Updated on
Summary
Australian Heinrich Haussler won the 200km 13th stage of the Tour de France from Vittel to Colmar today. The Cervelo team rider who trains in the Alps and loves the wind and rain broke away to win his first Tour stage, more than four minutes ahead of Spain's Amets Txurruka and France's Brice Feillu, who came home third. The Italian Rinaldo Nocentini retained the overall leader's yellow jersey.Haussler had led for the majority of the stage along with Rubn Prez Moreno (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and the Quick Step captain, Sylvain Chavanel, and at one point the trio were nearly 10 minutes ahead of the peloton.However, their lead was slowly eaten up on the most difficult climb of the day, the category one Col du Platzerwasel, and Prez Moreno was caught on the descent.Haussler started to pull away from Chavanel with some audacious descending and extended his lead on the small Col du Bannstein.And the 25-year-old kept up the pace on the second-category Col du Firstplan to storm to victory in his maiden Tour.Mark Cavendish suffered on the climbs and conceded his green jersey back to Thor Huschovd, who finished sixth.
