Hushovd joins Worlds favourite list with Vuelta stage win

2005 and 2009 Tour de France sprint king Thor Hushovd (NOR) has cemented himself alongside American Tyler Farrar and Belgian Philippe Gilbert as a strong favourite for the 2010 UCI Road World Championships after adding himself to theVuelta a España stage winners list overnight.

Proving he can survive the Challambra Crescent climb on the Geelong circuit course on Sunday 3 October, Hushovd endured a category 2 ascent with 17km to go to take out the stage in a sprint finish ahead of Italian Daniele Bennati (Liquigas-Doimo) and Slovenian Grega Bole (Lampre-Farnese Vini).

Hushovd, who goes by the nickname ‘The God of Thunder’, was confident in his ability on the Murcia stage in what will be the Cervelo TestTeam’s last season.

"It was a hard day but I'm feeling good on the climbs and getting better and better, so I still had something left for the sprint. A stage like this is perfect for me," Hushovd said.

"When I saw that Bennati was also there for the sprint, he was the man for me to watch.

"I also feared Philippe Gilbert and Filippo Pozzato who are fast finishers in small groups."

Suffering from a broken collarbone in May and a limited preparation for the Tour de France, Hushovd has admitted he lacks the speed to win big bunch sprints, but his goals for the Vuelta was to settle back into race rhythm and to take out a stage.  With these two ambitions achieved, his attention can now turn to the world championships next month.

In other Worlds news;

·        It has been revealed that three-time world champion and 2010 road race/time trial double hopefu lFabian Cancellara has a €3million price tag on his back for any team hoping to lure him out of his current Saxo Bank contract.

·        British national champion Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) has withdrawn from the world championships, citing fatigue as the reason he will no longer be the best option for the British cycling team in Geelong.  The 24-year-old’s withdrawal is another blow for 15-time Tour de France stage winnerMark Cavendish’s (HTC-Columbia) quest for the rainbow jersey after Great Britain only secured themselves three of a possible nine positions on the start line.

·        CurrentVuelta a España leader Philippe Gilbert, has been promised a new contract by trade team Omega Pharma-Lotto should he win the world championships road race next month.  Gilbert who hadhis contract extended in April has been assured by team management that his ‘contract will be corrected immediately if he takes the rainbow jersey’.

·        Italian Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) has been informed by national coach Paolo Bettini that he will lead the Italian team in Geelong.  The full team announcement is expected on Tuesday 14 September.

·        After undergoing surgery for sinus problems in July, Spain’s Oscar Freire (Rabobank) is still suffering from breathing difficulties at the Vuelta a España.  Freire, a one day classic specialist who has been mentioned amongst the winning prospects for the world’s, is confident he will have recovered for the championships, but is conscious of the importance the Vuelta has on his preparations.

·        Croatia has named Robert Kiserovski, Hrvoje Miholjevic and Radoslav Rogina as its three man lineup for the 262.7km elite men’s road race, whilst Maja Marukic will fly the Croatian flag in the women’s event.

·        The intestinal virus that forced Austrian Bernhard Eisel out of theVuelta a España may also force his withdrawal from the world championships in Geelong.  Suffering from diarrhea, vomiting and a fever, the HTC-Columbia rider has indicated he will not race in Geelong if he cannot put together an adequate preparation.

The UCI Road World Championships, held from Wednesday 29 September to Sunday 3 October, will include road races and individual time trials for elite men and women and under-23 men. 

As a prelude to the championships, the Herald Sun World Cycling Classic Ballarat will take place on Sunday, 26 September.

ENDS