Tour de France: Marcel Kittel surges to win as Chris Froome retains yellow
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 07/07/17 6:21am
Marcel Kittel surged to victory on stage six of the Tour de France as Chris Froome stayed safe to retain his yellow jersey in Troyes.
Quick-Step Floors' Kittel beat Frenchman Arnaud Demare (FDJ) and fellow German Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) in a sprint finish at the end of the 216km stage from Vesoul.
Team Sky's Froome had a relatively stress-free first day in the yellow jersey, with the only threat that came his way being a runaway parasol midway through the stage.
The day began with a three-man break heading clear as Perrig Quemeneur (Direct Energie), Frederik Backaert (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE Team Emirates) were allowed to build a lead of a little over four minutes.
But it proved a fairly sedate ride through Champagne country, with the main incident of note before the final kilometres being a stray parasol which blew into the road close to the front of the peloton and the Team Sky train.
Somehow it failed to fell any riders as it rolled through the pack close to Colombey-les-deux-Eglises, celebrated as the long-time home of the late former French president Charles de Gaulle.
Team Sky and Froome were spared the work of leading the peloton once again as the sprint teams took responsibility for chasing down the breakaway, finally making the catch inside the last three kilometres.
Froome continues to lead the Tour by 12 seconds from team-mate Geraint Thomas, with Astana's Italian national champion Fabio Aru in third, 14 seconds off yellow.
With world champion Peter Sagan's disqualification from the Tour for crashing with Mark Cavendish on stage four still fresh in the memory, Demare forced his way through a narrow gap against the barriers on the approach to the line.
Alexander Kristoff of Katusha-Alpecin took fourth place in the ahead of Cofidis' Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni, while Britain's Dan McLay of Fortuneo-Oscaro came home in eighth place.
"I'm proud of my team, they did a great job because it was a very different finish to Liege," Kittel said.
"The last kilometre was a little bit freestyle, but I had a good wheel to follow in Demare, and then I had to go on my own from 250m. I feel good at the moment, and for sure I have (the green jersey) in my focus."
Stage Six result:
1 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Quick-Step 5:05:34"
2 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ same time
3 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto
4 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
5 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis
6 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) LottoNL
7 Michael Matthews (Aus) Sunweb
8 Daniel McLay (Gbr) Fortuneo
9 Ruediger Selig (Ger) BORA
10 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek
General Classification after Stage Six:
1 Chris Froome (Gbr) Team Sky 23:44:32"
2 Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Team Sky +12"
3 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana +14"
4 Daniel Martin (Ire) Quick-Step +25"
5 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing +39"
6 Simon Yates (Gbr) Orica) +43"
7 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R +47"
8 Alberto Contador (Esp) Trek +52"
9 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar +54"
10 Rafal Majka (Pol) BORA +1:01"
