After what would have been an easy day for most of the riders, we're back sprinting again today. lets have a look what's in store.
Flat and undulating roads take the riders on the sixth day of the Tour de France from Tours to Châteauroux. A fast finisher is likely to celebrate at the end of the 160,6 kilometres race.
The Tour de France visited Tours for the last time in 2013. Marcel Kittel sprinted to triumph in stage 12 before the yellow caravan left the town the next day for a race to Saint-Amand-Montrond. Echelons ripped the peloton apart that day before Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory in Julian Alaphilippe’s birthplace.
Châteauroux has not seen the Tour de France since 2011, when Cavendish succeeded himself with a sprint victory. The Briton also won a Châteauroux sprint in 2008, while Mario Cipollini took the spoils in 1998. A bunch sprint is on the cards in 2021 also.
Gérard Depardieu was born in Châteauroux, although his popularity in France is on the wane since he was granted citizenship in Russia.
The Finish: Châteauroux is a flat place and there’s a run around the big boulevards. The section around 2.5km to go has a divider in the middle to split the team trains. There’s almost no elevation change but turning onto the finishing straight with 1.5km to go there’s a small slope, we’re talking 1-2% here or there but enough to make some think their legs are hurting or they’re in the wrong gear for a second.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
Who to look out for?
The Contenders: there’s no hierarchy to the sprinters yet. Alpecin-Fenix backed Jasper Philipsen two days ago, so you’d think this time it should be back to Tim Merlier but the Belgian media this morning say it’s Philipsen again. As you must be bored of hearing by now Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quickstep) won his first ever Tour stage here so he can boucler la boucle as they say in French.
Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) vanished in Fougères. Earlier this year we saw him unable to follow his train in the Tour de La Provence and he could be having the same problems, if so he’s a harder pick. Now the time trial is done, does Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) try?
And yesterday..
Cmon Cav !!
Won't be many on here not rooting for cav I'm sure.
Seeing the pace with which he dispensed with phillipsen and rode Sagan off his wheel double quick it wouldn't be a wise man that bet against him.
Cav.
He and the team have their full belief back, it's a known finish for him, I think they'll throw everything they've got at this one.
The good thing for Cav is, he won't be the only team pushing on and clawing a break back, you'd expect FDJ and Alpecin will both be very much playing that game too. So hopefully we'll end up with a good battle for the line.
As with the other day... it's any of 4-5 of them for the win though, but yeah the Cav fella is certainly right at the top of that list.
Cav FTW.
I've got everything crossed.
Expected finish time between 4:26 and 4:44 I will be watching. Come on Cav, I am not sure I have any tears left after Tuesday though.
Got to be him hasn't it
Thanks @lunge for setting these up every day, chapeau to you!
I'd love to see Cav take another today, but Sonny Colbrelli has been quietly lurking at the sharp end of the last few stages so I think we may well see him up in the mix again.
It may not be Cav though, wearing green and being the last sprint winner makes you a marked man so all the other sprinters will be watching him, sitting on his wheel, disrupting his leadout man...
Cav must be in the mix. His timing, ability & one of the best lead outs make him as much a favourite as anyone surely!
I am not a big watching sports fan much prefer to take part, I am genuinely so nervous for the prospects of another CAV win it must be terrible if you spend your life watching sport.
green and being the last sprint winner makes you a marked man so all the other sprinters will be watching him, sitting on his wheel, disrupting his leadout man…
Yeah no one knows how to deal with all of that better than cav and quickstep.....
I still wouldn't be against him. He's already said this one's special as it's where it all started.
Huge Cav fanboi here, so would love to see him take another. My one concern would be how fresh he's feeling, he put in more of an effort yesterday than all of the other sprinters (he finished the TT in about 75th I think) Hopefully it wont have taken too much out of his legs.
an A lister break!
Kasper Asgreen is a beast ! 😀
last sprint winner makes you a marked man so all the other sprinters will be watching him, sitting on his wheel, disrupting his leadout man…
basically the last 15 years of his life (apart from the dark years), it's what he's lived and breathed for many many tours, people have always tried it and mostly failed... so he'll be ready for whatever they throw in the mix.
That break is super strong!!! Course is probably too flat for them, but crazy that that selection got away!
FFS at this rate they're going to be finished well before I get home!!!! Over 50kmh average so far
you speak too soon, break has sat up and so has the peloton
LOL I don't want to be here..... 🙁
Looks like G and Roglic have paid a price for yesterdays effort.
How so @klunk? Not seen anything on the CN ticker, which is how I'm following 😭
just both sitting right at the back of the peloton when the race was on, and G is now not riding in the his teams train as per (back in now).
stunning route today, don't think the break are up for this 😀
Intermediate spring coming up, looks a hell of a fast entry into it!
GvA and Kluge still tapping on.
Ooh, that all looked a bit tense, lots of wagging fingers and words afterwards... Sagan got properly boxed in, looked like a deliberate blocking running him towards the barriers.
Bouhanni leaning into Cav, Cav didn't even notice 😀
And GCN + not working!
What was the points for the intermediate sprint?
Bit confused by all the posturing afterwards?
I thought Sagan got proper squeezed and actually took it remarkably well
ignore, load of formatting text.
points on bbc website live link, @ 1527
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cycling/55508978
Thanks for the BBC link.
shame there's no wind as it looks quite exposed and a good distance out 🙁
Winding up the pace now. Can he do it again? Can he?! Might be some shouting at the screen coming up 🙂
Yeah, this is going to be another close one, especially if GvA and RK decide to really go for it and can work together.
the AG2R spoilers are looking for some agro 😀
Demare's leadout man gone down, looks like just a single rider. Breakaway caught.
