the Tour. I'd never won the prologue before. Last year I won the green jersey, but this year I had a lot of bad luck. To win the final stage is just the icing on the cake."
