Hushovd Wins Fourth Stage Of Tour Of Britain

 Thor Hushovd won the fourth stage of the Tour Of Britain

This was a castle to castle stage from Welshpool through Mid Wales to Caerphilly.

The race set off at 10.30am and saw YODEL Sprints Jersey wearer Pieter Ghyllebert of the An Post Sean Kelly Team join the escapers who were 45 seconds away at the first intermediate sprint which Ghyllebert won.

He also took the second sprint as the distance between the front runners and those at the back stretched to four minutes and forty seconds.

As the stage approached Llyswen Hill for the first of three climbs today won by Jack Bauer, the crowds were out in force and there were also big crowds when the race went through the Category One climb at Brecon Beacons which Bauer also won. 

Kristian House, who started 4.12 back on race leader Lars Boom was the new leader on the road as the front trio extended their lead to five minutes and sixteen seconds.

With ninety miles of the stage gone, Rabobank's Theo Bos and Garmin's Martijn Maaskant abandoned.

Ghyllebert won the final sprint of the day at Mountain Ash, as him House and Bauer stayed two minutes clear of a peloton lead by Rabobank and HTC.

Inside the last fiftteen kilometres, the leaders were caught as the riders headed for the the last King Of The Mountains climb up Caerphilly mountain and it was World Champion Thor Hushovd who took the victory.

Stage Four, Powis Castle, Welshpool to Caerphilly
1) Thor Hushovd (Nor, Garmin Cervelo) 4h 32m 22s
2) Lars Boom (Ned, Rabobank) same time
3) Cesare Benedetti (Ita, Team NetApp) same time
4) Ian Bibby (GB, Motorpoint) same time
5) Boy Van Poppel (Ned, UnitedHealthcare) same time
6) Jan Barta (Cze, Team NetApp) same time
7) Stijn Neirynck (Bel, Topsport Vlaanderen) same time
8) Leopold Koenig (Ger, Team NetApp) same time
9) Iker Camano (Spa, Endura Racing) same time
10) Linus Gerdemann (Ger, Leopard Trek) same time