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German Sprints to Victory in Stage 6 German Sprints to Victory in Stage 6
(about 3 hours later)
MONTPELLIER, France — The Tour de France’s team time trial may have taken place earlier this week, but members of Team Lotto-Belisol rode like it had not ended during the final half-mile of Stage 6on Thursday. Speeding toward the finish in Montpellier at the front of the peloton, they peeled off one by one, until only their star sprinter, André Greipel, remained. From there, Greipel, a German, needed no more help. He outsprinted Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish for his first victory of this year’s Tour. MONTPELLIER, France — The Tour de France’s team time trial may have taken place earlier this week, but members of Team Lotto-Belisol rode as if it had not ended during the final half-mile of Stage 6 on Thursday. Speeding toward the finish in Montpellier at the front of the peloton, they peeled off one by one, until only their star sprinter, André Greipel, remained. From there, Greipel, a German, needed no more help. He outsprinted Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish for his first victory of this year’s Tour.
“Today, they made it like textbook,” he said, referring to his teammates. “Of course, we are really happy.”“Today, they made it like textbook,” he said, referring to his teammates. “Of course, we are really happy.”
With his tree-trunk calves, square jaw and tattoos, Greipel, 30, looks as if he has stepped off the set of an action film. But he has shown throughout his career that he has the substance to match his style. His victory on Thursday was his fifth in three Tours: last year, he managed to take three stages, including two in the first week.With his tree-trunk calves, square jaw and tattoos, Greipel, 30, looks as if he has stepped off the set of an action film. But he has shown throughout his career that he has the substance to match his style. His victory on Thursday was his fifth in three Tours: last year, he managed to take three stages, including two in the first week.
The first week of each Tour is typically a showcase for sprinters, but Greipel had found it less than welcoming this year. He, along with Cavendish of Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Sagan of Cannondale, were caught up in a crash toward the finish of Stage 1, and couldn’t contest the sprint, won by the German Marcel Kittel.The first week of each Tour is typically a showcase for sprinters, but Greipel had found it less than welcoming this year. He, along with Cavendish of Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Sagan of Cannondale, were caught up in a crash toward the finish of Stage 1, and couldn’t contest the sprint, won by the German Marcel Kittel.
And in Stage 5 on Wednesday, won by Cavendish, a former teammate of Greipel’s on HTC-Highroad, he finished fourth after making a positioning error in the final quarter-mile.And in Stage 5 on Wednesday, won by Cavendish, a former teammate of Greipel’s on HTC-Highroad, he finished fourth after making a positioning error in the final quarter-mile.
On Thursday, he and his Belgium-based team left little to chance.On Thursday, he and his Belgium-based team left little to chance.
“Yesterday we made a small mistake and sometimes you pay for them in the biggest bike race in the world,” he said. “Today, we really wanted to win.”“Yesterday we made a small mistake and sometimes you pay for them in the biggest bike race in the world,” he said. “Today, we really wanted to win.”
He also benefited from some misfortune that beset his rivals during Thursday’s 109.6-mile stage. Sagan’s bike had a mechanical problem nearly 30 miles from Montpellier, though he recovered to finish second and keep the green jersey as the Tour’s best sprinter.He also benefited from some misfortune that beset his rivals during Thursday’s 109.6-mile stage. Sagan’s bike had a mechanical problem nearly 30 miles from Montpellier, though he recovered to finish second and keep the green jersey as the Tour’s best sprinter.
Cavendish, too, was caught up, colliding with a Belkin rider with less than 20 miles to race. Though he clambered back on his bike and eventually caught up with the peloton — displaying his bike handling skills as he bunny-hopped a traffic circle — he had used up precious power.Cavendish, too, was caught up, colliding with a Belkin rider with less than 20 miles to race. Though he clambered back on his bike and eventually caught up with the peloton — displaying his bike handling skills as he bunny-hopped a traffic circle — he had used up precious power.
