Hushovd beats Sagan to Tour de Suisse stage four win

Tour de Suisse 2011, stage four photo gallery by Graham Watson>>

World Champion Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) pipped Peter Sagan (Liquigas) to win stage four of the 2011 Tour de Suisse on Tuesday.

Monday's mountains stage winner Sagan looked to have another, very different win sewn up as he leapt from the bunch in the final 500 metres of the stage.

Hushovd was the only rider to react fast enough to reach Sagan on the uphill kick to the line, easing past him to take his first win of the year.

Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) lead home the remainder of the bunch to take third. Brit Ben Swift (Sky) finished at the same time as Marcato, in 45th place.

British sprinter Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) did not contest the sprint, having joined a group of riders behind the lead bunch on the lumpy run-in to Huttwil. The Manxman will save his energy for tomorrow's flatter stage, which should suit him better.

Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) maintained his overall lead in the race 54 seconds ahead of Juan Mauricio Soler (Movistar). Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) is third at 1-16.

The UCI World Tour-level race concludes on Sunday, June 19, with a decisive 32.1km individual time trial.  

Results

Tour de Suisse 2011, stage four: Grindelwald to Huttwil, 198.4 km

1. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Garmin-Cervelo

2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale at same time

3. Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM at 2 secs

4. Jose Rojas (Spa) Movistar

5. Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank

6. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana

7. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing

8. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick Step

9. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step

10. Daryl Impey (RSA) Netapp all same time

Other

45. Ben Swift (GB) Sky at same time

124. Ian Stannard (GB) Sky at 3-39

147. Mark Cavendish (GB) HTC-Highroad at 7-23

150. Chris Froome (GB) Sky at 8-24

Overall classification after stage four

1. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-ISD

2. Juan Mauricio Soler (Col) Movistar at 54 secs

3. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank at 1-16

4. Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank at 1-19

5. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad at 1-21

6. Frank Schleck (Lux) Leopard-Trek at 1-25

7. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Saxo Bank-Sungard at 1-32

8. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Katusha at 1-53

9. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank at 2-00

10. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Radioshack at 2-10

Other

39. Chris Froome (GB) Sky at 19-17

75. Ian Stannard (GB) Sky at 29-00

108. Ben Swift (GB) Sky at 36-58

150. Mark Cavendish (GB) HTC-Highroad at 48-19

Ian Stannard

Levi Leipheimer (right) chats to Tejay Van Garderen

Highest-placed Brit Chris Froome

Christian Vande Velde at the front

Thor Hushovd celebrates the stage win

Get those flowers in some water: Race leader Damiano Cunego

Tour de Suisse 2011: Related links

Stage four photo gallery by Graham Watson

Stage three: Sagan wins as Cunego takes lead

Stage three photo gallery by Graham Watson

Stage two: Soler leads Tour de Suisse, Froome ninth overall

Cavendish and Swift line up for Tour de Suisse