Hushovd to retire at end of the season

PARIS (Reuters) - Norway's former world champion and double Tour de France green jersey winner Thor Hushovd will retire at the end of the season, drawing the curtain on a sparkling 15-year professional career.

Hushovd, who made his professional debut in 2000 with French team Cofidis, won the world championships' road race in 2010.

A one-day race specialist with great sprinting abilities, Hushovd twice claimed the points classification green jersey on the Tour, in 2005 and 2009.

He won 10 Tour de France stages and also won the points classification at the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) in 2006.

The 36-year-old Hushovd won three stages on the Vuelta and one stage on the Giro d'Italia, also wearing the Tour de France yellow jersey in 2011.

He was left out of his BMC team's Tour de France roster this year.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by John O'Brien)