Hushovd captures 6th stage of Tour

BARCELONA, Spain -- Lance Armstrong remained a split second behind leader Fabian Cancellara yesterday after a day of treacherous riding in the rain and the mountains looming at the Tour de France.

Thor Hushovd of Norway led a mass sprint finish to capture the sixth stage along wet roads south of the French border in Spain.

Cancellara of Switzerland stayed just ahead of the seven-time champion following the 113-mile ride from Gerona to Barcelona.

Hushovd, of the Cervelo team, collected his seventh Tour stage win by edging two Spaniards in the final sprint -- three-time world champion Oscar Freire, the runner-up, followed by Jose Joaquin Rojas.

They finished in 4 hours, 21 minutes, 33 seconds, the same time as 40 other riders, including Armstrong and Cancellara in the main pack.

David Millar of Britain and Americans David Zabriskie and George Hincapie were among the breakaway riders who attacked, only to be reeled in by the pack. Millar was either alone in the lead or in the breakaway group for about three-quarters of the stage.

Two crashes marred the stage -- one involving Yukiya Arashiro of Japan, another involving former world champion Tom Boonen of Belgium, one of Hushovd's main rivals.

The three-week race enters its first big mountain challenge today with a ride into the Pyrenees. The 140-mile trip from Barcelona to Andorra features an uphill finish in one of cycling's toughest climbs. The Tour ends July 26 in Paris.

Results, Page C7