For Stage 6 of the Tour du Maroc we return to Marrakesh. From there we go 195km to Agouim or more specifically Tirboula, which is a mountain spring. The final climb is 9.5km at 5.9% and should guarantee the first gaps between our GC riders. Immediately before the final climb we have a tough cat 2 climb. The first half of the stage is almost all uphill with two sharp climbs included ( a cat 2 and a cat 3). There are also three sprint points and the finish is also considered a Cat 2 KOM.
All the jersey are in play today. Dombrowski’s GC lead is just 8 seconds and there are 20 riders within 28 seconds of him. Kudus holds the white jersey only on placings over Mamykin and Faglum Karlsson. Hacecky has an 18-point lead in the climbers jersey but there are a few riders who could catch him today.
The stage favorites show up as:
The attacks start the minute the flag waves and we immediately have 16 riders trying for the break
The top 3 in the KOM are all represented but Podium Ambition and Iberia have missed it and are chasing.
10km in and they have the whole teams chasing. The break’s lead is right on 1 minute.
20km in the break rolls through the first sprint point. Same 2 teams chasing lead is about the same. It is a stalemate, who will blink first. From here the incline begins to gradually increase.
30km in and no change in the situation, lead is 51 seconds. A very short incline dislodges Krizek from the break. He rode on his own at the front for a long time and has paid, he is quickly back in the peloton.
40km in the lead is 56 seconds, the grade is 3.1% here and the next stretch ramps up more. That might shake things lose in the chase.
Iberia and Podium Ambition don’t have the best climbers so the bump in the road just serves to expand the break’s lead to 1’10. But it doesn’t deter the chase.
5km to the second sprint point then we have the first KOM which is a tough little climb. The gradient increases as we approach the sprint point and Grashev launches into the 1’20 gap. But Iberia are still chasing.
Just before the sprint point Iberia give up, the peleton has covered 50km there are 143 to go. The climb to the first KOM point has started for the break and they have quickly split up. Grashev has some work to reach the front.
The front group consists of 5 riders with the other 11 spread across the road behind.
So the breakaway groups are:
Front Group- Hacecky Seibeb Kolar Teuns Martinez
12 seconds back Burke Bester
27 seconds back Garby Bostner Senyenov Petilli
48 seconds back Tiller Gradek Helme
1’05 back Badilatti Grashev
First, second, third and seventh in the KOM are in that front group. The best rider on the GC is Martinez at 4’10. The peloton’s deficit has quickly gone out to 2’15. The peloton is taking a siesta after the long chase.
2km later with the pace eased off and 5km to go in the climb the first 3 groups are back together except for Senyenov. Meanwhile the fresher Grashev has bridged across to the front, making it 11 at the front. The remaining riders are still struggling.
1.5km to the top and Teuns attacks taking Seibeb with him.
The group is back down to 9 at the front (including the 2 attackers) as Petilli and Bester have been dropped again.
With 500 meters to the top the front two have ripped away to a 46 second lead. Hacecky got the better of Teuns for the KOM in stage 3 by playing a long game. That seems to be his approach today as well.
Over the top Teuns takes the points.
Kolar take third and Hacecky gets none so his lead is down to 12 points over Teuns
125 km to go for the break as they reach the end of the short descent, their lead has rapidly swelled to 8’18, 8 riders back together at the front: Hacecky Seibeb Kolar Teuns Martinez Burke Garby Grashev
The remaining 8 riders from the break are spread out behind. From here we have another long gradual uphill before the cat 2 climb.
Soon after Bostner rejoins the front group, he could be a valuable ally for Hacecky. With 112 km to go Helme is also able to rejoin.
With 105km to go the break reaches the beginning of the Cat 2 climb to Taddart Oufella. It is 7.4km at 5.9% with the 2nd half much steeper than the first. The peloton is 6’40 behind with a number of GC teams contributing to the chase, although not the team of the leader.
Bester, Petilli, and Badilatti have been about 30 seconds behind the front for some time but they all look cooked and with the climb starting it doesn’t look like they will make it.
2.5 km to the top and the tough part of the climb has started. All 10 riders are still there. Hacecky has been hanging at the back and not working maybe because Fablok are working for Wellens behind.
