Pinerolo, Italy, July 20, 2011 (AFP) – Rising star Edvald Boasson Hagen
kept Team Sky’s Tour de France campaign bubbling over by claiming his second
stage win, and Norway’s fourth of the race on Wednesday.

Boasson Hagen opened his and Team Sky’s account on the world’s premier
cycling event with victory on stage six in Lisieux.

That victory helped soothe the British outfit’s wounds a day after team
leader Bradley Wiggins, an outsider for the yellow jersey, crashed out of the
race with a broken collarbone.

A day after his runner-up finish to Thor Hushovd when the Norwegian took
his second win of the race in Gap, Boasson Hagen had stage 17 etched in his
mind.

“I felt a bit disappointed yesterday to not win,” said Boasson Hagen.

“I really wanted the win today and I really tried to get into the break.”

Joining a breakaway which had to fight to escape the peloton over some
difficult climbs, the Norwegian then helped chase down Spaniard Ruben Perez
after the Euskaltel rider attacked on the second last climb of the day.

With the stage leaders all back together ahead of the 6.6 km final climb at
Pramartino, Boasson Hagen pulled away past Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel before
beginning the very tight and tricky 8 km descent to the finish.

Jonathan Hivert of Saur-Sojasun had managed to stick on his wheel, before
the Frenchman tumbled on the descent and lost control further down when he
entered a roadside driveway.

Boasson Hagen powered away unchallenged to the finish where he crossed over
40secs ahead of Dutchman Bauke Mollema.

Although it was a battle just to get into the breakaway, Boasson Hagen
revealed he had circled the stage as a possible winner after previewing it
with Team Sky.

“We did the route in training earlier on this year and I was thinking about
this stage. I had a plan and everything was perfect,” he added.

Sky sports director Sean Yates added: “That was a top notch performance
from Eddy and from the team. He has the legs, he showed that yesterday. Today
he won with his legs as well as his head.

“He was very motivated. After yesterday he was a bit peeved about the
result but there was nothing he could do about that. But regardless today he
made amends. It was a big result.”