Thor Hushovd wins Stage 3 at Tour of Missouri

Last 10 minutes of Stage 3 of Tour of Missouri

Hard work by Team Columbia and Garmin Slipstream didn't pay off at the Tour of Missouri on Wednesday as Norwegian Thor Hushovd survived at the front of a rolling finish into Rolla to take Stage 3.

Columbia's Mark Cavendish couldn't get through to the front of the mass sprint in Rolla. His finish position put him in a virtual tie with Hushovd for the overall race lead, although he'll wear the leader's jersey on Thursday because he has two wins to Hushovd's one. [Not so. The judges gave the overall lead to Hushovd, who wore the yellow on Thursday.]

A three-man breakaway — including Garmin cyclists Michael Friedman and William Frischkorn and Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) — stayed out front for most of the 114-mile bike race that began in Farmington.

As two-stage winner Cavendish had the overall lead, Team Columbia worked at the front of the peloton until after the breakaway was caught near the finish.

OUCH, Saxo Bank, and Garmin all took a shot at controlling the lead-out, but Hushovd's Cervelo team was the most successful.

With less than a kilometer to go, Columbia's George Hincapie, with Cavendish on his wheel, tried to chase down the Cervelo rider in front. What followed were attacks on the right and the left, but Hushovd took the sprint.

The Norwegian has been climbing the ladder with 3rd place in Stage 1, 2nd in Stage 2 and now 1st in Stage 3. Another resident of the Top 3 the past three days, Juan Jose Haedo of Saxo Bank, finished in 2nd.

Thursday's Stage 4 looks like another typical Missouri road ride with never-ending, thigh-busting rollers all the way from St. James to Jefferson City.

A replay of highlights will be available on Versus tonight and Universal Sports and Tour of Missouri will carry the action live on Thursday. See details about upcoming Tour of Missouri broadcasts and videostreams.