RUSSIAN Slava Ekimov, riding for the US Postal team, won the 91-mile sixth stage of the Round-Britain Prutour race from Bristol to Reading when he broke clear of a group of 13 riders with one kilometre to go.
Race leader Stuart O'Grady, of Australia, led in the chasing group, and won the bunch sprint for second spot from Andre Korff, of Festina.
It was 33-year-old Ekimov's first win in a year and later he said: ''It was difficult to get away from the group, but with one kilometre to go I decided to make my move. Fortunately it worked out.''
Ekimov, who won a stage of the Tour de France in 1991, has a reputation for possessing an explosive finish. It proved true as he shot clear from the group which included the big boys of Gan - Boardman and O'Grady - and stayed clear to the finish. His winning time was 3hr 30min 17sec with the next 12 riders placed one second behind.
O'Grady who won two of the day's four sprints, picked up six seconds bonus and increased his lead over team-mate Boardman to 36 seconds.
Polish rider Dariusz Baranowski of the US Postal team is third 48 seconds further away with Aussie Neil Stephens fourth. Top placed British rider is Team Brite's Chris Newton, winner of several of this year's Premier Calendar events, who is in eighth spot.
Former Commonwealth Games road champion Graeme Miller picked up a #1000 cheque for winning the Anniversary Sprint.
The start of the race was marked by two minutes silence for PC Dave Hopkins, the policeman tragically killed during Thursday's stage.
It seemed to affect the riders who rode along at a slow pace for about 45 miles. After that it was Gan who took over, challenging other teams to take them on until Ekimov slipped away and spoiled things for the race's top team.
Today's 105 mile stage from Chessington in Surrey to Medway in Kent is the last chance US Postal and Festina riders have to challenge Gan's supremacy.
Stage result: 1, V Ekimov, US Postal Service, 3hr 30min 17sec; 2, S O'Grady, Gan, 3-30-18; 3, A Korff, Festina; 4, C Dacruz, BigMat; 5, C Boardman, Gan; 6, N Stephens, Festina; 7, D Baranwoski, US Postal; 8, B Smith, Scotland, all same time.
Overall: 1, S O'Grady, 21hr 17min 4sec; 2, C Boardman, 21-17-40; 3, D Baranowski, US Postal, 21-17-52; 4, N Stephens, Festina, 21-18-03; 5, T Hamilton, 21-18-52; 6, C Dacruz; 8, C Newton, Team Brite, 21-18-47.
King of the mountains: J Vaughters, US Postal, 86 points; 2, J Vogt, Gan, 60 points; 3, C Walker, Team Brite, 45 points.
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