Kirsipuu avenges poor
season with Tour win

Estonian Jaan Kirsipuu won his third Tour de France stage on Thursday to turn around a disappointing season.

Kirsipuu, who was knocked down by a car in March, won the 195-kilometre fifth stage from Soissons to Rouen, outsprinting the other four riders that had been part of a breakaway group.

Dane Michael Sandstod was second and Belgian Ludo Dierckxsens third. The other two riders, Italian Stefano Casagranda and France's Christophe Edaleine were fourth and fifth respectively.

"They all attacked me during the finish and I was very tired," the 32-year-old AG2r team leader said.

"It's not the sprinter in me who won. It was the victory of courage," he said.

Sandstod and former Belgian champion Diexckxsens both tried to surge in turn in the last five kilometres, knowing they stood no chance against Kirsipuu in the sprint.

"It's a fine revenge over a bad season and it will now leave my team mates free from any pressure," added Kirsipuu, whose AG2r team had received a wildcard from the organisers and had to justify their presence in the race.

The Estonian has raced very little this season because of his accident. As a result, he has had few opportunities to add to his tally of victories.

Thursday's win was the 96th victory of his career and makes him the fourth most successful active rider.

Kirsipuu has had two previous Tour stage wins -- in 1999, when he held the yellow jersey for six days, and in 2001.

TWO WITHDRAWALS

Spaniard Igor Gonzalez Galdeano retained the overall leader's yellow jersey he took on Wednesday after his ONCE team won the team time trial in Chateau-Thierry.

Gonzalez Galdeano finished within the main bunch, who reached Rouen 33 seconds behind the leading pack, which had parted company with the rest of the peloton 86 kms from the finish.

The longest ride in the Tour so far was marred by the first two withdrawals of the race this year.

Belgian champion Tom Steels called it quits halfway through after four days of struggling.

"He did not have any strength left and decided it was useless to go on," said his Mapei team director Serge Parsani.

Steels, a three times Belgian champion, had won nine stages on the Tour in recent seasons.

Italian Marco Pinotti was later forced out of the race when he was involved in a bad crash at the back of the bunch with 30 kms left to go in the stage.

The Lampre Daikin rider spent several minutes lying on the road and was later taken to hospital suffering from concussion.

"It was nasty because he had deep cuts to his face and bled a lot. But it should not be too bad," said Tour doctor Gerard Porte.

Belgian Rik Verbrugghe was also hurt in the crash but managed to finish the stage.

Friday's sixth stage takes the 187 remaining riders from the spa town of Forges-les-Eaux to Alencon over 199 kms.