Soon after Garby attacks the break, initially all of others are able to follow. But then Helme cracks and Hacecky gets caught behind him and will now have to close a gap.
1km to the top and Teuns takes over at the front.
The peleton is still 6’47 back and we have 100km to ride.
Teuns takes the points.
Behind him are Seibeb, Kolar, Garby and Burke.
Hacecky’s brain fart means he won’t take any points and his lead over Teuns is down to 2 points. Hacecky is 1 minute behind the rest of the breakaway. He now has a little more climbing and a long gradual downhill to catch back up so he should make it back on. Given the gap the breakaway should still be ahead at the next climb, a Cat 2 that crests in 75km. The KOM jersey is up for grabs.
The peloton crests the climb with their deficit at 8’24. Clearly, they are counting on closing the gap over the next 75km. eBuddy has yet to do any work. There are still 143 riders in the peloton.
Hacecky has rejoined the front group. Helme is over 2’30 back and won’t rejoin. All the other original breakaway riders who never rejoined the front are also on their way back to the peloton.
With 85km to the finish the peloton is now chasing seriously, they already have the lead down to 5’25. No eBuddy instead we have: Tennant Kaczmarek Turgis Cink Herrada Roson
The breakaway passes the last sprint point with 72 km to go without contesting it. They have 50km to the last KOM and 5’13 to the peloton. When the peloton passes the same point, the lead is down to 5’05.
With 50km to go and 28 km to the KOM point the breakaway hit dirt roads. Their lead is 4’03 and we begin to go gradually uphill again from here.
Behind Campari and UBS are also helping with the chase although Repsol remain the biggest contributor.
The peloton reaches the same point and have Helme in their sghts. Once he is reabsorbed there will be nobody left in between the peloton and the break.
45km to go and Repsol are all over the front. The lead is down to 3’04.
30km to go and the break reach the bottom of the Cat 2 to Anzal. It is 7.7kms at 5.9%.
The lead is 3’20 as Repsol have come off the front and the chase has slowed a little but Valio, Campari, Farfetch and UBS are all working. There are still 120 riders in the peloton.
The peloton has begun to split and Yates (between the two Carlsberg riders) has punctured and is caught behind. That is a blow to Farfetch not sure it could have happened at a worse moment. Among the riders within 28 seconds of the lead, Russom amd Grmay are also behind the split.
1.8 km from the top of the climb for the break and Hacecky isn’t making the same mistake twice, he launches the first attack.
Behind the peloton is not making up ground, they are at 3’28. Farfetch aren’t waiting for Yates they are pushing on the front.
In the break Grashev is the first rider to be dropped, at least Podium Ambition’s mad chase bought them some TV time. Bostner is the next to go.
600 meters to go and Burke counters. Seibeb, Kolar and Garby have been dropped.
200 meters to the top and it is neck and neck for the KOM leaders
Teuns takes it with a late burst but Hacecky is able to overtake Burke for 2nd which means they will be tied for the lead.
The peloton crest the climb led by Moser. The lead is back to 4’25 and the Yellow Jersey is isolated.
A quick race reset. There are about 22km to go, half is downhill and the other half the final climb. Teuns, Hacecky and Burke are in the lead. Seibeb and Martinez are 28 seconds behind and Kolar and Garby are 56 seconds behind. The last two from the surviving 9 breakaway riders are another 40 seconds back.
The peloton is 41 riders strong and most of the top 20 are still there. Russom has made it back but Yates and Grmay have not and Mamykin has also fallen back. The latter two are 1’06 behind the peloton, Yates is 1’51 behind. The lead group does not include any eBuddy riders other than Dombrowski. Aru is 1’33 behind the peloton.
In the team competition Desigual have Burke in the break plus 2 riders in the front group. Tinkoff have 3 riders in the front group and Gazelle 4.
13 km to gp, 3 km to the start of the final climb, just as Seibeb and Martinez make it back to the leading trio, Burke attacks.
9.5km to go and the break turns onto the final climb, they have Burke in their sites. The Moroccan winter has come early this year.
The peloton is 3’48 back, Kennaugh, Raileanu, Hosek and Kunshin are working. The break will definitely have a shot at the stage win. The Yellow Jersey is not in their reach.
