Stage Favourites:
Duarte (COL) Caruso (CAN) Johnson (CSS) Rabottini (VIN) Denifl (IAM)

Stage 6 is virtually a carbon copy of stage 4, we have two HC climbs in the middle and towards the end of the stage before a 10 KM descent to the finish. Duarte looks favourite to extend his GC lead.


MTN make the break.

The South African team managed to get Reguigui into the four man break today knowing they need to do something in this Tour of Qinghai Lake. He was joined by Keizer, Dion and Saramotins, they were all around 20 minutes down in GC.


Marentes leads the peloton: 109 KM to go with the break @ 7'55.

Team Colombia are doing all of the chasing today. With Duarte in yellow they should be, especially after the form he has shown.


Reguigui moves into the polka dots.

The Algerian champ claimed the 20 KOM points on offer at the first climb of the day, he now had 21 KOM points so he moved into the temporary lead there.


Pomoshnikov and Stortoni attack!

On the descent of the first climb with 67 KM to go and the break @ 3'00 we see two riders attack out of the peloton. A good move?


The big guns fire early!

Rabottini attacks before we have reached the final climb with 27 KM to go, Duarte and Caruso go with this attack and they join up with Pomoshnikov and Stortoni.

Jamel Johnson misses out here ........



But .... thanks to brilliant work from Friedemann and Othman, Johnson manages to get back to the yellow jersey group on the lower part of the final climb with 20 KM to go.


Johnson dropped early on again!

The early break of the day are finally caught with 16 KM to go after a stinging attack by Caruso, which doesn't put Duarte into too much trouble. Rabottini is a few seconds behind but never loses sight of Duarte and Caruso.

Jamel Johnson is gaining ground on the three GC men up ahead of him, after being well dropped earlier. His climbing style reminiscent of Carlos Sastre, whereby he gets dropped early on by attacks then regains contact at his own pace.


Duarte takes the summit with 11 KM to go.

The yellow jersey has Caruso glued to his wheel as he claims 20 KOM points to move into the lead in the race for the polka dots. Rabottini makes his way back to the duo on the early part of the descent.


Duarte attacks on the descent.

The Colombian tries to distance his companions with 6 KM to go, but unlike on stage 4 he can't manage it today. Jamel Johnson is only '15 seconds behind, but he can't quite bridge across.


Duarte leads the trio into the sprint.

With a few hundred meters to go Rabottini comes by him, Duarte won't win today. Can Caruso outsprint his fellow countryman?


YES HE CAN!

It is third time lucky for Cannondale after twice finishing second on the podium. Caruso takes a super stage win after coming around Rabottini in the dying meters. Duarte finishes third and Jamel Johnson finishes fourth, the Peruvian, despite trying, could never bridge the gap but did well to limit his losses .

In short, Caruso reduces the gap to Duarte and Rabottini reduces the gap to Johnson. The race for the top places at this Tour of Qinghai lake is on, stage 7 is the last mountain stage here.

Stage Results:

Todays stage is quite flat with some small climbs. This is a day for the Sprinters, and todays climbs shouldn't cause them trouble before the final sprint. A break may be able to hold their ground to the finish, as there is a tiny amount of Sprinters in the pack and the terrain is still a high factor, for those who want to fight for the stage.