Tour de France 2012: Stage 6 Épernay to Metz

So yesterday there was another crash inside the 3km banner. This time is was Tyler Farrar (GAR) who brought down several other riders including the leader in the points classification Peter Sagan (LIQ). The peleton had yet to capture all of the 4 man breakaway at this point who had left something in reserve for the final km and had made the capture difficult.

Difficult though not impossible, especially with the Sky train working to keep Bradley Wiggins safe on one side of the road, the BMC train on the other working for the same purpose for Cadel Evans plus other chains such as Lampré, Argos and Orica-Greenedge all working to bring it back for their sprinters.

 The crash meant that Sagan missed out to all his main rivals André Greiple (GER) took his second stage in a row, Matt Goss (OGE)  took another second, Juan José Haedo (ARG) third and after his lead out train leaving him with just Edvald Boasson Hagen over 1km from the finish and in second Mark Cavendish did salvage 4th having returned back to the front after slipping back down. It was Cavenndish who had taken most points available at the intermediate once again, from Mr Second Goss, Mark Renshaw (RAB) and Sagan. Overall the Green Jersey contest (the only one to change yesterday looks like this:

• Peter Sagan 155pts
• Matt Goss 137
• André Greipel 132
• Mark Cavendish 119
• Allesandro Pettacchi LAM 91

With another supposed sprinters stage today at the end of 207.5km of racing and the 45 points on offer plus whatever they can salvage in intermediate expect the sprinter to be scrapping it out again.

First up for them is the intermediate sprint at Saint-Mihiel 135km into the stage. We've seen already that it seems hard to beat Cavendish to these, he may only pick up a signle point advantage over his nearest rivals but with Goss and Renshaw taking the two places behind him and possibly others it means that Sagan will lose a few points here once again.

We do have one climb today just 10km after the sprint at Côte de Buxières so the signle point will go to whichever member of the breakaway wants it. But it is only 2.2 km long with a gradient of 3.8% so it is only a category four. After resting a day will King of the Mountains Michael Morkov (STB) find himself out in front again? With just a single point on offer I would doubt it.

That leaves us with the final km and as we have seen already it isn't just on the corners that crashes can happen. With so many teams looking to get their man the win either to help in the green jersey of to take that illusive first stage win wheels may collide. One sprinter who will take no further part in this tour is Marcel Kittel of Argos who was was at or off the back for most of the Tour so far, so for whatever reason he was struggling. He withdrew yesterday bringing the number of riders left down to 194.

Giro d'Italia Stage 5

After yesterday's team trial which saw Taylor Phinney, then in the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) take an excursion off course through some long grass and saw all three of the men most closely affected or involved in Monday's crash start. We have probably the most straight route I recall for any road stage of a Grand Tour.

From the start at historic Roman colony of Modena we go straight and flat to Rimini on the coast. Then following the coast around to Fano for the stage finish there few bumps in the road, but only one warrants a category four rating.

The final 10km are flat and straight leading into the finish itself. So expect another sprinters finish.

I would say without any bends in the final few kms this should be an uneventful run in but after Monday and the crash on the straight I won't be so bold. What I do hope is that the sprinters do race a fair sprint and keep largely to their sprinting line. Because although Fano is mentioned in Dante's Inferno I want all the fire to merely be in the explosive finish and not a hail of angry words, tweets, press interviews after the event.

So as Lithuanian cyclist Ramanus Navardauskas wears the Maglia Rosa there is added incentive for team Garmin-Baracuda sprinter Tyler Farrar to win today. The time bonuses would lift him into the leader's jersey, but I expect that both Mark Cavendish (SKY) and Matt Goss (OGE) will have something to say about him taking the maximum time bonus when it comes down to it.

Tour de France 2010 Stage Three: The Cobbles #TDF

Ok so far we've had the many crashes in the final part of stage one. Then the wet and slippery roads of yesterday's small hills. So what does today's stage of the Tour de France hold?

Well over 7 different sections there are 13.2km of cobbles in the final 90 km of the route from Wanze to Arenberg.

But like yesterday the roads aren't unknown to the pros. Yesterday is was the Liege-Baston-Liege classic that had the nod, today it is Paris-Robaix. The last of the 7 sections of cobbles in 2300m worth up to 10km from the finish. But the three sections before are 2400m followed pretty soon by 2500m then the longest 3700m before the final stretch.

It will lead to another interesting day in the Peleton for the racers. However, there have been rumours overnight about some of the casualties of yesterday and whether they will start or not. American sprinter Tyler Farrar is one who is is rumoured to be making the start line later despite fracturing his wrist in the falls yesterday. His compatriot Christian van de Velde is not so lucky as he tweeted:

"Laying in bed beat down, full of painkillers. Thanks for all the well wishes. I am gutted to have to leave in this fashion"

We wish him a full and rapid recovery from his cracked ribs. Although both the Schleck brothers despite being two of many who were heavily scarred from yesterday's going ons will drag themselves to the start line.

The only real winner of yesterday was Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel who was in the breakaway and stayed ahead of the neutralised peleton to secure enough seconds to take yellow as well as enough points to become the points leader as well, because his points did count as he was ahead of the neutered race.