The sprinters will have one more chance to fight for a stage win before the Tour de France heads into the mountains, with Stage 7 taking the peloton across 213.5 kilometres from Troyes to Nuits-Saint-Georges. Join The Roar for live coverage from 10pm (AEST).
With the race about to enter its first serious mountain phase – Sunday’s stage in particular isn’t going to make the sprinters feel at ease – today is flat.
Marcel Kittel, who already has a pair of stage wins looks to be the fastest man in the race and with another draggy sort of finish, it could suit the German to go for a third.
Arnaud Demare, to this point is the only other sprinter with a victory, so today’s stage is going to be fast and furious, with riders like Andre Greipel desperately trying to get on the board before the general classification contenders come out to play.
Starting out in Troyes, where Kittel won his second stage yesterday, the race tracks south-east through the Cote d’Or region. The first 135 kilometres of the 213.5-kilometre journey of the stage do go more or less on an uphill trajectory, but for the most part it will be barely a false flat, with just 400 metres of elevation gain.
The intermediate sprint for the day comes on the long opening drag, after 108 kilometres in Chanceaux.
Following the opening 135 kilometres, it goes downhill gradually for ten, before the only categorised climb of the day hits the riders. The Category 4 Côte d’Urcy is just 2.5 kilometres at four per cent and won’t have a bearing on the King of the Mountains jersey, with Fabio Aru locked in to hold onto it for at least another day.
Once over the climb, the race undulates before dropping away for a pancake-flat final 50 kilometres into Nuits-Saint-Georges, where the last five kilometres go slightly up and down, before a straight ahead drag to the line.
Prediction
Kittel has been in superb form and despite his lead outs being interrupted, he is in prime condition to pick up a third. The finish is up his alley, and his team will drop him off in a good enough position.
Demare and Greipel will again battle out the minor placings, but with an ever so slightly up and down last kilometre, watch out for Edvald Boasson Hagen, who has taken over the sprinting at Dimension Data and Aussie Michael Matthews.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Stage 7 from 10pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this evening for Stage 7 and that incredible photo finish. Ryan Day will be live this evening from 9:30pm (AEST) with Stage 8, and then I'll be live on Sunday from the early time of 8pm (AEST) for a huge Stage 9. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION 1. Chris Froome (Sky) @ 28:47:51 2. Geraint Thomas (Sky) + 0:12 3. Fabio Aru (Astana) + 0:14 4. Daniel Martin (Quick Step) + 0:25 5. Richie Porte (BMC) + 0:39 6. Simon Yates (Orica) + 0:43 7. Romain Bardet (Ag2r) + 0:47 8. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) + 0:52 9. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) + 0:54 10. Rafal Majka (Bora) + 1:01
Scott Pryde
Expert
Marcel Kittel moves into the green jersey as well.
Scott Pryde
Expert
TOP TEN 1. Marcel Kittel (Quickstep) @ 5:03:18 2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) + 0:00 3. Michael Matthews (Sunweb) + 0:00 4. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) + 0:00 5. John Degenkolb (Trek) + 0:00 6. Dylan VanGroenwegen (Lotto Jumbo) + 0:00 7. Rudiger Selig (Bora) + 0:00 8. Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) + 0:00 9. Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) + 0:00 10. Daniel McLay (Trek) + 0:00
Scott Pryde
Expert
This is true. To be fair, McEwen had ridden the course and every GC rider was jumpy.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Yeah absolutely - You can't get any closer than that without actually having a dead heat.
Jon
Roar Rookie
If the commentators bang on about something it is sure not to happen :p
Scott Pryde
Expert
So, no crosswinds and no fireworks, but what an incredible sprint for the line. Demare in the green jersey was a long way back in that sprint as well. Full results to come.
Jon
Roar Rookie
I have to admit I haven't been watching cycling for that long (TDF 2006/7 and then a few years later watching other races), but that was easily the closest finish I've seen. You have to feel for Boasson Hagen. A real heartbreaker.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Sounds as if confirmation has just come through for Marcel Kittel. He has won his third stage by absolutely nothing.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Michael Matthews has definitely finished third, Kristoff fourth. This could well be a dead heat.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Dead heat? Kristoff and Matthews just fell away for third and fourth, but Boasson Hagen just couldn't quite hold of Kittel in the final throw. That's an incredibly close finish.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Cofidis tryinng to bring Bouhanni to the front, but they are too far back. Sabitini opens the sprint for Quick Step, but the lead outs have broken down for another day. Boasson Hagen and Matthews have opened up the sprint, with Kittel around the outside. Boasson Hagen might have won this! It's a photo finish through the middle between him and Marcel Kittel.
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 kilometre to go and it's Quick Step taking over control now. Looks like FDJ went too early. Quick Step in great position.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Almost a crash around the traffic island. The peloton split in two ways with Sunweb coming forward, and now it's FDJ at the front. No sign of Lotto-Soudal or Greipel.
Scott Pryde
Expert
It's happening now. FDJ have come from a long way back and they are heading towards the front. Bouhanni briefly had the wheel of Demare, but has now lost it. Quick Step and Katusha losing a little bit of positioning through 3km to go on the right hand side of the road.
Scott Pryde
Expert
5km to go and it looks like Orica have come to the front through Daryl Impey to try and keep Chavez and Yates out of trouble.
Scott Pryde
Expert
There's the catch. Quick handshake between the breakaway, Dylan Van Baarle wins most combative as announced by race radio and it's now time for the sprinters to go to work. 5.5km to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Now they are taking it in turns to attack - the three remaining riders all putting in little moves, but the catch is imminnent as Quick Step continue to lead the bunch alongside Katusha with 6km to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
The peloton just appears to ease a fraction here and now it's Mori attacking. Yohann Gene has been elft behind and is caught. Don't forget, they are fighting for the most combative stage.