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| Tour de France 2014: André Greipel triumphs in stage six in Reims | Tour de France 2014: André Greipel triumphs in stage six in Reims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A sprint finish at the Tour de France, a German punching the sky after an easy triumph. Only this time it was André Greipel – not Marcel Kittel. | A sprint finish at the Tour de France, a German punching the sky after an easy triumph. Only this time it was André Greipel – not Marcel Kittel. |
| Kittel, a three-time stage winner already, was nowhere to be seen. In Champagne country, Kittel said he felt flat a kilometre from the finish of the 194-km sixth stage from Arras to Reims, and so didn’t contest the sprint. | Kittel, a three-time stage winner already, was nowhere to be seen. In Champagne country, Kittel said he felt flat a kilometre from the finish of the 194-km sixth stage from Arras to Reims, and so didn’t contest the sprint. |
| Lotto-Belisol’s Greipel took advantage, chasing down Michal Kwiatkowski – who had made a break for the line with a kilometre remaining – with 100m to go, before winning by a bike length. The Norwegian Alexander Kristoff was second, with Australia’s Mark Renshaw third. | Lotto-Belisol’s Greipel took advantage, chasing down Michal Kwiatkowski – who had made a break for the line with a kilometre remaining – with 100m to go, before winning by a bike length. The Norwegian Alexander Kristoff was second, with Australia’s Mark Renshaw third. |
| “I think there was a lot of pressure on us, and also on my shoulders,” said Greipel. “Everybody did the job they had to do to get me in the position for the sprint and I had enough power to win. I am very happy that we finally have a stage win.” | “I think there was a lot of pressure on us, and also on my shoulders,” said Greipel. “Everybody did the job they had to do to get me in the position for the sprint and I had enough power to win. I am very happy that we finally have a stage win.” |
| The positions at the top of the general classification remain unchanged, with Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali holding a two-second advantage over his team-mate Jakob Fuglsang, with Peter Sagan third, 44 seconds back. | The positions at the top of the general classification remain unchanged, with Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali holding a two-second advantage over his team-mate Jakob Fuglsang, with Peter Sagan third, 44 seconds back. |
| Earlier the enormous rain cloud that has sat sulkily above northern France ever since the Tour arrived from Britain, caused more problems. And after a large crash with 79km remaining Team Sky’s Xabier Zandio was forced to retire with a broken collarbone. | Earlier the enormous rain cloud that has sat sulkily above northern France ever since the Tour arrived from Britain, caused more problems. And after a large crash with 79km remaining Team Sky’s Xabier Zandio was forced to retire with a broken collarbone. |
| The Russian Katusha rider Egor Silin also withdrew after hurting his head in a crash while Jesús Hernández, Alberto Contador’s loyal man in the mountains, is out after crashing in the crosswinds at Chemin des Dames. | The Russian Katusha rider Egor Silin also withdrew after hurting his head in a crash while Jesús Hernández, Alberto Contador’s loyal man in the mountains, is out after crashing in the crosswinds at Chemin des Dames. |
| The French champion, Arnaud Démare, who would have targeted this stage, also crashed - as did the green jersey-holder Sagan, but both were able to continue. | |
| Meanwhile the race director Christian Prudhomme has rejected claims by some riders, including the American Tejay van Garderen, that the cobbles have no place at the Tour de France. | |
| Prudhomme said: “The cobbles are an integral part of the race. A Tour de France winner has to be able to ride on every kind of road. | Prudhomme said: “The cobbles are an integral part of the race. A Tour de France winner has to be able to ride on every kind of road. |
| “There were many crashes on the asphalt, but not so many on the cobbles. The job of a cyclist is exceptional but difficult. What they have done contributes to their legend, being admired by people around the world. We would do it again.” | “There were many crashes on the asphalt, but not so many on the cobbles. The job of a cyclist is exceptional but difficult. What they have done contributes to their legend, being admired by people around the world. We would do it again.” |