19 Feb 2009

Roulston plays part in helping Hushovd to stage win

10:49 pm on 19 February 2009

Norway's Thor Hushovd has sprinted to a stage three win in the cycle Tour of California, while hat-trick seeking American Levi Leipheimer retained the overall lead.

Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, competing on home soil for the first time since ending his three-and-a-half year retirement, finished in the main pack to maintain his fourth place in the overall standings.

Hushovd, helped by his team Cervelo teamates including New Zealand's double Olympic medallist Hayden Roulston, powered clear of the bunch in the closing metres of the 167km San Jose-to-Modesto stage to cross the line more than two bike lengths ahead of Spaniard Oscar Freire and Australian Mark Renshaw in a time of four hours, 28 minutes and 13 seconds.