Tour de France Stage 6 – Will Sagan end the drought?

Starting in Abbeville, the Tour de France Stage 6 is one of the longer stages in this year’s tour covering 191.5kms before finishing in Le Harve, on the coast of France. In between the start and finish, 7 coastal towns will be visited by the tour. Despite being classified as a plain stage, do not expect this to be all plain and simple for the sprinters.

The stage has 3 climbs, all Category 4. So there will be a solitary point for the first person up so there really won’t be any competition in the King of the Mountains classifications. 145.5kms into the stage will see the stage’s intermediate sprint up a small hill. Despite being inclined, it should not be a problem for most sprinters, given their power over short distances, especially if their lead out is good.

The stage might be the one Sagan is looking for to end his winless drought. He has not won a stage in the Tour since 2013. 500ms before the finish, the riders need to make a 900m climb up a hill which has a 7% gradient. While it suits Sagan perfectly, the other sprinters should no issue, especially when being paced by more proficient mountain climbers.

The biggest obstacle as seen in the last couple of stages will be the winds. With most of the stage being cycled near the Northern coast of France, expect strong winds from the English Channel to continually blow across the field. This might make it interesting as the riders who might fall down the order early, will have a tough task of making up the field.

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The General Classification Top 20 looks like

The Points Classification top 20 looks like

The Jersey’s that will be worn for Stage 6

Yellow Jersey (Maillot Juane)

For the first time in this year’s tour, the Yellow Jersey remains on the shoulders of the pervious stage’s wearer. There were no changes at the top of the order in the General Classification and Tony Martin continues to lead the way over Chris Froome and Tejay van Garderen. He will be hoping if he can keep it till the first rest day after Stage 9.

Green Jersey (Maillot Vert)

Andre Greipel continues to dominate this classification with his second stage victory and strong finishes on the intermediate sprints. Stage 6 might see his lead reduced drastically, as the finish suits Peter Sagan more than any other sprinter

White Jersey (Maillot Blanc)

Peter Sagan continues to lead the young rider’s classification and sits 4 overall. However, with him targeting the Green Jersey, he may not be in white once the second week starts. However, expect him to continue to hold this jersey till stage 10 at the very least.

King of the Mountains Jersey (Polka Dot )

Stage 6 might see a challenge to Joachim Rodriguez’s King of the Mountains Jersey. It is likely to be unsuccessful. There are 3, Category 4 climbs in today’s stage and with a solitary point for the first to the summit of each climb, only 4 other riders have points in the Mountain climbing classification. Unless there is a real strong rider in the breakaway, expect Rodriguez to come onto the podium at the end of the stage.

Best Team

Continuing their strong performances, BMC maintain their lead in the team classifications over Etixx-Quick Step with a 24 second margin. They would need that buffer for the upcoming Team Time Trial. BMC will be noticeable with the numbers in the yellow background and wearing yellow helmets (otherwise their red and black team outfit is anyways easy to spot)

Most Combative Rider

Michael Matthews will be wearing the red number for his efforts on stage 5. After a brutal crash, he has soldiered on through 2 stages, not willing to give up despite having 2 broken ribs and several cuts and bruises. This might just be the only positive thing for Orica GreenEDGE, with 2 of their riders now withdrawn from the tour and Matthews not in the best of health.