Back to 2013 Tour de France | Photos from Stage 6 (posted below results and maps) |

Thursday, July 4: Stage 6: Aix en Provence - Montpellier, 176.5 km

Rated Ascent:

• Km 68: Col de la Vayède, 0.7 km @ 7% gradient, Category 4

Weather: At the finish in Montpellier, 12 noon local time: 27c (81f) with some clouds, rising later in the day to 30c (86f) and full sun. Wind from the north-northwest at 21kph (13mph). A chance of very strong winds from the north during the stage's middle kilometers. Humidity 37%

The Race: Lotto-Belisol GC hope Jurgen Van den Broeck (injured knee) and Maxime Bouet (broken wrist) did not start stage 6 after crashing in stage 5, leaving 193 riders in the race. Later Frederik Kessiakoff and Nacer Bouhanni succumbed to their injuries and climbed off their bikes.

Almost from the start Cofidis rider Luis Maté blasted off the front, but he never found any playmates. After 44 solo km off the front he gave up the fight and the pack was all together. The pace stayed high (almost 50 kph during the third hour) with no breakawayss and Orica-GreenEdge doing most of the pacing.

At 20 km to go the pack was still unified with Saxo-Tinkoff, Sky and Belkin doing the pacemaking. Mark Cavendish had crashed but was quickly back in the bunch. At 12 km to go Omega Pharma began to assert itself at the front. Late in the stage the various sprinter's squads started jostling and bumping elbows for a place at the front.

Lotto-Belisol led under the one-km kite. That worked for Lotto, Greipel crossed the line first with Peter Sagan on his wheel. Cavendish and Marcel Kittel were in the fight but they too couldn't come around. Cavendish was surely slowed by his late crash and chase back into the bunch.

A five-second split in the field after 16th place moved Daryl Impey into the Yellow Jersey.

Results: 191 classified finishers

1. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) 3hr 59min 2sec. 44.3 km/hr
2. Peter Sagan (Cannondale) s.t.
3. Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
4. Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
5. Juan José Lobato (Euskaltel) s.t.
6. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) s.t.
7. José Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) s.t.
8. Danny van Poppel (Vacansoleil) s.t.
9. Roberto Ferrari (Lampre-Merida) s.t.
10. Samuel Dumoulin (Ag2r) s.t.
11. Cyril Lemoine (Sojasun) s.t.
12. Edvald Boasson Hagen (sky) s.t.
13. Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
14. Juna Antonio Flecha (Vacansoleil) s.t.
15. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
16. Gregory Henderson (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
17. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 5sec
18. Christopher Froome (Sky) s.t.
19. Richie Porte (Sky) s.t.
20. Jack Bauer (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
21. Gorka Izaguirre (Euskaltel) s.t.
22. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) s.t.
23. Jean Marc Marino (Sojasun) s.t.
24. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) s.t.
25. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) s.t.
26. Rui Alberto Costa (Movistar) s.t.
27. Roman Kreuziger (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
28. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
29. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
30. Andreas Klöden (Radio Shack) s.t.
31. Igor Anton (Euskaltel) s.t.
32. Nicolas Roche (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
33. Gatis Smukulis (Katusha) s.t.
34. Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
35. Pavel Brutt (Katusha) s.t.
36. Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
37. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) s.t.
38. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) s.t.
39. Jean Christophe Péraud (Ag2r) s.t.
40. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack) s.t.
41. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
42. Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
43. Michael Schär (BMC) s.t.
44. William Bonnet (FDJ) s.t.
45. Arnold Jeannesson (FDJ) s.t.
46. Thomas Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
47. Tom Veelers (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
48. Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
49. Lars Boom (Belkin) s.t.
50. Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) s.t.

General Classification: 994.5 km raced so far.

1. Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) 22hr 18min 17sec
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 3sec
3. Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 5sec
4. Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
5. Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 6sec
6. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
7. Christopher Froome (Sky) @ 8sec
8. Richie Porte (Sky) s.t.
9. Nicolas Roche (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 14sec
10. Roman Kreuziger (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
11. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
12. Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
13. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) @ 22sec
14. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
15. Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belsiol) s.t.
16. Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
17. Thomas Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
18. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 25sec
19. Rui Alberto Costa (Movistar) s.t.
20. Nairo Alexander Quintana (Movistar) s.t.
21. Andrey Amador (Movistar) s.t.
22. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 31sec
23. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) s.t.
24. Tejay Van Gareren (BMC) s.t.
25. Amaël Moinard (BMC) s.t.
26. Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack) @ 33sec
27. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) s.t.
28. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) s.t.
29. Juan Antonio Flecha (Vacansoleil) s.t.
30. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) s.t.
31. Peter Sagan (Cannondale) @ 34sec
32. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack) s.t.
33. Andy Schleck (Radio Shack) s.t.
34. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack) s.t.
35. Andreas Klöden (Radio Shack) s.t.
36. Wouter Poels Vacansoleil) @ 38sec
37. Bauke Mollema (Belkin) @ 42sec
38. Laurens Ten Dam (Belkin) s.t.
39. Lars-Peter Nirdhaug (Belkin) s.t.
40. Bram Tankink (Belkin) s.t.
41. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) @ 47sec
42. Arnold Jeannesson (FDJ) s.t.
43. Alexandre Geniez (FDJ) s.t.
44. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) @ 1min 1sec
45. Jean-Christophe Péraud (Ag2r) @ 1min 9sec
46. Romain Bardet (Ag2r) s.t.
47. John Gadret (Ag2r) s.t.
48. Julien Simon (Sojasun) @ 1min 15sec
49. Maxime Mederel (Sojasun) s.t.
50. Brice Feillu (Sojasun) s.t.

Climber:

1. Pierre Rolland (Europcar): 10 popints
2. Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge): 5
3. Blel Kadri (Ag2r): 5
4. Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil): 4
5. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel): 3

Points:

1. Peter Sagan (Cannondale): 159 points
2. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol): 130
3. Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step): 119
4. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha): 111
5. Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano): 87

Young Rider:

1. Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) 22hr 18min 23sec
2. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) @ 16sec
3. Nairo Alexander Quintana (Movistar) @ 19sec
4. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) @ 25sec
5. Peter Sagan (Cannondale) @ 28sec

Team Classification:

1. Orica-GreenEdge: 66hr 3min 4sec
2. Sky @ 8sec
3. Saxo-Tinkoff @ 19sec
4. Movistar @ 25sec
5. Garmin-Sharp @ 27sec

Stage 6 map

Stage 6 profile

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Photos from Stage 6:

Simon Gerrans before the start

Boy and Danny van Poppel

Nacer Bouhanni wouldn't finish the stage

Michael Schär

John Gadret is sporting a serious summer haircut

Jens Voigt

I don't think Bernard Hinault has had to hit or throw anyone off the podium so far this year.

With one km to go, Lotto-Belisol leads

Yellow Jersey Simon Gerrans in his last moments as the Tour's leader.

A clean win for André Greipel

Here's the crucial gap. Gregory Henderson celebrates teammate Greipel's stage win. But there is a gap to Cadel Evans (in red/black). Everyone who crossed in Evan's group (including Simon Gerrans) was given a time 5 seconds slower than Greipel. Hence, Gerrans give up the Yellow Jersey to Daryl Impey who was in front of Henderson.

Stage winner Andé Greipel

New GC leader Daryl Impey