Stage 6: Girona to Barcelona 187km
The weather was not so great today and there were also plenty of crashes in the wet conditions although no-one appeared to be seriously injured.
An impressive breakaway by David Millar in the pouring rain, initially as part of a 4 man breakaway, was unfortunately caught within the last 2km of the finish line in Barcelona.
After the peloton caught David Millar the race was on for the finish line and there were a lot of tired faces in the peloton. Mark Cavendish was at the back of the leading few riders and Thor Hushovd got the stage win and Cavendish had to settle for 16th place. Interestingly Cadel Evans must have been keen to place highly today, finishing in 9th.
David Millar got the award for today's most combatitive rider and wears a red number tomorrow as a result.
STAGE 6 RESULTS:
1 Thor Hushovd (Nor|Cervelo Test Team) 4:21:33
2 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa|Rabobank)
3 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa|Caisse d'Epargne)
4 Gerald Ciolek (Ger|Team Milram)
5 Franco Pellizotti (Ita|Liquigas)
6 Filippo Pozzato (Ita|Team Katusha)
7 Alessandro Ballan (Ita|Lampre - NGC)
8 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita|AG2R La Mondiale)
9 Cadel Evans (Aus|Silence - Lotto)
10 Fabian Cancellara (Swi|Team Saxo Bank)
Overall Standings:
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi|Team Saxo Bank) 19:29:22
2 Lance Armstrong (USA|Astana)
3 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa|Astana) 0:00:19
4 Andreas Klöden (Ger|Astana) 0:00:23
5 Levi Leipheimer (USA|Astana) 0:00:31
6 Bradley Wiggins (GBr|Garmin - Slipstream) 0:00:38
7 Tony Martin (Ger|Team Columbia - High Road) 0:00:52
8 Christian Vande Velde (USA|Garmin - Slipstream) 0:01:16
9 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe|Team Saxo Bank) 0:01:22
10 Maxime Monfort (Bel|Team Columbia - High Road) 0:01:29
Cancellara remains in yellow but Mark Cavendish is only 1 point ahead of Thor Hushovd to keep the green jersey.
Tomorrow's Stage 7 is BARCELONA > ANDORRE ARCALIS, 224 km and is the first mountain stage: this is when the hard work starts.
Sastre, Contador, Andy Schleck and Evans are all likely to involved in tomorrow's action, and possibly Menchov. How will Armstrong do and will Astana support Contador as team leader or Armstrong? |