Norwegian Thor Hushovd reclaimed the yellow jersey after Australian Robbie McEwen outsprinted world champion Tom Boonen to win the second stage of the Tour de France.
McEwen claimed a ninth career stage victory by beating Boonen in a mass finish to the 228.5km stage from Obernai to Esch-sur-Alzette after a crash allowed Matthias Kessler to be caught in the closing stages.
Hushovd finished third to take the leader's jersey from American George Hincapie after narrowly avoiding a high-speed crash when his left foot popped out of the pedal in the closing stages.
Boonen and Hushovd had earlier battled it out for intermediate sprint points and time bonuses on a long hot day to Luxembourg.
McEwen leads Hushovd and Boonen in the race for the sprinters' green jersey.
'(Erik) Zabel and (Stuart) O'Grady went first and I didn't want to leave it too late like yesterday and so I went for it,' McEwen told Eurosport.
'At one point, I clipped Hushovd with my feet but I just kept going. I felt great in the sprint and my team did an excellent job for me, as always. I lost a little footing in the sprint but I made it despite having Boonen and Hushovd right on my wheel.
'I didn't want to wait for them. I didn't do any intermediate sprints today to save myself for the finish and the big points.
'The most important thing is to win a stage, then it's about winning a second. Then it's the fight for the green jersey. I have lost the green jersey twice in my career,' McEwen added. 'This year I want to take it.
