Greipel win sprint in 3rd stage of Tour Down Under
Jan 19 (Reuters) - Andre Greipel announced himself as a potential threat to sprint-king Mark Cavendish when the German claimed another impressive victory in the third stage of the Tour Down Under in Australia on Thursday.
Lotto-Belisol rider Greipel, a former lead-out man for Cavendish, outsprinted Belarussian Yauheni Hutarovich and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen to snatch the overall lead after the 134.5-km stage from Unley to Victor Harbor.
Greipel, third behind Cavendish at the 2011 world championships, beat his former team mate in the 10th stage of last year's Tour de France, and his improved sprinting style suggests he could be a more dangerous challenger to the Briton this season.
The powerful German paid tribute to his team mates, who for the second time after his stage one win, set up a perfect lead-out train.
"The most important point of today's race was the one kilometre to go mark," Greipel was quoted as saying by Cycling Weekly (www.cyclingweekly.co.uk).
"I asked my guys to put me there in fifth or sixth position, and they did."
Friday's fourth stage will take the peloton over 130 km from Norwood to Tanunda.
The Tour Down Under, the first World Tour (elite) race of the season, ends in Adelaide on Sunday.
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