What a Ryder. Canadian Hesjedal help teammate to stage win at Tour de France

GAP, France – Canadian Ryder Hesjedal set up teammate Thor Hushovd to win the 16th stage of the Tour de France.

The 30-year-old from Victoria launched an attack about halfway through Tuesday’s 162.5-kilometre stage.

There were just three men left as the finish line neared. And with just metres to go, the Canadian led out Hushovd – his Garmin-Cervelo teammate.

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The Norwegian star zipped past Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen to win the stage. Hesjedal was third.

Hesjedal was seventh in last year’s race, when he had two fourth-place individual stage finishes.

The Canadian moved up four places to 28th overall after his heroics Tuesday and stands 20 minutes 36 seconds behind leader Thomas Voeckler of France.

Three-time champion Alberto Contador attacked in the final climb on the route from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Gap – and clawed back 18 seconds on the French leader. Contador emerged in sixth spot overall, 3:42 behind Voeckler.