Boonen snatches victory
The Olympic gold medalist was forced to change his rear wheel in the early stages after a broken spoke
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Friday, 13, Jul 2007 09:46
Belgian Tom Boonen won the sixth stage of the Tour De France after Britain's Bradley Wiggins came agonisingly close to victory.
In sweltering conditions, Wiggins led after two kilometres from the start in Semur-en-Auxois and built up a 17 minute 30-second lead.
But the exhausted Briton was caught seven kilometres from the end of the 199.5 km stage to Bourg-en-Bresse.
Boonen beat Oscar Freire and Erik Zabel in a sprint finish for his first Tour stage win in two years.
Fabian Cancellara retains the yellow jersey while Sylvain Chavanel holds onto the polka-dot jersey.
Wiggins admitted he ran out of stream.
"I attacked, looked around and saw I was the only one, but I thought, it's the Tour de France, I should continue," Wiggins said.
"I thought that a counter-attack would soon come across, then I got ten, 15 minutes on the bunch. You don't choose to end up racing on your own."
Wiggins attempt to win came on the 40th anniversary of the death of British former world champion Tom Simpson, who died from heat exhaustion when leading the 1967 Tour.
Briton David Millar, who lies fourth overall, admitted Simpson's death had been overlooked by the cycling world.
"Eighty percent of the peloton don't know it's the anniversary of his death. That's the sad truth," Millar said.
Quick Step rider Boonen revealed he won on a broken bike.
"Somebody crashed into my bike and I was almost crying because I thought my bike was broken," Boonen told British Eurosport.
"I'm a bit more relaxed this year and it was always possible that I could win.
"But you have to find your luck, it doesn't come to you."