Tour de France Stage 6: Marcel Kittel beats Arnaud Demare in Troyes

Marcel Kittel of Quick Step Floors has won Stage 6 of the Tour de France in Troyes this afternoon, beating French national champion Arnaud Demare of FDJ to the line in a sprint that thankfully lacked the crashes that marred Tuesday's fourth stage of the race.

It's the German's eleventh career stage victory, and one that puts him firmly back into the into points competition currently led by Demare, with this year's battle for the green jersey reignited following the disqualification on Tuesday of Peter Sagan, who has won the contest for the past five years.

Andre Greipel of Lotto-Soudal finished third today at the end of the 216-kilometre stage from Vesoul, while Team Sky's Chris Froome retains the overall lead.

Once again the Belgian UCI Professional Continental team Wanty-Groupe Gobert, taking part in the race for the first time and with a line-up all making their Tour de France debuts, gota man in the break.

Today, the team was represented in the break by Frederick Backaert, the second time the part-time dairy farmer has been in an escape on this year's race, and for company he had Perrig Quemeneur of Direct Energie and the UAE Team Emirates rider, Vegard Laengen..

The trio were caught in the closing kilometres ahead of the inevitable bunch sprint which, despite a technical finale, passed without incident.