HUNTER THE MAN !!!!!!!!!

[superman2007]

http://images.supersport.co.za/BicyclingCoverJuly2007_150.jpgNorway's Thor Hushovd claimed his first victory of the year when he clinched the fourth stage of the Tour de France, a 193-km trek from Villers-Cotterets to Joigny on Wednesday.

The Credit Agricole rider, who won the green jersey in 2005, launched the bunch sprint 350 metres from the finish line to edge Barloworld's South African rider Robert Hunter for the win.

Spaniard Oscar Freire, who has yet to win a stage this year, was third for the Rabobank team.

Hushovd's fifth victory on the Tour means the Norwegian leapfrogs German Andreas Kloeden for second place overall thanks to time bonuses, with Briton David Millar now out of the top three.

Swiss Fabian Cancellara, who finished safe in the main pack, retained the leader's yellow jersey. Belgian Tom Boonen was a disappointing eighth in the stage but retained the green jersey.

Hushovd, who won last year's opening prologue and the closing sprint on the Champs-Elysees, paid tribute to Australian team mate Julian Dean, who piloted him through the pack in the last km.

"He is the best in the world to launch the sprints," said Hushovd.

Frenchman Matthieu Sprick launched a breakaway after 30 km and was followed by compatriot Sylvain Chavanel, Spaniards Juan Antonio Flecha and Gorka Verdugo, and Germany's Christian Knees.

The fugitives built a four-minute gap but were inexorably swallowed by the peloton with seven km remaining.

The Caisse d'Epargne team were reduced to eight men after Spaniard Xavier Zandio retired with a fractured collarbone following a crash early in the stage.

"He fractured his right collarbone, he really cannot go on," said manager Jose-Luis Jaimerena. "It is a huge loss for the team because he is a rider who can work on any type of course. It's a pity."

Another rider, Remy di Gregorio of the Francaise des Jeux team, was involved in the crash and sustained an elbow injury.

Di Gregorio, however, managed to reach the finish line almost eight minutes after Hushovd.

Thursday's fifth stage takes the peloton over 182.5 km from Chablis to Autun.

[Willehond]

Wow, I was SHOUTING at the tv. GREAT, but SOOOOOOOOOOO close Robbie!  WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Austin]

Mooses and Vikings suck!

[goofs]

Great Robbie none too shabby. Your win will come, Barlworld must be getting great exposure

[Guest Michelle]

I would love to know what he said after he crossed the line

[No Name Funrider]

He is on form;he has to get a stage win this time;he knows it too ;in the real world,if he does,nt all will be in vain--good luck bro. NNF

[superman2007]

Points Classification

 

1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep - Innergetic                                   98 pts

2 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram                                               86

3 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Predictor - Lotto                                      84

4 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld                                 81         5 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cr?dit Agricole                                         79

6 S?bastien Chavanel (Fra) Fran?aise des Jeux                                70

7 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quickstep - Innergetic                                66

8 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank                                          62

9 Robert F?rster (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                          59

10 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel                                             57

 

[Buff]

I would love to know what he said after he crossed the line

 

Something like "oh no, that was so close, I'm sure I'll do better tomorrow" NOT !!!

[Lilo]

 Go Robbie!!!

[javadude]

Just watched it again. Hunter was closing in on Thor at a rapid pace. If the line was 10 meters further he would have caught him. Great going, i really hope he gets a win before the tour is over.

[Willehond]

Looks like that was Robbie's last real sprinting opportunity:

He was philosophical in defeat, and said he hoped he could dig out a victory chance from the few remaining stages in which the sprinters are expected to shine.

"I'm happy, I'm very confident at the moment," he said.

"We came here with a team, the majority of which are climbers, so there's not exactly too much help for me in the sprints. It's not like it's affecting my performance at all.

"There's always opportunities. Tomorrow's (Thursday) a hard day and it's possible that the breakaway will go (all the way). It might end up in a sprint, but I think it's a hard day for the sprinters."

