BRAKE AND PRAY
Friday 6 July / Épernay to Metz, 208km
ROUTE/ From the vineyards of Champagne to the wine-growing lands of Moselle, this stage was the last day of gently undulating terrain before the Tour hit the mountains. The route snaked in and out of landforms and settlements, with an ever-present danger that momentary loss of concentration would cause a touching of wheels.
THE CHALLENGE/ In the third-longest stage, accumulated fatigue was a potential factor that needed consideration.
HOW IT UNFOLDED/ Until the halfway point most of the riders were pootling along, unconcerned about reeling in a four-man break-away group which comprised Davide Malacarne, Romain Zingle, David Zabriskie and Karsten Kroon. The pattern of the day was dramatically interrupted by several big crashes that left 29 riders needing medical treatment and 10 taken to hospital.
The first accident occurred 35km in, and saw Greipel injured and unable to try to become the first rider since Lance Armstrong in 2004 to win three consecutive stages. There was a second low-paced tumble after the intermediate sprint, but the worst came in the peloton 25km from the finish on the run-in to Metz – caused, apparently, by a rider removing a cover from his shoe and swerving at speed. ‘Never been to war and pray that I never do but I think that might be the closest I get,’ tweeted veteran Christian Vande Velde.
Mangled bike frames and wheels littered the road. Riders sat dazed on the verge, others sat bleeding and nursing smashed knees, thighs and ankles across the tarmac. Those that escaped injury scrambled to reach new bikes to get going again. Team Sky riders missed the 70km/h tidal wave of debris described by riders as ‘the scariest’ they’d ever experienced, though Cavendish and Boasson Hagen were held up and missed the sprint.
Sagan sprinted to a third stage win, powering past Greipel, who had been injured in the first crash of the day. The big pile-up affected Wiggins’s GC rivals: Frank Schleck, who finished 3rd last year, and Ryder Hesjedal, were down to 37th and 108th places respectively in the overall standings.
Wiggins was happy to have survived the first week unscathed and to be going into the mountain stages on an equal footing with Evans, just seven seconds behind Cancellara who still held the yellow jersey.
‘In a split second everything changed and all hell was let loose. The importance of spending that bit of energy to be at the front of the bunch is well worthwhile. Five minutes before that crash happened Brad came right up to the front and it was one of the best moves he’s made so far,’ said Brailsford.
STAGE 6 RESULT:
Winner. Peter Sagan (Svk); Liquigas; 04h 37’
2. André Greipel (Ger); Lotto; same time
3. Matt Goss (Aus); Orica GreenEdge; same time
OVERALL CLASSIFICATION:
1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi); RadioShack; 29h 22’ 36”
2. Bradley Wiggins (GB); Sky; @ 7”
3. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra); Omega Pharma; same time
‘It’s been a mad first week.’
Bradley Wiggins