Robbie McEwen has taken the green jersey from fellow Australian Baden Cooke in the 18th stage of the Tour de France after beating him in a finish line sprint.

McEwen, who won the sprinters' jersey for the first time last year after beating six-time consecutive winner Erik Zabel, now has a two-point lead over 24-year-old fdjeux.com rider Cooke ahead of Sunday's final stage.

Saturday's 49km time trial, where the yellow jersey is set to be won or lost, does not count towards the points competition.

The 31-year-old McEwen had gone in search of the jersey from the off and took all six points for the first rider at the first intermediate sprint - ahead of Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong - to pull level on 169 points with Cooke.

Spain's Pablo Lastras, of the Ibanesto.com team, won the 18th stage, with McEwen bursting impressively over the finish line ahead of Zabel and Cooke in 17th place to claim the finish line bonus points.

McEwen, with 178 points, now leads Cooke, on 176, with Zabel in third on 165.

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