Norwegian Hushovd wins Tour de France eighth stage
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

QUIMPER (France): Norwegian champion Thor Hushovd won the eighth stage of the Tour de France here Sunday held over 168 km between Lamballe and here on the north Brittany coast.

Thomas Voeckler of the La Boulangere team retained the yellow jersey after arriving with the peloton seconds later which included all the main race contenders.

Thor Hushovd sprinted to the finish line to win the rain-soaked eighth stage , with Lance Armstrong and other top contenders behind in the trailing pack.

Hushovd, from Norway, used a closing burst of speed to win the 104-mile stage from Lamballe to Quimper. The ride included four modest hill climbs and was run mostly under rain.

Overall, Armstrong remained in sixth place, 9 minutes and 35 seconds behind leader Thomas Voeckler. Jan Ullrich is still 55 seconds behind Armstrong.

Hushovd placed third in the first stage, second on stage two and wore the overall leader’s yellow jersey for one day in the first week. He said he is aiming to win the green jersey for the best sprinter when the Tour finishes in Paris on July 25.

Armstrong, Ullrich and other top riders have largely focused on avoiding crashes that could end their Tour hopes. Their sights are fixed on the Pyrenees that come at the end of this week and the Alps that follow.

On Monday, the tired pack get a well-earned day of rest before embarking on the trials of the Massif Central, where the Tour will get its first taste of the mountains.

Johan Bruyneel, sporting director of Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team, said the rest would allow the squad to catch its breath. Overall, Armstrong is satisfied with the first week, he said. “He is happy despite the bad weather, the falls. We try to avoid the falls,” Bruyneel said.●