As Moser leads the 34-rider peleton onto the climb the lead is still 3’50. Dombrowski is well placed and no additional major riders have been dropped. Yates is leading a group of 16 that is 1’16 behind and includes the other missing members of the top 20.
Up front Burke still has a narrow lead over the next 4.
7.3 km to go for Burke, as he rides through the fog, with a 19 second lead. In the group behind only Hacecky seems to have anything left. The peleton is losing ground, the lead is out to 3’55.
8.0 to go for the peloton and Kudus has decided to liven things up. He feels right at home in these harsh African conditions.
Kudus quickly reaches the stragglers from the breakaway. He has 12 seconds over Dombrowski who is leading the peloton, which is stretching but hasn’t broken yet.
Dombrowski closes the gap and Kudus eases off. Bostner still has something left and takes over on the front.
Up front Hacecky has dragged the 2nd group back up to Burke. They have 5.6km to climb and their lead is down to 2’53.
Behind, after Bostner's brief pacemaking, Kudus goes again. Yates is now over 2 minutes back with the other top 20 riders even further behind. They will all lose significant time today.
Kudus contines to dig on his wheel he has Wellens, Dombrowski, Amador and Martin. The rest of the group is stretched behind, no gaps yet but there is still 5km to climb. They have caught Garby and can see the front 6 riders ahead in the fog, the gap is only 1’10, doesn’t look the break is going to make it.
Deisgual and Tinkoff riders are dropping off the back. Gazelle looks to have the inside track on the team competition. The front group is down to 24 and Martin counters.
Martin can’t break free and there is a pause. The steepest sections of the climb are over. Up front Kolar who had clawed back a significant gap to get to the front of the race launches an attack.
Monsalve launches an attack and the others follow but Sequera (19th) can’t hold on and is the next of the top GC top 20 to be dropped. Monsalve reaches the breakaway and a split occurs pulling 12 GC riders clear all the biggest competitors are there but dropped riders include Kolesnikov (7th), Nazaret (14th), Russom (16th) and Sosnitskiy (20th).
2.5 km to go and Monsalve has ripped through the remants of the break. Only Kolar is ahead he has 24 seconds.
Under 2km to go and the break is over. Meintjes and Ji have been dropped. The 4 at the back are Formolo, Hirt, Talansky and Faglum Karlsson
Under the 1k banner they are still all together. Monsalve looks freshest. Across the road we have: Kudus Faglum Karlsson Monsalve Hirt Wellens Amador Martin Formolo Dombrowski Talansky
Nazaret and Ji are leading a group 42 seconds behind that includes Meintjes and most of the rest of the top 20 who were dropped recently. Only Kolesnikov is further back.
500 meters to go and the sprint begins, Hirt has lost touch. Up front Formolo and Talansky are leading.
200 meters to Formolo has faded but most of the rest can still win it.
100 meters it looks like it is between Talansky and Wellens. On paper these are 2 of the worst sprinters in the group.
Talansky wins stage 6, there won’t be time gaps so bonus seconds will be important.
Dombrowski gets 3rd and the bonus seconds that will keep him in yellow.
4th to 6th go to Monsalve, Kudus and Martin.
Faglum Karlsson, Amador and Formolo cross next.
The first gap is to Hirt in 10th, he loses 41 seconds He will be followed across by two Gazelle riders ( Sosnitskiy and Vervaeke). Gazelle will take the team lead.
Dombrowski leads the GC by 4 seconds over Talansky (a first and two thirds vs a first and a second). Monsalve is 3rd. The top 9 are split by only 36 seconds, all from bonuses. Kudus leads Faglum Karlsson in the young rider on positions only.
Hacecky is ahead of Teuns in the GC so he holds on to the mountains jersey based on the tie breaker.
Dombrowski also leads points. Gazelle has the team jersey by 3’16 over Desigual.
The big losers on the day include Meintjes in14th at 2’22, Kolesnikov in 16th at 3’34 and Yates, with that terribly timed puncture, in 22nd at 6’15.
Stages 7 and 9 are flat. So the race will be decided on stage 8 which is more suited for puncheurs. Having survived the big mountain stages Talansky will be looking to continue his good form on a stage more suited to him.
Will post the next stage late today US East Coast time and then 2 tomorrow to wrap this puppy up.
Tour du Maroc 