“I think that’s a factor,” Cavendish told French television, referring to the crash. “It took a lot of energy to get back, but I couldn’t find the short route around André either.”“I think that’s a factor,” Cavendish told French television, referring to the crash. “It took a lot of energy to get back, but I couldn’t find the short route around André either.”
Cavendish, 28, who now has 24 Tour de France stage wins, said after winning in Marseille on Wednesday that he hoped to emulate his performance at the Giro d’Italia in May, where he won five stages and the sprint jersey. But he may have to wait until next week to collect another stage.Cavendish, 28, who now has 24 Tour de France stage wins, said after winning in Marseille on Wednesday that he hoped to emulate his performance at the Giro d’Italia in May, where he won five stages and the sprint jersey. But he may have to wait until next week to collect another stage.
After a rolling 127.7-mile stage Friday, the race heads this weekend to the Pyrénées for a pair of mountain stages that could possibly shake up the standings.After a rolling 127.7-mile stage Friday, the race heads this weekend to the Pyrénées for a pair of mountain stages that could possibly shake up the standings.
Indeed, though their teams paced the peloton for much of the race’s final hour on Thursday, top contenders to win the Tour, like Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and Cadel Evans, saw little change to their positions in the standings. They are within 31 seconds of Daryl Impey, who took over the race lead — and the yellow jersey that comes with it — from teammate Simon Gerrans of Orica-GreenEdge. Though their teams paced the peloton for much of the race’s final hour on Thursday, top contenders to win the Tour, like Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and Cadel Evans, saw little change to their positions in the standings. They are within 31 seconds of Daryl Impey, who took over the race lead — and the yellow jersey that comes with it — from teammate Simon Gerrans of Orica-GreenEdge.
Most of Orica-GreenEdge’s riders are Australian; Impey is from South Africa. On Thursday, he became the first African to lead the Tour — though there is a good chance that Chris Froome, a Kenyan-born Briton, will become the second before this race finishes on July 21 in Paris.Most of Orica-GreenEdge’s riders are Australian; Impey is from South Africa. On Thursday, he became the first African to lead the Tour — though there is a good chance that Chris Froome, a Kenyan-born Briton, will become the second before this race finishes on July 21 in Paris.
“Finally, we’re starting to get a lot of support for sport,” Impey said of cycling in South Africa. “I’m sure people are going crazy at home.”“Finally, we’re starting to get a lot of support for sport,” Impey said of cycling in South Africa. “I’m sure people are going crazy at home.”
With nearly a week’s worth of racing behind them and tough climbs ahead, many riders spent the stage trying to stay safe in the saddle. Others tried to mend their wounds after the crashes on Wednesday, like Haimar Zubeldia of RadioShack-Leopard, riding with a fractured left hand, and Garmin-Sharp’s Christian Vande Velde, whose spill on the final climb left him with a blood clot in his neck and a dislodged clavicle screw, which had been implanted after a previous injury.With nearly a week’s worth of racing behind them and tough climbs ahead, many riders spent the stage trying to stay safe in the saddle. Others tried to mend their wounds after the crashes on Wednesday, like Haimar Zubeldia of RadioShack-Leopard, riding with a fractured left hand, and Garmin-Sharp’s Christian Vande Velde, whose spill on the final climb left him with a blood clot in his neck and a dislodged clavicle screw, which had been implanted after a previous injury.
It was a tense night for Vande Velde, a 37-year-old American who announced before the Tour that this would be his final season of racing, but he was eventually cleared to ride.It was a tense night for Vande Velde, a 37-year-old American who announced before the Tour that this would be his final season of racing, but he was eventually cleared to ride.
“He’s banged up, but medically speaking, it’s safe to give it a try,” Garmin-Sharp’s doctor, Prentice Steffen, said at the start in Aix-en-Provence.“He’s banged up, but medically speaking, it’s safe to give it a try,” Garmin-Sharp’s doctor, Prentice Steffen, said at the start in Aix-en-Provence.
