Farrar’s Independence Day win for tragic Weylandt

TYLER FARRAR celebrated an emotional and long-awaited Tour de France stage win with an American Independence Day victory in Brittany yesterday.

But on a day that should have been a celebration, Farrar’s thoughts were with his friend Wouter Weylandt. The Belgian, who won the third stage of the Giro d’Italia in 2010, was killed on the same stage this year.

“This one is for Wouter,” Farrar said. “ It’s been a rough few months for me since, but I wanted to be good here in the Tour and try to do something to remember him and so I’m happy that I was able to do it.”

The 27-year-old Garmin-Cervelo sprinter, led out by world champion and yellow jersey wearer Thor Hushovd, won the 198km stage from Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar).

England’s Mark Cavendish was stripped of the 10 points he gained in yesterday’s intermediate sprint for clashing with Hushovd, who was also punished, and later complained of being impeded by Romain Feillu on the final corner.

Farrar, a perennial runner-up in France in three Tours, became the 12th Tour stage winner from the USA — but the first to triumph on July 4.

“I’ve been chasing this win for a few years now. I’ve come close a lot and to finally get it is a huge relief. We won yesterday and that was already incredible — it was already a dream come true, just to stand on the Tour podium — but to do it again today, I just can’t even comprehend it. I think we showed that we also have a strong train.

“It’s been a dream since I was a child and it’s finally come true. It’s incredible for me – I had the world champion who is wearing the maillot jaune leading out the sprint for me. It’s not a common sight but when you have that happening you have to do a good sprint. And to win on July 4 is just another sign of how well it’s all come together.”

The overall rankings were unchanged, with Hushovd retaining the lead ahead of teammate David Millar, with Cadel Evans one second behind in third and Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas four seconds back.

But the overall rankings could be disturbed after today’s 172.5km fourth stage from Lorient to Mur de Bretagne. The sprinters will have to wait for further opportunities, much to the frustration of Cavendish.

“I was fighting with Rojas into the last corner and kamikaze Feillu came flying in. I thought I was going to crash, I thought I was coming down.”