Levi Leipheimer maintained the overall leader’s yellow jersey in the Tour of California despite a crash with
fellow American Lance Armstrong that sent Leipheimer tumbling off his bike.

Norwegian Thor Hushovd, of the Cervelo team, won the rain-hit third stage in a close sprint finish with Spaniard Oscar Freire and Australian Mark Renshaw.

“Our team did a great job today. I am really thankful,” Hushovd said. “With these three men around me I am looking forward to the future.”

Said Renshaw, “The dangerous conditions and the turns in the final circuit was where we let it come undone.”

Leipheimer has a 24 second lead in the overall classification ahead of Australian Michael Rogers and American David Zabriskie.

Once again the event was marked by bad weather as wind and rain pelted the riders on Tuesday.

Leipheimer went down hard early in the race after colliding with the back end of the bike of teammate Armstrong. Both Leipheimer and Armstrong ride for the Astana team.

Leipheimer hit the ground, causing a small pileup as other riders tried to avoid him. He stayed down for a few seconds but was not injured. He had to get a replacement bike before rejoining the stage.

Armstrong, who is 30 seconds behind Leipheimer, looked back briefly at
Leipheimer but remained on his bike.

“Another wet and nasty one,” Armstrong wrote on the social networking website Twitter.

Later Armstrong complained that American broadcaster Versus decided to show hockey instead of cycling.

“Heard from lots of folks that Versus cut off Tour of California coverage or hockey. Lame,” he wrote.

The fourth stage will takes the riders from on a 186km route from Merced to
Clovis, in central California.

Stage 3 top-five finishers:
1) Thor Hushovd (NOR), Cervelo Test Team
2) Oscar Freire (ESP), Rabobank
3) Mark Renshaw (AUS), Team Columbia-High Road
4) Tyler Farrar (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
5) Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team Columbia-High Road

General Classification top-five standings as of Stage 3:
1) Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
2) Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Comumbia-High Road
3) David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
4) Lance Armstrong (USA), Astana
5) Christopher Horner (USA), Astana

Stage 3 jersey winners include:
Amgen Race Leader Jersey- Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey- Bradley White (USA), OUCH Presented by Maxxis
Herbalife Sprint Jersey- Francisco Mancebo (ESP), Rock Racing
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey- Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank
California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey- Bauke Mollema (NED), Rabobank