Though Vande Velde’s teammate Ryder Hesjedal, the 2012 Giro d’Italia winner, sustained a broken rib during a crash inopening stage, Steffen said that the first week of the Tour had been much easier than last year’s — which saw three of the team’s riders, including Hesjedal, withdraw due to injury.Though Vande Velde’s teammate Ryder Hesjedal, the 2012 Giro d’Italia winner, sustained a broken rib during a crash inopening stage, Steffen said that the first week of the Tour had been much easier than last year’s — which saw three of the team’s riders, including Hesjedal, withdraw due to injury.
“Stage 1 was minimal, and we were really great through the T.T.T.,” he said, referring to the team time trial Tuesday in Nice. “I keep this spreadsheet on all the riders, just to keep track of who has what injury, and there was not much going on. It’s been pretty good.”“Stage 1 was minimal, and we were really great through the T.T.T.,” he said, referring to the team time trial Tuesday in Nice. “I keep this spreadsheet on all the riders, just to keep track of who has what injury, and there was not much going on. It’s been pretty good.”
Not all of the ailing riders were veterans like Vande Velde and Hesjedal.Not all of the ailing riders were veterans like Vande Velde and Hesjedal.
Nacer Bouhanni, a 22-year-old French sprinter riding his first Tour, caused the pileup in the final quarter mile on Wednesday in Marseille, but it was his three-day battle with gastroenteritis that took its toll Thursday morning.Nacer Bouhanni, a 22-year-old French sprinter riding his first Tour, caused the pileup in the final quarter mile on Wednesday in Marseille, but it was his three-day battle with gastroenteritis that took its toll Thursday morning.
As his family, came by to offer support before the stage, Bouhanni looked — and sounded — weary.As his family, came by to offer support before the stage, Bouhanni looked — and sounded — weary.
“I think today it might be one too much, because I feel pretty weakened,” he said. “There it is. We’ll see how the day goes, though.”“I think today it might be one too much, because I feel pretty weakened,” he said. “There it is. We’ll see how the day goes, though.”
Good luck, said his brother Rayane, a 17-yearold junior rider, as Bouhanni took off for the start line. He would need it. It may have been sunny in Corsica, but temperatures have mostly been mild throughout the first week of the Tour. On Thursday, it finally felt like summer in southern France. The thermometer climbed above 95 degrees as riders passed cypress, sunflowers and long, orderly rows of leafy grape vines.Good luck, said his brother Rayane, a 17-yearold junior rider, as Bouhanni took off for the start line. He would need it. It may have been sunny in Corsica, but temperatures have mostly been mild throughout the first week of the Tour. On Thursday, it finally felt like summer in southern France. The thermometer climbed above 95 degrees as riders passed cypress, sunflowers and long, orderly rows of leafy grape vines.
It proved be too much for Bouhanni, who was eventually left behind by the peloton and called it quits with about 59 miles left in the stage.It proved be too much for Bouhanni, who was eventually left behind by the peloton and called it quits with about 59 miles left in the stage.
“It was impossible, today,” he told French television. “I didn’t have any force, and it was tough for me. But it’s like that.”“It was impossible, today,” he told French television. “I didn’t have any force, and it was tough for me. But it’s like that.”
Bouhanni was not the only rider who withdrew today. Fredrik Kessiakoff of Astana, who had injured a wrist Wednesday, also pulled out. And two riders abandoned before the stage, including Jurgen Van den Broeck of Lotto-Belisol, twice a top-five finisher at the Tour, who sustained a right knee injury Wednesday.Bouhanni was not the only rider who withdrew today. Fredrik Kessiakoff of Astana, who had injured a wrist Wednesday, also pulled out. And two riders abandoned before the stage, including Jurgen Van den Broeck of Lotto-Belisol, twice a top-five finisher at the Tour, who sustained a right knee injury Wednesday.
Though it was a blow to Greipel and his teammates, Greipel’s victory made the day much more palatable.Though it was a blow to Greipel and his teammates, Greipel’s victory made the day much more palatable.
“Of course, sometimes happiness and sadness can be so close together,” Greipel said. “I think this shows what character we have on this team.”“Of course, sometimes happiness and sadness can be so close together,” Greipel said. “I think this shows what character we have on this team.”