Cycling: Henderson opens doors with Spain stage win

The professional road career of New Zealand cyclist Greg Henderson accelerated today when he won the third stage of the Tour of Spain in the Netherlands.

The former world track champion became just the third New Zealander to achieve a stage victory in one of Europe's three "Grand Tours".

The others were Paul Jesson in the 1980 Tour of Spain and Chris Jenner, as part of a team time trial in the 2001 Tour de France.

Ready to perform his leadout sprint role and set up Columbia-HTC teammate Andre Greipel, Henderson found himself in a prime spot in the dying stages of today's flat 189km stage from Zutphen to Venlo and with Griepel nowhere to be seen.

The 32-year-old from Dunedin took full advantage, finishing nearly a bike length ahead of Slovenia's Borut Bozic, with Spaniard Oscar Freire third.

"There are three big tours in the year - the Tour de France, Tour of Italy, and this. All the champions are here today and I beat them all," Henderson told Radio Sport.

"I found myself in perfect position to sprint for the win, it's an absolutely amazing thing for me."

Henderson, 32, celebrated with a red wine with his teammates and earned the plaudits of roommate Greipel.

"He has done a lot for me in the season," the German told roadcycling.co.nz.

"I trust him and I know he is good so it's good. Today was good for him because he deserves to win."

Henderson has been content until now with his support role at Columbia-HTC but indicated that may soon change.

He is frustrated not to have received more opportunities, having been a late inclusion in this tour and being left out of their team for the Tour de France, a political decision which still irked.

"Sometimes it's out of your hands whether you ride some of these races," he said.

"There's a chance I might not be riding for this team next year. I might be going to another team next year and riding for myself. Watch this space."

Henderson admitted there was an element of luck in today's win, with Greipel and other top sprinters like Belgium's Tom Boonen and American Tyler Farrar flummoxed by a chicane, 500m from the stage finish, that split up the field .

However, he still had to call on the speed that took him to track victories in the 2002 Commonwealth Games points race and t he 2004 world championships scratch race.

Stage one winner Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland remains in the overall lead, by just six seconds from Henderson. Second stage winner Gerald Ciolek of Germany is a further 2sec back.

Henderson has now won four stages this year, with the others all coming in his adopted home country of Spain.

Four weeks ago Henderson celebrated the birth of his first child there, daughter Charlie. His wife is Australian Katie Mactier, a former world track champion.

The other New Zealand riders finished well back in the peleton today, with Julian Dean 54th and Tim Gudsell 154th.

The Tour of Spain finishes in Madrid on September 20.

- NZPA