ARENBERG // The seven-time champion Lance Armstrong was one of the big losers on the Tour yesterday as the cobblestones of the feared third stage exacted a heavy toll on the peloton. Thor Hushovd, a Norwegian, took the stage honours, and with that the race's green jersey, after an epic day of racing from Wanze in Belgium to Arenberg, during which seven sectors of cobblestones caused huge problems.
Overnight leader Sylvain Chavanel of Quick Step lost the race leader's jersey to the man who gave it to him on Monday, Fabian Cancellara. However there was less welcome news for Cancellara's Saxo Bank team. Frank Schleck, who was supposed to play a leading support role in the mountains for younger brother Andy in the race for the yellow jersey, crashed out with a broken collarbone. Schleck crashed on the fourth cobblestone sector, 28km from the finish, just as an acceleration from Cancellara forced a split of the peloton, leaving Armstrong, Contador and many others behind.
Armstrong then punctured, and had to dig deep to limit the damage before finally finishing 32nd at two minutes, eight seconds behind a six-man front group which also contained the Australian Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and Britain's Geraint Thomas. Spain's reigning champion, Alberto Contador, who at only 62kg is not at all suited to the cobblestones, was expected to be one of the biggest losers of the day.
However the Spaniard showed determination, and a good deal of luck, to finish only one minute, 13 seconds behind the leaders, taking 55 seconds off Armstrong in the process. In the overall classification, Cancellara, who is not a long-term favourite for the yellow jersey, leads Team Sky's Thomas by 23 seconds, with two-time runner-up Evans in third at 39. Chavanel dropped to fifth place at just over a minute, with Andy Schleck only a few seconds behind. Contador is in ninth overall, with Armstrong dropping to 18th.
Armstrong said he was "very frustrated" but said the race was far from over. "We lost significant time, so we just have to keep our head up and take our chances on the climbs," he said. "Sometimes you're the hammer and some days you're the nail. Today I was the nail." Evans, meanwhile, was not making too much of being one of the biggest winners, despite taking 20 seconds off Contador. "Just to get through it as a GC (general classification) rider, without losing any time, obviously I'm delighted but it's easier said than done because I think very few GC guys got through," Evans said.
Hushovd had a superb day in the saddle, making amends for losing out on his chance to sprint for green jersey points on Monday when Cancellara called a truce at the end of the crash-marred second stage. "I'm very happy. Yesterday I missed out on going for the points, and a lot of guys came to me today to say they understood why I was upset at that decision," said the Norwegian. "I've won the green jersey twice, and this morning I said to myself I was going to war in a bid to get it back. I will do everything to keep it."
1. T Hushovd Cervelo 4' 49' 38' 2. G Thomas Sky same time 3. C Evans BMC same time 4. R Hesjedal Garmin same time 5. A Schleck Saxo same time 6. F Cancellara Saxo same time 7. J v Summeren Garmin 53' behind 8. B Wiggins Sky same time 9. J v d Broeck Omega same time 10. A Vinokourov Astana same time
1. F Cancellara Saxo 14' 54' 00' 2. G Thomas Sky 23' behind 3. C Evans BMC 39' 4. R Hesjedel Garmin 46' 5. S Chavanel Quick Step 1' 01' 6. A Schleck Saxo 1' 09' 7. T Hushovd Cervelo 1' 19' 8. A Vinokourov Astana 1' 31' 9. A Contador Astana 1' 40' 10. J v d Broeck Omega 1' 42' Yellow jersey holder: Fabian Cancellara Green jersey holder: Thor Hushovd * AFP