Tour de France 2015 Stage 6: Stybar wins after chaotic finale, Martin breaks collarbone

Stage 6 takes the riders on rolling terrain to Le Havre. The last 1.5 kilometres are uphill and it's there leader Tony Martin hits the tarmac and breaks his collarbone. His unwitting team mate Zdenek Stybar makes good use of the ensuing chaos and he escapes to victory. Sagan wins the sprint of the chasing group. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 6th stage Tour de France

1. Zdenek Stybar (cze)
2. Peter Sagan (svk) + 0.02
3. Bryan Coquard (fra) s.t.
4. John Degenkolb (ger) s.t.
5. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) s.t.
6. Tony Gallopin (fra) s.t.
7. Edvald Boasson Hagen (nor) s.t.
8. Davide Cimolai (ita) s.t.
9. Julien Simon (fra) s.t.
10. Gorka Izagirre (spa) s.t.

GC after stage 6
1. Tony Martin (ger)
2. Chris Froome (gbr) + 0.12
3. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 0.25
4. Tony Gallopin (fra) + 0.38
5. Peter Sagan (svk) + 0.33
6. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) + 0.40
7. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.46
8. Alberto Contador (spa) + 0.48
9. Zdenek Stybar (cze) + 1.04
10. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 1.15

12. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 1.44
13. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 1.50
14. Robert Gesink (nld) + 1.51
16. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 2.03
17. Nairo Quintana (col) + 2.08
18. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa)
19. Jean Christophe Peraud (fra) + 2.19
21. Romain Bardet (fra) + 3.06
30. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 6.30

Race results
Luis Angel Maté opens fire, but its Perrig Quémeneur, Kenneth Van Bilsen and Daniel Teklehaimanot who break free and race to a 12 minutes gap. Then Lotto Soudal and Giant take control in the pack and bring down the gain as fast as it ballooned. At 4 to 5 minutes a status quo is reached.

With 70 km’s left the chase continues and the gap shrinks to 1 minute, but after the intermediate sprint at 40 km’s – in the bunch won by John Degenkolb – the gain yo-yoes back to 2 minutes.

Teklehaimanot took all KOM points en route and when cresting Cote de Tilleul he takes the polka dot jersey from Joaquim Rodríguez. The gain is once more down to 1 minute.

With 13 km’s left Van Bilsen goes solo, but he doesn’t make it. At the 1.5 km’s closing climb Tony Martin hits the tarmac and in the ensuing chaos Zdenek Stybar is off. Nobody chases him at first and when Rodríguez tries of bridge the gap in favour of Kristoff it is too late. Stybar wins and Sagan sprints to second place for the thirth time in the 2015 Tour.