COME ON CAV!
I feel more tense than I should do.
You absolute LEGEND!!
Outstanding!!
<Frantically refreshes Guardian live blog>
EDIT: Hells yeah!
Yes!!!!!!!!
too quick for them!!!!
Yes boy. The guy is just a machine. How do you read events unfolding at those kinds of speeds and whilst under such physical exertion? To swap trains like that and then boom. Unreal
Legend
Boom! That's 32 stages then. The pressure will be building now after that! Wow.
Encore un fois. Magnifique.
Plus more despairing hand gestures from those in the wake.
how does he even know whats going on three bikes infront, when hes so small 🙂
great work cav.
The bogey strikes - brilliant finish !
To me Alpecin should be backing Merlier. However, Cav.....really is rolling back the years isn't he.....I mean he's won my a bike length again! Whom was the Quickstep rider that was inbetween Alaphillipe and Morkov? He did an absolute monster pull!!
and he repeated the celebration, he's so tuned in!
https://twitter.com/EdwardPickering/status/1410621081963188227
The way Cav's riding I reckon he's got a fair chance of staying in green to Paris if he can make it through the mountains...
Indeed, it'll take a good couple of days on someone like Sagan taking a solo with Cav being dropped to make up the points etc.
Pure class.
Normal service has resumed.
Tuesday was epic but today was doubly so!
Utterly amazing.
Need some more superlatives.
Can he re-write history?
Boom!
Great, greatest, Cav
Can he re-write history?
Have to say, I'm not a huge fan of the "overall number of stage wins" tally. Merckx won his 34 all over inc TTs and mountains.
Cav is a pure sprinter so in many respects, it's a lot more difficult to achieve that number. But hey, everyone likes a single easy to understand number. 🙂
Amazingly; he's gone from "will he win another stage at this level" to the Merckx record and green jersey looking incredibly likely within three days.
I think the *only* thing that might stand in his way of both will be the cut-off times in the mountains; and you can guarantee with such a momentous story on the line the race director will be exercising as much discretion as he possibly can on that..
Was that Merlier who tried to come across right as Cav came through underneath him? Had to rapidly come off the gas and did well just to stay upright!
Also Morkow - wow, just so cool and collected
And the legend that is Julian Alaphilippe putting in the monster pulls.
Have to say, I’m not a huge fan of the “overall number of stage wins” tally. Merckx won his 34 all over inc TTs and mountains.
Agree but then it will make him taking the outright record that bit more special. He has the sprint stage record by a country mile.
I think the ultimate would be to get a 35th stage win in green on the Champs Elysees. If he can be lead out by World Champion Julian Alaphilippe in the process, well that'd be perfect. 🙂
I think the ultimate would be to get a 35th stage win in green on the Champs Elysees. If he can be lead out by World Champion Julian Alaphilippe in the process, well that’d be perfect. 🙂
The thought of that it making my spine tingle!!
The movie writes itself.
crazy-legs +1 for that dream to be made real.
🦵🔚
It's a dream; but I imagine there'd be a lot of teams willing to help lead him out on the Champs to take a 35th victory and green. Can you imagine being the lone rider wanting to spoil that party ? 😀
It’s a dream; but I imagine there’d be a lot of teams willing to help lead him out on the Champs to take a 35th victory and green. Can you imagine being the lone rider wanting to spoil that party ?
I think you'd be about as popular as a spectator wearing a yellow coat and carrying a cardboard sign...
Shameless nostalgia alert:
Huge poster hanging in my man cave.
Had watch that on +1 as was in the office so couldn't have it on live.
Wow, just wow. The man is a machine. He literally takes the piss out of other so called sprinters!! Great team effort though.
I still don't think he'll get the 34 on this tour and not sure he'll have another in him after this.
Would love the Champs eylees dream though! I would be blubbing my eyes out.
Edit: after his interview I might change my mind, he looks well for it!
Surely his Knighthood is in the post.
Shameless nostalgia alert:
I was there that day. I'll never forget it.
How do you read events unfolding at those kinds of speeds and whilst under such physical exertion? To swap trains like that and then boom. Unreal
Honest answer is that you don't, at least not consciously, that's why he's the GOAT in that business. He said in the interview after that he wanted a little bit more from Michael Morkov but then realised the Alpecin train was a better bet..... that wasn't pondered, it's pure instinct, and puts him in the right place more often than not. He hasn't got the top end kick that he had so it gives the others a chance - prime Cav would have won by 3 bike lengths, but I'd take the width of a ball hair just as happily.
And yes, he was properly buzzing afterwards, having a go at the other teams, rabbiting on.....Cav's definitely back!
but I’d take the width of a ball hair just as happily.
Think I’m watching the wrong TDF. Which one are you all watching? In mine Cav won by the best part of a bike length. He won by a clear bike length on Tuesday. 😅😀
I said in his prime he'd have won by more but I don't care. 3 lengths, one length, 3 microns, as long as he wins I'm happy.
I still don’t think he’ll get the 34 on this tour
Why not? There are 5 more flat stages.
Cavendish is showing his experience. I hope he's able to go the 3 weeks.
"having a go at the other teams,"
I think he may be playing the French audience.
I think you’d be about as popular as a spectator wearing a yellow coat and carrying a cardboard sign…
Speaking of which - ASO WITHDRAWS COMPLAINT