Yesterday proved Phinney
was the best climber in this race, winning the stage to Mont Ventoux with about a minute on Contador
The Spaniard and others must then look to stages like today's to claim back time on the American.
Stage 6 is a hilly 181 kilometers long race. The major obstacle is Col du Corobin, a second categorized climb, only 15 kilometers from the finishing line. After the mountain follows a technical descent, meaning it should be all about the climb and getting a gap there. After yesterday’s big efforts from the GC riders this could also be a day for a breakaway. The riders are blessed with a nice weather another day and we’re ready to roll.
The stage favourites are Gesink Valverde Spilak
As can be seen on the formation the five early attackers have made, it’s a lot of wind today, meaning positioning back in the peloton will be important. Those with ambitions to get back time on Phinney
must hope it’s a tailwind on the final climb. The five escapees are Krasnoperov Hacecký Passalacqua Facci Geslin
It’s a strong breakaway with Krasnoperov
being best placed in the GC, in 16th, 11’16 behind the American race leader. They have a gap 2’12 after 10 kilometers of racing.
Geslin
has five mountain points from previous stages and is allowed to add up another five at the first mountain sprint of the day 157 kilometers away from home. The five leaders have extended their lead to a big 8’20 already!
Geslin
grabs another five mountain points with 135 kilometers left, giving him a total of 15 points, which is a provisional second in the mountain classification. More importantly, the breakaway’s gap is up to 9’40!
Passalacqua
goes first through the intermediate sprint 115 kilometers away from home, which marks the end of the early climbing. Now a long descent awaits the riders.
Back in the peloton
has picked up the pace, knowing this is a golden opportunity for Valverde
The breakaway’s advantage is down to 7’50 111 kilometers from the finishing line. Geslin
makes sure he gets another five mountain points with 83 kilometers left, as he attacks well before the points are given and comfortably wins it. Their gap is down to 6’05 with 83 kilometers left to race.
Project 1t4i
is all over the head of the peloton now, clearly looking for revenge for their team leader Gesink
after yesterday’s incredibly weak performance by the Dutch rider. They’re putting on a determined chase, bringing the gap down to 5’10 73 kilometers away from home.
Facci
rolls through the last intermediate sprint of the day 49 kilometers from the finishing line, and the five escapees have managed to adjust to the peloton’s new pace, as the gap isn’t really coming down. Their advantage is 4’35.
It’s a lot of crosswind for the peloton with 31 kilometers left, as shown by Wikipedia
at the front. But they aren’t really chasing, just keeping the breakaway at an acceptable distance, as their gap is still 4’20. This is a great opportunity for the escapees!
The breakaway starts to climb with 20.8 kilometers to the finishing line, and knowing 15 of them are mostly downhill, this is looking absolutely great for them! Their gap back to the peloton is 3’30.
Back in the peloton Wikipedia
surprisingly slows down big time as they start to climb, and Martin Keinath Valverde
immediately takes adavantage of that and attacks!
And there you see the reason! Phinney
is attacking himself. It’s also a clever tactical call, as his team mates blocks second overall Spilak
when he tries to follow.
20 kilometers to go and Contador Gesink
launch an attack to join the American and the other favourites who have attacked! It’s the Wiggle duo Pavarin Scarponi
setting a steady pace at the front of the bunch.
It only results in all the favourites being caught, which sees Contador
launch again! He’s doing his best to gain some valuable time on Phinney
But the strong crosswind makes it strong to stay away, and it only leads to the breakaway being caught 19.200 meters from the finish. That’s rather amazing as they led the peloton with 3’30 1.600 meters ago.
Gesink
takes advantage of the hesitation that comes when the catch is made, and attacks clear! This is a strong attack as well, he quickly gets half a minute lead, and he’s still attacking!
He’s companied by Valverde
and together they’re looking to build a good lead back to the peloton. It’s 2.700 meters left of climbing with 17.9 kilometers to the finishing line.
Italian puncheur Di Maggio
puts in a strong effort and catches the leading duo 900 meters later. And their gap back to the peloton is growing, now being 41 second!
Spilak
then decides he can’t wait anymore, and puts in an attack 1.100 meters from the top of the climb!
Sicard Phinney
are on the front of the peloton trying to chase him down.
It’s a strong attack by the Slovenian, but the problem is that he sits up when catching Gesink Valverde
who have stopped racing and given Di Maggio
a nice gap! They seem to just be waiting for the others!
Di Maggio
says thanks and pushes hard over the top! This is his big chance to get his first Pro Tour win.
Valverde Gesink Spilak
follow 30 seconds behind, but they will need to co-operate well, as none of them are good descenders, if they’re going to stay clear of the bunch.
It’s Phinney
leading the bunch over the climb a minute behind Di Maggio
and 30 seconds behind the dangerous trio. But wait, what’s this? It’s Anza
putting in an extremely weird attack as they go over the top. He and Valverde
can’t be best friends!
