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A day after Mark Cavendish made history with a record-breaking victory, the peloton’s fast men will again be eyeing a sprinting opportunity as the first week of the Tour de France continues.
After a fast and furious finish followed a relatively sedate roll through the Alpine valleys yesterday, Stage 6’s profile is flatter still, with the day’s only categorised section of uphill done and dusted inside 10 kilometres.
That is the Col du Blois Clair (1.6km at 6%), which may provide an opportunity for the day’s breakaway to form and get up the road.
Once there, riders will be able to soak in the sights of French wine country, taking in some of Burgundy’s finest vineyards on a 163.5km ease up from Macon to Dijon.
The pace on a long straight to the finish may be slowed slightly by a roundabout inside the final kilometre, but otherwise looks inviting for the sprinting field.
Can Cavendish contest again with his 35th stage now in hand? The Astana-Qazaqstan rider suggested after an emotional victory yesterday that his team had specificially targeted Stage 5, with the Kazakh unit prominent throughout the final 30 kilometres.
Hoping to add extra mustard to his finishing kick in Dijon after defeat yesterday will be Jasper Philipsen, strangely lacking in pure speed on Stage 5 and with no real leadout to speak of from Mathieu van der Poel.
Alexander Kristoff (UnoX) impressed with his pace despite a crash, while Lotto Dstny’s Arnaud De Lie will target a breakthrough victory after third and fourth place finishes so far at his debut Tour.
The general classification contenders, meanwhile, will keep their powder dry ahead of Friday’s nearby panflat time trial.
Stage 6 map and profile
Start time
The neutralised rollout is set to begin at 12.35pm BST, with an anticipated finish of 4.19pm depending on the pace of racing.
Prediction
Two high placings in his first two Tour sprints should have done Arnaud De Lie’s confidence a world of good after a classics season disrupted by Lyme disease. The Belgian national champion could claim his first Tour victory here.
