Cycling-Boonen end his drought in 2 years

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Bourg-en-bresse (France) July 13: Belgian Tom Boonen clinched his first win in two years on the Tour de France when he took the race's sixth stage, a 199.5-km ride from Semur-en-Auxois to Bourg-en-Bresse today.

The Quick Step rider, who had not raised his arms in triumph since winning in Tours in 2005, outsprinted Spaniard Oscar Freire of the Rabobank team to take the green jersey off Erik Zabel, who came home third.

''I did not feel I had that much pressure,'' Boonen, who won the best sprinter's green jersey two years ago, told a news conference.

''I was feeling good. The best way to get good results is to get on the bike and take the stages day by day.

I'm now in the best possible position for the green jersey. I'm now going to stay close to Zabel,'' he added.

Boonen has 141 points in the sprinters' standings to Zabel's 130. Freire, who like Zabel has yet to win a stage on the Tour this year, lies third on 114 points.

Swiss Fabian Cancellara of the CSC team retained the overall leader's yellow jersey. Sylvain Chavanel of the Cofidis team kept the polka-dot one.

Astana riders Alexander Vinokourov and Andreas Kloeden, who were injured in crashes yesterday, spent the day hovering in the rear of the main pack but crossed the line with the bunch.

''The stage was very hard. He (Vinokourov) has had a lot of pain in his knees,'' Astana manager Marc Biver told reporters. ''It was hard for him to push on the pedals.

''For Kloeden, it was a bad day, with a lot of pain,'' he added.

''His right foot got numb, he could not put pressure on the pedals.'' German Kloeden, unable to stand on his pedals, struggled at the back of the peloton during the ascent of the Col de Brancion, a category-four climb.

Team leader Vinokourov has stitches in his knees and elbow as well as bruises on his buttocks, while Kloeden is suffering from a fissure in his coccyx and hip pains.

Briton Bradley Wiggins broke away after only two km, building a 17-minute lead over the main pack but his solo effort ended seven km from the line.

Reuters




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