The big mountains are behind us, lots of focus for the GC candidates will now be on stage 7's 29km individual Time Trial. However is a rather bumpy road ahead of us and while none of the three stages before then are rated as hilly they will test the riders somewhat.
Today we have two second category climbs in the first half of the race which gives KOM point hunters something to aim for and a late 3rd category climb before we get today's finish in Wolfsberg.
As we head to the first climb the pack are still together and the first attacks are only in the last 1500 metres of the slopes as some of the riders well placed in the KOM comp go for points.
Bragazzi (Unicredit) and Petrov (Tinkoff) make a move
These two on 34 KOM points and 40 KOM points respectively, not so far behind current KOM leader, GC number one Jose Serpa. As they go for the prime a number of other riders Valls (Santander), Txurruka (Youtube), Rohregger (Telenor) and Vangenechten (Bimbo Nutella) go for the points on offer.
Petrov gets the maximum to move into the KOM lead
Petrov moves into the lead on 50 points, Bragazzi nabs second to move to second overall on 43 points. Valls takes third, Txurruka 4th, Rohregger 5th and Vangenechten 6th as the rest of the point grabbers.
Still no moves from the peleton leads us to the two sprints between the 2nd category climbs, so a different set of riders come forward for the sprints. Santander have the best one here this time for Galdos.
Trains setting us up for the sprint
Galdos takes the sprint ahead if Tinkoff's Trusov and Unicredits stage one winner Napilitano.
Galdos takes the 1st sprint
He grabs the second sprint too, in fact it is exactly the same result as the first even if the riders are closer together this time.
Galdos takes the second sprint too
It means that Van den Broeck remians the points leader for now on 50 points with Napitilano on 49 points well clear of Sabido on 41 points, Trusov on 40 points and Galdos on 38 points.
On this second sprint a couple of riders slip away seperately, first Telenors Wilman and second Riberio of Benfica.
Telenor and Benfica send representatives up the road
Wilman uses the chance to nab the top points on the second 2nd category climb of the day moving him up to 24 KOM pts. Riberio gamely tried yesterday on the Glossglockner and today he gathers more points by taking second place for now a total of 34 KOM pts. Behind in the minor placings both Bragazzi and Petrov miss out on the minor placings.
Valls leads over the minor placings on the 2nd category climb
Valls takes 3rd, Krasnoperov 4th, Vangenechten 5th and Txurruka gets the last points scoring position. None of these four as yet are threats to Petrov or Bragazzi or even Serpa's KOM positions, in fact Riberio in the break is probably the biggest threat with the 3rd category climb to come. He finally joins Wilman on the descent.
Riberio and Wilman work together
The Benfica man allows Wilman to take the sprint ahead of him as Trusov moves to 42 points by outsprinting the others. The break of two though are sadly caught before the last climb and that leaves Petrov and Valls to battle for the maximum 4 points.
Petrov - > Valls - > Krasnoperov - > Rohregger
Petrov has now got a very comfortable 11 point lead over Bragazzi and as long as he is vigilent in the next couple of days he should probably take the jersey for the race.
Nothing left now but the sprint, the question is can the sprinters summon the energy after three tough climbs and the early prime attempts. Santander once agains set their train up well, clearly Galdos is in good form today.
Santander and Tinkoff have their sprinters up front
It is Ortega leading out Galdos with stage one winner Napolitano on his wheel, Tinkoff are to one side with Klimov leading out Trusov who has Guarnieri on his wheel and Sabido and Richeze behind that.
Ortega seems a bit tired from earlier train efforts as Klimov brings his train forward a gap opens and Rafael Valls darts through with Theo Eltink.
Santander launch plan B
Falcons GC leader Eltink eyes a nice opportunity, and comes inside the Santander man as Galdos and Trusov fail to get going. Only Sabido and Richeze of the sprinters seem to be able to respond, on the right hand side Bragazzi, Rui Costa and Serpa are duking it out.
Eltink makes his move with 1200m to go
But the sprinters Sabido and Richeze are the bigger sprinting fish and they too see a great chance and the go full gas closing the gap quickly with 700m to go.
Sabido goes on inside and Richeze darts to the middle
Sabido cannot squeeze through but Richeze has the power and speed to net UBS their second stage win of the race.