With the mountains up ahead - Saturday will be the first of three days in the Alps - there are few opportunities for Hunter to try and beat the likes of Hushovd, Australian Robbie McEwen and Belgium's Tom Boonen.

He seems to have them counted already, and despite already eyeing the final stage to the Champs Elysees in Paris, Hunter suggested he could try and get into a breakaway.

"There's four days to come. At worst, there's Paris. But I'm not only here for that. If possible I'd like to get in a couple of breakaways, and I'll see how it goes for me," he added.

"I know the condition I've got at the moment, and I honestly believe I'm capable of winning a stage."

After Welsh team-mate Geraint Thomas, who is making his race debut, had tried his hardest by driving the bunch sprint at the front in the final kilometre, Hunter simply ran out of space when it came to the final 50 metres.

"I'm a little bit disappointed," he added.

"Thor got the jump on me. I came around the long side on the right, he had about three metres on me and I had to come from that to try and get around him. I ran out of distance.

"But hey, that's the Tour de France. You can't complain. You've just got to look forward to the future."

When it comes to the bunch sprints, Hunter's team is comparatively ill-equipped compared to some of the Pro Tour teams here.

However he refuses to belive he cannnot nail a victory.

"I'm happy with what the guys are doing for me," he said.

"Most of the guys are climbers. I've got one guy, Geraint Thomas, who's a young guy and a sprinter, but it's also not his job to sit on the front for four or five kilometres, he hasn't got that kind of strength.

"But I really can't ask for more. At the end of the day it's for me to sprint and get in the right position, and that's what I'm trying to do."

"I look forward to every day as an opportunity. Once again, today's gone past, but hopefully it will come round again. If it doesn't, that's life.

[Tumbleweed]

don't know how much it adds to willehond's post, but this is from rob's diary:

 

I cant complain i know cause in the big picture thigns are going well for me and the team so far but winning is always so much better.. .
Cycling is such a strange sport where 2nd doesnt mean much. If it was tennis and i came second at a grandslam people would really take notice but like this in the world of cycling only the winner is remembered.. (especially when contract time comes.)

It was a rather hard day in the saddle and the road was up and down all day. With 5 guys in the break away and a few of them really good riders the CSC guys had to ride hard all day to keep it in check. The wind also made things difficult all day and most of the time it was slightly from the side, at one point the Liquigas guys put the hammer down and ripped the group to pieces. We only had 40 guys left itn he front group but it all came back cause it was still a long way to go to the finish..

In the final it was really crazy and once again there was no real team that strung it all out so there were riders all over the place. At 2kms to go i thought i had a great place and next thing i know there guys coming all around me. Under the last km i was trying to get out and eventually found a gap on the right of the road but then there were guys coming back that had just pulled. I saw Julien Dean pulling and launching Thor and when i got going he already had 3 meters on me. I came as hard as i could but was about 2 meters short of road to come past.

He shout you all saw i guess was pure frustration and being so close is a pain in the butt.

Im getting closer on the green and im now in 4th but that also wont be an easy task. Ill give it my best
and we just gonna have to wait and see how it all goes.
Tomorrow will be much harder than today and there are 5 catorgarised climbs one being a 2nd category. The last climb is 9kms from the finish and might make things really hard for the sprinters to get over.. .

[Reg Lizard]

Robbie, you're the man.

[E1A104]

That was so close, pity he had to go around on the right. If he could have stayed on Hushovd's wheel, I reckon he would have taken it. Well Done RH!!!

[Thyolo]

 

I would love to know what he said after he crossed the line

 

I think a bee stung him on the hand, cos he was waving it about and seemed to be going into spasm.  Probably saying something like "Oh dear, where's my anti-hystimine".

 

 

 

Absolutely fantastic performance, he's shown this week, he's one of the world's best sprinters.

 

 

[mallo]

Well done Robbie, Crux Tony and Co you can be proud of your man. Hope this sets the scene for better things to come later on I could not believe it seeing at least three Barw riders up front in the last 50km of the stage, shows one how Conti is working on his plan. Go Robbie.