Belgian ace Tom Boonen unleashed another powerful sprint to blow away his rivals and win the third stage of the Tour de France held over 212.5km between La Chataig-neraie and Tours on Monday.
Quick Step rider Boonen held off Austrian Peter Wrolich of the Gerolsteiner team and Australian Robbie McEwen before throwing his arms into the air in triumph to claim his second stage of this year's race and his fourth overall.
Australian champion McEwen was later disqualified for leaning into compatriot Stuart O'Grady, and the Cofidis rider moved up from fourth to third place for the stage.
PHOTO: EPA
"It was a bit too much really, too aggressive," said O'Grady of his compatriot's move.
"I was heading towards the line and then I suddenly saw Robbie McEwen's head on my shoulder," he said.
American David Zabriskie meanwhile spent his third day in the race leader's yellow jersey, and got a friendly nudge from six-time winner Lance Armstrong.
PHOTO: AFP
However that could all change after yesterday's team time trial, on which Armstrong and his Discovery Channel team will battle to close the two-second gap he has to Zabriskie in the general classification.
The 26-year-old from Salt Lake City admitted however that his CSC team, who are no slouches at the event, would be giving their all in the 67.5km race from Tours to Blois.
"I'm looking forward to the time trial, and everyone on the team is good at that event," said Zabriskie, whose zany sense of humor has had most people on the Tour either in fits of laughter, or frustration.
PHOTO: AFP
The team time trial is something that Armstrong, and his former team US Postal, have mastered several times in the past, including last year.
And the 33-year-old Discovery Channel-team leader could be exchanging his good gestures towards Zabriskie for the yellow jersey come the end of yesterday's tough race against the clock.
"It's a very important stage for us, although CSC are very strong in the team event," Armstrong said.
"But we will go out and try and stay together and keep a strong tempo throughout. I know that for me personally, I'll be out there flying," he said.
While the real battle for the yellow jersey is not set to resume until the race hits some climbs on the eighth stage to Gerardmer this Saturday, the sprinters were again given their chance to steal the stage limelight.
And Boonen, the pin-up of Belgian cycling who is threatening to dominate the first week of the race, showed that his is the wheel to follow after a stunning display which came from virtually nowhere.
The Tour de France might be missing Italian Alessandro Petacchi, considered the world's fastest road sprinter, however even the quietly-spoken Fassa Bortolo rider would have trouble holding down the 24-year-old from Antwerp.
Indeed Boonen admitted that the Italian, who is absent because he wants to ride the Tour of Spain instead to better prepare his bid for the world road race crown in September, had no excuse for missing the race.
"It's up to him. It's his decision but the Tour is three weeks long and the world championship is only one day. A guy like Petacchi should be on the Tour. He's one of the world's best sprinters," Boonen said.
Boonen was in 11th or 12th place in a tight bunch as they raced for the finish line after an exciting finale to a stage which had been lit up by Erik Dekker before the Dutchman's 200km breakaway, along with Frenchman Nicholas Portal, was caught with only 2km to go.
However, the Belgian played his cards perfectly, following several back wheels before pounding the pedals furiously and launching a ferocious charge for the line.
The likeable Belgian, who has become a youth icon in cycling-mad Belgium where he has received thousands of marriage proposals from doe-eyed women, later admitted his performance was logical given the season he has had.
"I'm not as nervous as I was last year when it was my first time on the Tour. I'm a year older and plus I've had a successful season so far winning two big classics," said Boonen, who won the prestigious Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix one-day classics in the spring.
Having pulled on the green jersey on Sunday, the Belgian, who has 70 points, is assured of wearing it for the next few days with a 20-point lead on O'Grady (50).
Wrolich is third on 49 while Thor Hushovd is fourth on 47.
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