Thor Hushovd isn't your every day sprinter. Sure, he isn't as pure fast as Tyler and can't produce the bursts that Cav and Jet can, but he does posess a special skill. Hushovd is almost always one of the last sprinters to be dropped, and sometimes he isn't. Hushovd kept with the field over the final climb (the short but incredibly steep Cresta del Gallo) and then took the bunch sprint in the thinned field. Cavendish, Petacchi, Farrar, Freire, and stage 2 winner Yauheni Hutarovich were dropped on the del Gallo rather early and it looked like Hushovd was struggling but he buried himself to get to the top and then slowly but surely moved his way up to the front to prepare for the bunch sprint. He easily handled the likes of Daniel Bennati, Grega Bole, and Allan Davis to take his first stage of the Vuelta this year. His timing could not have been any more perfect, with his move to Garmin-Cervelo next year likely meaning his role as a field sprinter will be very limited, and he showed that he can still bring a lot to the table on the sprint stages that many sprinters are unable to make. Philippe Gilbert (along with most other GC contenders) easily made it over the del Gallo and rode his way to a 6th place finish and successful defense of his GC lead.
Tomorrow is a bunch sprint, with Cavendish and Petacchi coming out hungry to win their first stages of the Vuelta. (if you don't count Cav's TTT win)
Thor Hushovd isn't your every day sprinter. Sure, he isn't as pure fast as Tyler and can't produce the bursts that Cav and Jet can, but he does posess a special skill. Hushovd is almost always one of the last sprinters to be dropped, and sometimes he isn't. Hushovd kept with the field over the final climb (the short but incredibly steep Cresta del Gallo) and then took the bunch sprint in the thinned field. Cavendish, Petacchi, Farrar, Freire, and stage 2 winner Yauheni Hutarovich were dropped on the del Gallo rather early and it looked like Hushovd was struggling but he buried himself to get to the top and then slowly but surely moved his way up to the front to prepare for the bunch sprint. He easily handled the likes of Daniel Bennati, Grega Bole, and Allan Davis to take his first stage of the Vuelta this year. His timing could not have been any more perfect, with his move to Garmin-Cervelo next year likely meaning his role as a field sprinter will be very limited, and he showed that he can still bring a lot to the table on the sprint stages that many sprinters are unable to make. Philippe Gilbert (along with most other GC contenders) easily made it over the del Gallo and rode his way to a 6th place finish and successful defense of his GC lead. 
Tomorrow is a bunch sprint, with Cavendish and Petacchi coming out hungry to win their first stages of the Vuelta. (if you don't count Cav's TTT win)
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