Norwegian cyclist Thor Hushovd is the winner of the fourth stage of the Tour de France, and Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara maintains the overall lead for a fifth straight day.
Hushovd won in a sprint finish at the end of the mostly flat 193-kilometer ride that began about 75 kilometers northeast of Paris and went south, traveling from in Villers-Cotterets to Joigny. Hushovd's winning time was 4:37:47.
South African Robert Hunter was second, and Oscar Freire of Spain was third. Riders in the huge lead pack were all credited with the same time.
The overall leader, Cancellara, won the prologue and third stage and leads Hushovd, now in second place, by 29 seconds. German Andreas Kloeden is third, 33 seconds off the pace.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
