Stage 6 - Epernay to Metz

Quote:

Schleck 2'00" behind first peloton
The group that includes Cavendish, Brajkovic, Valverde, Rolland and Schleck is 2'00" behind the Orica-GreenEdge led bunch that is now just 11" behind the four stage leaders.

Sounds like Goss and GreenEdge are caning it to try and keep Cav out of the sprint. Two minutes is surely far too much to make up in 15km and if Wiggins and Sky decide to the up the pace Schleck, Rolland, Valverde and anyone else in that group could lose even more.

Le Tour reporting that Cav and EBH in the second group although no time check, Schleck and Gesink at around 2:30, Danielson and Vigano have now also abandoned.

TERatcliffe26 wrote:

anyone seen Cav in the lead group?

Poels abandons, Cavendish and EBH in the second group

That's Karma, I was feeling far too smug about Griepel not sprinting today

Chaos, gutted for Hesjedal, Schleck and anyone else who's lost time through crashes. It's not nice but it can happen to anyone and it's nice to see Sky have learned from last year and had Wiggins right at the head of the peloton.

Yet more crashes, Shrek is down, so is Petacchi.

Is this the end of Shrek's attempt on yellow?

Friere and Farrar have been dropped. Without those two odds are we should have a safe sprint today.

Huzzah

Quote:

Frison: Greipel won't sprint today
France Télévision has just interviewed the directeur sportif of the Lotto-Belisol team, Herman Frison who explained the injuries sustained by André Greipel today. "He has pain in his shoulder," said the Belgian about the rider who has won the last two stages. "And he won't take part in the sprint today."

This is likely to mean that Greg Henderson will be given the chance to sprint for himself instead of doing the lead-out as he's done in the last couple of days. The 35-year-old New Zealander is riding the Tour for the first time this year. He's previously won a stage of the Vuelta a España and he switched teams - from Sky - largely because he wanted to race the Tour before the end of his career.

Obviously it's unfortunate, but from a fantasy news it's bloody great.

Griepel and Gesink on the floor again.

Garmin are quoted as saying that Farrar won't contest the sprint because he's too afraid of crashing. I predict there will be no crash today purely because Farrar isn't there, he seems to cause most of them.

Sprint points:

1. Kroon (STB) 15pts
2. Zabriskie (GRS) 14pts
3. Zingle (COF) 13pts
4. Malacarne (EUC) 12pts
5. Goss (OGE) 11pts
6. Cavendish (SKY) 10pts
7. Sagan (LIQ) 9pts
8. Boeckmans (VCD) 8pts
9. Boasson Hagen (SKY) 7pts
10. Hutarovich (FDJ) 6pts
11. O'Grady (OGE) 5pts
12. Impey (OGE) 4pts
13. Popovych (RNT) 3pts
14. Albasini (OGE) 2pts
15. Bak (LTB) 1pt

No Van Hummel

You have to wonder what Greipel is playing at if he wants the Green jersey, Goss can happily finish second or third and still out score him every stage while he's pikcing up 10 intermediate sprint points.

Report on the crash:

Quote:

Dr. Florence Pommerie: Greipel has significant injuries

The medical team of the Tour has recently offered an appraisal on the state of the riders who fell at the 35km mark. “About 20 riders came past our car after the fall, including many team leaders,” said Florence Pommerie. “The crash victims included Sandy Casar (FDJ), Jean-Christophe Peraud (ALM) and Andre Greipel (LTB). Most have abrasions and contusions. “These are minor injuries, but they hurts all the same. André Greipel seems to have some significant injuries including and a wounded finger. He must have landed very heavily.”

Crash in the bunch, Griepel, Gutierrez and Westra are down, no report on any injuries although Gutierrez seems have come off worst.