Tour de France 2009: Mark Cavendish retains green jersey despite Thor Hushovd stage win
Thor Hushovd, a past winner of the Tour de France points competition and a rider who gets stronger as the race gets longer, threw the gauntlet down to Mark Cavendish in the rain of Barcelona on Thursday with an impressive win that hints at classic battles ahead next week when the sprinters next lock horns
Cavendish, who was always likely to struggle given the demanding nature of the finish which featured a steady uphill drag for 2km, nonethless dug deep to finish 16th claiming 10 precious points and maintain his ownership of the green jersey by one point.
Until this season Cavendish probably wouldn't have contested the issue at all in this situation, especially after a demanding first week in the Tour de France leading into a difficult mixed terrain route and on increasingly trecherous roads, but the Manxman is scrapping for every point this year and learning exactly what it takes to defend a jersey.

As the demanding run-in reared up it was always going to be prime Hushovd territory and the powerhouse Norwegian went to work with a will to see off Oscar Freire - another who can't be discounted from any green jersey calculations, Jose Joaquin Rojas and Gerald Ciolek, who was Cavendish's lead-out man last season and noted specialist in uphill finishes.

Until the final charge for the line, the day, which started in Gerona, belonged to David Millar who gave the massive but sodden crowds something to cheer with a typically clever and brave effort from a rider whose racing instincts remain as sharp as ever, despite the march of time.

It had started when he escaped in an early break 130km with Sebastien Chavenal and Stephane Auge - both former colleagues from his Cofidis years - and the 'old firm' rode sensibly, seemingly with a little in reserve before being joined by Amets Txurruka who managed to get across from the Peloton. Millar, who lives and trains in Gerona where his Garmin team are based had been given a free rein by John Vaughters, his director sportif, for the day and decided to go again 29km from home.

It was a long, agonising haul for the Scottish rider but he rolled back the years and gave it everything although the peloton, with Astana active at the front, were in no mood to be caught out twice in succession after Thomas Voeckler stole away for a win in Perpignan on Wednesday.

The end was swift and painful to watch as Millar was devoured and spat out with just under 2km to go but the Tour always remembers those warriors who put their bodies on the line and Millar remains a hugely popular rider on the continent despite his two-year ban for admitting the use of EPO in 2004. His rare and open contrition thereafter has won him many plaudits and his style remains as silky as ever.

"To be honest I was suffering and didn't feel in control of the effort all day althoguh I did start to feel good towards the end, although that was the adrenalin and emotion," said Millar afterwards. "What prompted the break? Stupidity, it wasn't my smartest move. I know that coast road so well from training that I thought I might have some fun.

"With 10km to go I thought I had a chance but then saw the huge boulevards on the run and knew the bunch would get organised. The moment you look around and see them, it's like somebody unplugs the power and you just die."

Tour de France details

Stage six: 181.5km Girona to Barcelona

1. Thor Hushovd (Norway - Cervelo) 4hrs 21mins 33secs, 2. Oscar Freire (Spain - Rabobank) s.t., 3. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spain, Caisse d'Epargne) s.t., 4. Gerald Ciolek (Germany - Milram) s.t., 5. Franco Pellizotti (Italy - Liquigas) s.t., 6. Filippo Pozzato (Italy - Katusha) s.t., 7. Alessandro Ballan (Italy - Lampre) s.t., 8. Rinaldo Nocentini (Italy - AG2R) s.t., 9. Cadel Evans (Australia - Silence-Lotto) s.t., 10. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland - Saxo Bank) s.t.

Overall standings

1. Fabian Cancellara 19hrs 29mins 22secs, 2. Lance Armstrong (US - Astana) s.t., 3. Alberto Contador (Spain - Astana) 19secs, 4. Andreas Kloeden (Germany - Astana) 23secs, 5. Levi Leipheimer (US - Astana) 31secs, 6. Bradley Wiggins (Britain Garmin-Slipstream) 38secs, 7. Tony Martin (Germany - Columbia-HTC) 52secs, 8. Christian Vande Velde (US - Garmin-Slipstream) 1min 16secs, 9. Gustav Larsson (Sweden - Saxo Bank) 1min 22secs, 10. Maxime Montfort (Belgium - Columbia-HTC) 1min 29secs.