Stage 6 Rain isn't all that came from the Sky #tdf

Stage 6 was one of wet roads, but less crashes on them than yesterday's dry roads. Go figure.

We were racing in Normandy where we will return in 2014 for the Grand Depart to mark the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings. Anyway there was a five man breakaway on the day with 3 minor catergorised climbs. One of the men in that breakaway was Johnny Hoogerland (VCD) who as part of the breakaway on Stage 4 on Tuesday took the point at the top of the Côte de Laz. The other's with him were Leonardo Duque (COF), Anthony Roux (FDJ), Lieuwe Westra (VCD) and Adriano Malori (LAM).  Duque had scored well in yesterday's intermediate sprint with the peleton, Westra was part of the three man breakon stage one.

At the first climb the category four Côte de Saint-Michel de Montjoie he took the summit and 2 points to go ahead of Cadel Evans (BMC), wearing Polka Dots today with three points, Anthony Roux was second. At the second climb up the Côte du Bourg-d'Ouilly they reversed this result. So the King of the Mountains on the road after two of the days three climbs stood as

1. Hoogerland 4 pts
2. Roux 3
3. Evans 2

This was the leaders in that competion in the end as Westra and  Malori took off so neither of the two contenders were able to claim the final point of the day on the Côte du Billot which in the end went to Westra.

Between the first two climbs was the day's sprint. The breakaway went through in the order Roux, Duque, Westra, Molari and Hoogerland. behind them the peleton were being led out by HTC in hunt for the 10 points. It was classic HTC and Mark Cavendish as the Manxman took a routine sprint for him this time. In his wake came, Jose Joaquin Rojas (MOV), Farrar (GRM), Renshaw sitting up (HTC), Gilbert (OLO). It made the top four on the road in the Green points jersey

1. Gilbert 126
2. Rojas 120
3. Cavendish 94
4. Evans 90

The rain kept coming and the capture of the last ssusrvivor Malori eventually came on the climb at 3km. Just inside 5km though Levi Leipheimer (RSH) crashed at the side of the road. HTC were leading up the hill. Jurgen van den Broeck tried to burst away, Thomas Voeckler raced across the gap at 2km. But there was no paic behind the main field kept riding them down, with David Miller (GRM) on the front. Although many were dropping off the back. The two were captured at 1.2km.

HTC were trying to pull through Matt Goss, Geraint Thomas brought through Edvald Boassen Hagen and that was the decisive move to give Team Sky and Boassen Hagen their first stage win ever in the tour. He was followed by an HTC rinder, but this time Matt Goss not Cavendish who was 101st and some time behind. Then it was the yellow jersey of Thor Hushovd, Romain Feillu, Jose Joaquin Rojas. Arthur Vichot (FDJ), then the Green Jersey of Philippe Gilbert, just having done enough to retain it by one point.