Di Maggio
is looking superb descending! He is just extending his lead. Only 9.700 meters from his biggest win he leads the trio with 55 seconds! The peloton is another 30 seconds behind. This should be the stage winner!
Back in the bunch, which consists of 28 riders, desperation is a fitting word as all the GC riders come to the front trying to shut down Di Maggio
Spilak Valverde Gesink
It’s Van Den Broeck De la Fuente Valls Phinney Pinot Rabon Martin
doing their best at the front.
They’re 40 seconds behind the trio 8 kilometers from the finishing line.
Spilak
sees the peloton coming closer and attacks 3.8 kilometers away from home! The peloton is only 30 seconds behind Valverde Gesink
But this must be Di Maggio’s
big day! He storms into the final 1600 meters 43 seconds ahead of Spilak. This can’t go wrong!
Spilak
has been able to pull out a gap of 25 seconds to Valverde Gesink
going under the one kilometer banner, with the peloton and race leader Phinney
being another 31 seconds behind. This looks like a great move to consolidate his second place in the general classification, but he can’t catch Di Maggio
who has extended his lead to 52 seconds!
The unofficial clock shows Spilak
is 46 seconds behind, but he has managed to gap everyone else, meaning he should be looking to get a good gap behind.
Then Valverde Gesink
is likely to be given the same time, eventhough there’s an eight seconds gap between them.
Valverde
gets the podium place crossing the line 1’18 behind the stage winner.
The peloton comes close to Gesink in the sprint, with Caruso
leading the way getting fourth on the stage. He’s followed by Anza Augustyn Rabon Rabottini Van Den Broeck Sicard
Phinney
comes home safe in this group and secures his yellow jersey. But we don’t really know if any time gaps will be recorded from Valverde
and behind, and we will have to wait for the time keepers to decide what the gaps should be.
All riders in the top 10 are safely home, but 11th and 12th, Scarponi Eastman
have lost valuable time today, crossing the finish line four minutes behind the Italian stage winner. That’s no good for either of them, as they were looking good for a nice overall placing after yesterday’s tough stage to Mont Ventoux.
The time keepers are nice to the peloton and Phinney
They are given the same time as Valverde
in third! That can’t be what the three late attackers hoped for when gapping the peloton on Col du Corobin.
Stage results
1
Cesare Di Maggio
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
5h22'04
2
Simon Spilak
Aker - MOT
+ 49
3
Alejandro Valverde
Koenigsegg
+ 1'21
4
Robert Gesink
Project 1t4i
s.t.
5
Damiano Caruso
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
6
Santo Anza
Koenigsegg
s.t.
7
John-Lee Augustyn
Aker - MOT
s.t.
8
Frantisek Rabon
Milka - AVG
s.t.
9
Matteo Rabottini
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
10
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
11
Romain Sicard
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
12
Kleber Silva
Pendleton's
s.t.
13
Rafael Valls
Santander
s.t.
14
William Walker
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
15
Maciej Paterski
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
16
Anthony Roux
Team Bacardi
s.t.
17
Nico Keinath
Team B&O
s.t.
18
Taylor Phinney
Wikipedia
s.t.
19
Johannes Frohlinger
Project 1t4i
s.t.
20
Sergio Ghisalberti
Team Bintang
s.t.
21
Alberto Contador
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
22
Gianluca Brambilla
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
23
David De la Fuente
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
24
Jose Alarcon
Team Bintang
s.t.
25
Sebastien Einsle
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
26
Thibaut Pinot
Wikipedia
s.t.
27
Manuel Lloret
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
28
Daniel Martin
Pendleton's
s.t.
29
Michael Albasini
UBS - BMC
s.t.
30
Konstantin Siutsou
Pendleton's
s.t.
31
Ioannis Tamouridis
Festina-Canal+
s.t.
32
Marcello Pavarin
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
33
Ran Margaliot
Simply Red Bull
+ 4'11
34
Salvatore Mancuso
Team Bacardi
s.t.
35
Jelle Wallays
Pokerstars.com
s.t.
36
Amaël Moinard
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
37
Ryan Eastman
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
38
Gracjan Lejman
Team Bintang
s.t.
39
Mauro Facci
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
40
Paolo Scarponi
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
41
Martin Hacecký
Team B&O
s.t.
42
Michał Kwiatkowski
Team B&O
+ 5'03
43
Valerio Agnoli
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
44
Alberigo Passalacqua
Pro Team Venchi - Sugoi
s.t.
45
Kenny Elissonde
Wikipedia
+ 5'59
46
Dominique Nerz
Team Puma - SAP
+ 7'21
47
Petar Panayotov
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
48
Artem Topchanyuk
Aker - MOT
s.t.
49
Sebastien Reichenbach
UBS - BMC
s.t.
50
Johann Tschopp
UBS - BMC
s.t.
51
Hubert Schwab
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
52
George Bennett
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
53
Ethan Weiss
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
