Millar time yet to come as break fails to pay off

BRITAIN’S David Millar came agonisingly close to a third Tour de France stage victory of his career as Norway’s Thor Hushovd won a sprint finish to win Stage Six yesterday.

Millar, who rides for Garmin-Slipstream, was part of an early three-man breakaway group that had grown to four before he launched a solo bid for the win with 29km remaining.

The Scot was swallowed up by the peloton just over a kilometre from the line and Hushovd took the wheel of Oscar Freire before powering through to win the 181km stage from Girona to Barcelona.