American cyclist Tyler Hamilton won the 16th stage of the Tour de France Wednesday.
The 16th stage from Pau to here in Bayonne covered 198 kilometers and it was the last major mountainous leg of the tour, with two steep climbs in the Pyrenees.
Peddling with a broken collarbone that he suffered in the first full stage of the tour, Hamilton rode a remarkable 145 kilometer solo breakaway and crossed the finish line one minute 55 seconds ahead of the main pack. His winning time was 4 hours, 59 minutes and 41 seconds.
"Today has really made up for everything," said Hamilton. "To win a stage in the Tour de France, it's fantastic. It's really beyond my wildest dreams."
Starting the day, Tyler Hamilton was in seventh place overall, nine minutes and two seconds behind leader and fellow-American Lance Armstrong. His win moved him up one spot to sixth, now six minutes 35 seconds off the pace.
Armstrong kept his 1:07 lead over German Jan Ullrich, as both finished in the main group of riders and were credited with the same time.
Armstrong is aiming for a record-tying fifth straight victory in the Tour de France, which ends Sunday in Paris.
