Schumacher shake-up

Schumacher's Gerolsteiner team-mate Davide Rebellin took second-place in a sprint after helping propel the German out of a group that included world champion Paolo Bettini, former winner Danilo Di Luca and ProTour champion Alejandro Valverde.

Italy's Di Luca claimed third in the sprint among the favourites in front of Tour de France stage winner Matthias Kessler, perennial contender Michael Boogerd, Valverde and Bettini.

At 25, the improving Schumacher underlined his Tour de France credentials.

Italy's Davide Rebellin, 21 seconds adrift, was second for a Gerolsteiner one-two. Another Italian, last year's ProTour winner Danilo Di Luca, finished third, a further second away.

Schumacher was one of a group of seven who went clear with 20 kms left and made the decisive break two kms from the end.

A winner of the Tour of Poland, the Tour of Benelux and two stages of the Giro d'Italia in 2006, the German told reporters: "I was not too sure of myself today but I felt better and better.

"Near the end, I knew I could count on the support of Rebellin, who did a great job and made it possible for me to move."