Tour de France: Greipel wins sprint in Reims

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André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) stormed back to win stage six of the Tour de France from Arras to Reims. The Lotto rider, who had struggled during the opening stages, made no mistakes after Marcel Kittel was dropped in the finale.

Greipel took control of the sprint with 150 metres to go and hit the front after a chaotic run-in, and after a late attack from Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma Quickstep) was reeled in. Despite late dashes from Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) and Samuel Dumoulin (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Greipel won by over a bike length, with Peter Sagan down in fifth.

Race leader Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) made it through the day unscathed however there was a late threat when the peloton split into several echelons inside the final 10 kilometres. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) was among those who lost out but the majority of the main overall contenders made the cut.

Yet this was Greipel's day and another for Germany who have won every single bunch sprint in the Tour de France so far. For your generation of world-topping sprinters it's such a shame that their national broadcasters continue to shun the race. Not that Griepel was overly concerned when he crossed the line. Relief seemed to be the overriding emotion, with a first-stage win in this year's race.

Greipel has won at least one stage in every Tour since 2011 but the early indications weren't promising when a combination of bad luck and bad time scuppered his chances in the early stages. Greg Henderson's untimely departure on stage 4 certainly didn't help matters but few can live with Greipel when he's well positioned and only has clean air between him and the finish line.

"It was a really nervous stage," Greipel said at the finish. "We had to stay all the time at the front. I'm really happy with my team. They kept me all the time in the front, especially the last 30km with the side winds."

"At the end maybe it was not a lead out train, with all the roundabouts it wasn't easy to stay together."

"I had a good wheel with Mark Renshaw, but I lost a little bit of energy getting into position. With 250m to go I said to myself, I go full now, it doesn't matter, what will happen will happen. I'm really happy I got the stage win. There was a lot of pressure on us. Finally we have it."

Timing and experience were crucial. Especially when Kwiatkowski threw caution to the wind and attacked inside the final kilometre. Under normal circumstances Giant-Shimano would have snaffled up the Pole with relative ease, but with the Dutch outfit out the back and Omega Pharma of course unwilling to chase, it fell upon the ragtag lead-out to measure their approach. Of course panic spread and while Kwiatkowski was caught, it led to uncertainly as fractured mini-lead outs of ones and twos held their efforts. Cue Greipel, who hit the front with the authority needed to take his first stage in this year's race.

"The confidence was always there. OK it wasn't easy, but we just said to ourselves we stay calm and we go for it. Today was really good work from everyone."

Photo: Tim De Waele

The Tour pays respect

After yesterday's epic day on the cobbles there was a moment to reflect for the Tour de France. As riders looked out from the rain-covered windows of the team buses, as they assessed their aching limbs from the exhausting efforts made the day before, the Tour organisers made sure those who lost their lives in the First World War were honoured.

The stage route itself ran from Arras and through some of the battlefields including the Somme and the Chemin des Dames where three battles were fought between 1914 and the conclusion of the war four years later.

The race itself saw Jerome Pineau (IAM Cycling), Tom Leezer (Belkin), Luis Mate Mardones (Cofidis) and Arnaud Gerard (Bretagne-Seche Environnement) break clear in the early stages but their lead never troubled a peloton that clung together in the wet and misty conditions.

Mate, who had attacked from the off when the race hit France two days ago, helped drive the foursome on, but with such sprinter friendly parcours the leaders were never given the freedom they needed.

The peloton wasn't having it all its own way either, with a number of crashes throughout the stage. After losing Chris Froome yesterday, Team Sky saw Xabier Zandio leave in an ambulance. The Spaniard wasn't the only rider to leave the race, with Egor Silin (Team Katusha) and Alberto Contador's key helper Jesus Hernandez also crashing out.

Photo: Bettini Photo

Peter Sagan (Cannondale) also took a tumble but he made his way back to the peloton rather gingerly before the main field began to split in the crosswinds.

When Mate, the last man from the break was caught with twelve kilometres to go Omega Pharma-Quickstep began to take control of the front of the peloton. It proved crucial, and once the winds picked up and the riders found themselves on open and exposed roads the Belgian team set about dismantling the peloton. Groups quickly formed with Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali – their duel becoming more fascinating by the day – matching each other near the front pedal stroke for pedal stroke.

Thibaut Pinot and Pierre Rolland both lost 59 seconds but the rest of the overall contenders were safe. Katusha led the peloton into the final two kilometres but Kittel, perhaps feeling the effects his crash yesterday or the early signs of fatigue sat up. Cannondale played their part in the lead-out but Griepel kept his nerve and his line.

Photo: Bettini Photo

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