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2016 TdF, Stage 6: Arpajon-sur-Cère → Montauban (191km)

Aug 31, 2014
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Stage 6: Arpajon-sur-Cère → Montauban (190.5 km, Flat)

Thursday, July 7thStage infoStartlistRoadbookRules • Weather: Start, Halfway, Finish
Starts at 12:50 - Live video from 14:15 - Finish at 17:20 (CEST) • Live tickerLivestreams


Route:
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Profile:
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Mountain passes & hills:
Km 62.0 - Col des Estaques 2 kilometre-long climb at 6% - category 3
Km 71.5 - Côte d'Aubin 1.3 kilometre-long climb at 5.4% - category 4
Km 149.0 - Côte de Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val 3.2 kilometre-long climb at 5.1% - category 3


Final Kilometres:
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Preview:
CyclingQuotes.com said:
Unlike last year, the first week is a bit of a festival for the sprinters and after the short foray into Massif Central, the fast riders will have one final chance before the race heads into the Pyrenees. Stage 6 is a typical transitional stage that will bring the riders from the hilly region in the centre of the country to the foot of the mountain range on the French-Spanish border and as it precedes three days of hard climbing, an eager group of fast riders will be eager to grab another opportunity to go for glory.

The 190.5km stage starts in Arpajon-sur-Cere and brings the riders in a southwesterly direction to Montauban close to the Pyrenees. Starting on the outskirts of Massif Central, the stage has a lumpy beginning before a long descent leads to a flatter part of France. The flat terrain will briefly be interrupted by the category 3 climb of Col des Estaques (2km, 6%) and the category 4 climb of Cot d’Aubin (1.3km, 5.4%) before a gradual uphill section leads to the intermediate sprint at the 77.5km mark. It’s a tough sprint as the final kilometre averages 3.6%.

After the sprint, the terrain again gets significantly flatter and only the category 3 climb of Cote de Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val (3.2km, 5.1%) will challenge the riders as they complete their journey to Montauban. The climb comes with 41.5km to go and the final part of the stage has no challenges at all. However, the finale is a bit technical as the riders will go straight through roundabout with 3000m, 1200m and 600m to go respectively. Then a sweeping turn leads onto the 380m finishing straight on a 6.5m wide road. The final kilometre is very slightly descending.

This is the final opportunity for the sprinters before we head into the Pyrenees and the fastmen will have to wait until stage 10 and 11 before they can again go for glory. Hence, there is little doubt that this stage will be firmly controlled by the sprint teams and it will be a surprise if it doesn’t come down to a bunch kick in Montauban. For the GC riders, it will be all about saving energy for the three big Pyrenean stages but as usual the wind can come into play and make it a stressful and nervous day, with crashes a big danger throughout the entire first week of the race.

Montauban last hosted a Tour de France stage in 1998 when Jacky Durand beat Eddy Mazzoleni in a two-rider sprint. One year later it hosted to half-stages of the Route du Sud, a sprint stage won by Robbie McEwen and a time trial won by Christophe Moreau.

Current GC standings:



Withdrawals Stage 5:
None (!!!!!)
198 of 198 riders remain in the race.



← Stage 5 ThreadStage 7 Thread →
 
Can't figure how much technical that finale is. If the turn is close enough to the line, I'm going with Bryan because of his good positioning, if not, then the Manx or Greipel. This, of course, if sprint teams feel like chasing. They better.
 
Surely the sprint teams won't let a break get away here. The hills are pretty gentle and it's their last chance of a stage for at least four days. If Lotto, Etixx, DD, Katusha and Direct Energie all let this one slip by, then what are they looking to achieve from the race?
 
Re:

BigMac said:
Can't figure how much technical that finale is. If the turn is close enough to the line, I'm going with Bryan because of his good positioning, if not, then the Manx or Greipel. This, of course, if sprint teams feel like chasing. They better.

Corner looks fine on street view and then it's long and wide with one low island that should be easily avoided.

Should be a straight up sprint.
 
Aug 16, 2013
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Re:

DFA123 said:
Surely the sprint teams won't let a break get away here. The hills are pretty gentle and it's their last chance of a stage for at least four days. If Lotto, Etixx, DD, Katusha and Direct Energie all let this one slip by, then what are they looking to achieve from the race?

Looking for a good GC with Purito. After today's showing, that's very much possible.
 
Re: Re:

PremierAndrew said:
Praying Mantis said:
I'm very pleasantly surprised by the lack of abandons, can't remember a smoother opening week than this.

Was just about to point this out as well. All 198 riders still in the race heading into the 6th day is pretty incredible (Helped ofc by Morkov and Bennett being true warriors)


No one has abandoned?! This is great! I know plenty have crashed...of course hoping they all continue to recover.
 
Re:

Red Rick said:
I'd like to know which person in this world conjured up a last kilometer with a roundabout and a more then 90 degree bend, so I can personally share my dissatisfaction with him

They only take the short side of that roundabout. And stage 3 also supposedly had a Suisse like finale, which turned out to be just a shallow corner.
 
Groenewegen is beginning to find his feet I feel. He's always looking for Kittel's wheel I notice too, and eventually that's got to pay off.

This seems to be a fast flat finish and not as overly technical as it first appears. Just as Coquard was always looking likely to challenge for a big win eventually, on this finish, if Lotto Jumbo get it right and drop Groenewegen off in the right position then I feel tomorrow could be his big breakthrough day.
 

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