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Friday, March 29, 2024

Hushovd back on a roll

UPDATED: Thor Hushovd, Norway’s champion cyclist, was able to hang on to the coveted yellow jersey after not only Monday’s lap of the Tour de France, but Tuesday’s as well. He won the jersey on Sunday, after pulling into the lead of the prestigious bicycle race around France.

Hushovd, cycling for Garmin Cervélo, has won the yellow jersey three times before and was the first Norwegian to earn the honor in 2004. He said it was hardest to wait for this latest chance, “just gruesome.”

He told reporters that winning the yellow jersey was one of his goals for this year’s Tour de France. “I’m very proud right now,” he said on Sunday. “The Tour is already in the box for my part.”

But then, for the first time in his career, he managed to hang on to it the next day when he finished with the shortest overall standing on time: Nine hours 46 minutes and 46 seconds after the first three laps that covered just over 400 kilometers. Monday’s lap ran for 198 kilometers, from Olonne-Sur-Mer on the west coast north to Redon and Hushovd’s teammate Tyler Farrar won it. It turned into a super lap for the Garmin-Cervélo team and got better when Hushovd retained the jersey Tuesday, placing sixth but still having the fastest overall time after four days of the Tour de France. Hushovd has never earlier kept the yellow jersey for more than a day.

There was a slight downturn when Monday’s race was all over, after both Hushovd and arch rival Mark Cavendish were penalized when the jury determined that they cycled too close to each other just before the finish line. Hushovd told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that the deduction of four points for him and 10 for Cavendish was “just rubbish.”

Another Norwegian cycling in the Tour de France, Edvald Boasson Hagen finished an impressive sixth on Monday and was only 12 seconds behind Hushovd on Tuesday.

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