2011 Critérium du Dauphiné: Stage 6 Results

The penultimate stage of this year’s Dauphine featured a 192.5km course, starting in Les Gets, climbing six categorized climbs, and summit finishing on the HC Collet d’Allevard.  Nicolas Roche (AG2R) did not start the stage today, following his crash from yesterday, so 165 riders began.

On the first climb of the day, the peloton was all together, but Leonardo Duque (Cofidis) continued hunting for KOM points and took the top prize offered on the Côte de Châtillon-sur-Cluses.  Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) tried to use the downhill to break away, but he was caught within 10 kms.

At 25kms, Lemoine (Saur-Sojasun), Minard (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Kristian Koren (Liquigas), Perrig Quéméneur (Europcar), Fran Perez (Movistar) and Frederik Veuchelen (Vacansoleil) attacked, but a move to bridge by  Andriy Grivko (Astana), Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank), Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Cervélo) and Yuriy Trofimov (Katusha) pulled the peloton into action to capture all the riders and remain together again.

The next group to try its luck was Pierre Rolland (Europcar), Egor Silin (Katusha),  and Kristjian Koren (Liquigas). They were soon joined by Danny Pate (HTC), Sébastien Joly (Saur-Sojasun), Amaël Moinard (BMC), Carlos Barredo (Rabobank), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel), Joost Posthuma (Leopard-Trek), Marco Marzano and Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD).  This group was caught at 41kms to go.

On the second climb of the day, yet another group tried to break away, this time consisting of : Duque (Cofidis), Txurruka (Euskaltel), Quéméneur (Europcar), Intxausti (Movistar) and Westra (Vacansoleil).  They were able to stay away over the top of the mountain, earning Duque 3 more points in the KOM competition.  11 riders tried to bridge to them, including Tony Martin (HTC) and Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Cervelo), but the only rider to stay away from the surging peloton at the 50km mark was Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil).

A reshuffling in the peloton, and the next break formed, this time of Jelle Vandendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Sébastien Joly (SDaur-Sojasun), Amaël Moinard (BMC), Robert Gesink and Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank), Maciej Paterski (Liquigas), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel), Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Yuriy Trofimov (Katusha), Sandy Casar (FDJ), David Lopez (Movistar), Kevin Seeldrayers (Quick Step), Oliver Zaugg (Leopard), Przemyslaw Niemec (Lampre-ISD) and Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil).  By the start of the Col des Aravis, they had a 20 second advantage.   Ever the fighter, Thomas Voeckler used the climb to bridge to this break.  He managed to catch them as Niemec crossed the summit line first.

On the descent, as the break was caught, the peloton momentarily split into two groups.  This allowed yet another break to form: Mauro Finetto (Liquigas), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel), Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Andrey Amador (Movistar), Kevin Seeldrayers (Quick Step), Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank), Yuriy Trofimov (Katusha) and Sandy Casar (FDJ).  This group managed to hold off the peloton for awhile, eventually opening its gap to 3.35 minutes on the climb of the Col de Tamié, where Finetto took top points.

As the break tackled the fifth climb, the Grand Cucheron, their lead had dropped inside of two minutes.  Seeldrayers (Quick Step) took the top prize for that climb.

Finally, all that remained was the final climb of the day.  Sky took charge of the peloton to protect Wiggins’ yellow jersey.  Boasson Hagen’s pace caught the break and dropped the “peloton” to inside of a dozen riders:  Vinokourov (Astana), Van den Broeck (Omega), Coppel (Saur), Péraud (Ag2r), Evans (BMC), Gesink (Rabobank), Basso (Liquigas), S. Sanchez (Euskaltel), Wiggins, Boasson Hagen and Uran (Sky), Voeckler and Kern (Europcar), Rodriguez (Katusha), Pinot (FDJ), Sorensen (Saxo).

Gesink was first to attack this group.  He was quickly counter-attacked by Rodriguez and Van den Broeck.  Vinokourov launched next, but he could not answer Rodriguez’s acceleration, allowing the Katusha rider to take the stage win.  Wiggins retained his yellow with just one stage left.

Also, throughout the day,  quite a few riders abandoned including:  Frantisek Rabon (HTC); Oscar Pujol (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Jan Tratnik (Quick Step) ;  John Murphy (BMC); Dario Cataldo (Quick Step); and Mikel Landa (Euskaltel).

Stage 6 Results:

GC After 6 Stages: