Hushovd takes yellow jersey from Hincapie

ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE, Luxembourg – George Hincapie was Tour de France king for only a day, losing the overall lead and the yellow jersey that goes with it to accident-prone Norwegian Thor Hushovd on a sweltering day.

But there were no regrets. After seven years of watching his former boss, Lance Armstrong, wear yellow day-in, day-out, the genial American now hungry for his own glory was thrilled to have had the chance to savor the famed shirt for himself, if only for 24 hours.

“A really special feeling, something I’ve always wanted to do,” the veteran riding his 11th Tour said after slipping back from first to fourth in the overall standings on Monday’s stage two.

Hushovd got the shirt back in the same way that Hincapie had taken it off him – by sprinting for time bonuses along the 137-mile route.

Hushovd picked up four seconds that way, more than erasing Hincapie’s slim two-second lead, and then garnered eight more bonus seconds by placing third in the jostling sprint at the finish.