The sixth stage of the Tour de France, starting from Tarbes this Thursday July 6, marks the first arrival at the top of this 110th edition, in Cauterets-Cambasque, passing through two giants, the Aspin and Tourmalet passes.
Departing from Tarbes, this short (144.9 km) but tough stage will offer four listed climbs. After the Capvern-les-Bains hill (5.6 km at 4.8%) as a warm-up, the riders will face two legends of the Tour de France, Aspin (12 km at 6.5%) and especially the Tourmalet (17.1 km at 7.3%), before the final climb to Cauterets-Cambasque (15.9 km at 5.4%).
The Jumbo-Visma gets organized
Wout van Aert receives information in his headset. He will have to put Jonas Vingegaard into orbit. For his part, Tadej Pogacar remains in contact.
The head is accelerating
Taking advantage of a small uphill false flat, the leading group picked up the pace. Dangerous for many runners who will have trouble keeping up with this pace, things are getting ready.
Wout van Aert elected “fighter of the day”
Not surprisingly, the Belgian Wout van Aert is logically designated Wout van Aert. Boss at the head of the race, he is now doing the thankless job for Jonas Vingegaard.
Neilson Powless in trouble
Already guaranteed to find his polka dot jersey tonight, Powless is struggling to stay attached to the leading group.
The eight leading men organize themselves
The race leader calmly tackles the climb to Cauterets. With Wout van Aert still leading this group, they are 2’41” ahead of the peloton.
Beginning of the final
The runners begin the ascent of Cauterets. 16 kilometers that will decide this stage.
The favorites have made the connection
The van Aert, Pogacar, Vingegaard and Powless group returned to the four leading men: Guerreiro, Johannessen, Kwiatkowski and Shaw.
Pogacar bluffing?
Well installed behind Vingegaard and van Aert, who works a lot, Pogacar winces and tests his left wrist. Bluff or not, he sends signals to his fellow travelers.
Four men in the lead
With an 8 second lead, Guerreiro, Johannessen, Kwiatkowski and Shaw tried to organize themselves at the head of the race.
Wout van Aert waited for Vingegaard
Boss in the lead of the race for many kilometres, Wout van Aert waited for his teammate and leader Jonas Vingegaard to put him in the best conditions. It is a group of four runners that is formed.
The Tourmalet crossed by the leading men
Tobias Halland Johannessen sprinted the Col du Tourmalet first with Ruben Guerreiro.
Wout van Aert splits the crowd
In an incandescent atmosphere, the Belgian makes his way between the fans for the last meters of the climb.
Attack of Jonas Vingegaard
The Dane well led by Sepp Keus attacks. Pogacar solid, stays in its wheel.
The yellow jersey in the ropes
Jai Hindley could not keep up with the Jumbo-Visma charge. He is left behind by the trio Pogacar, Vingegaard and Sepp Kuss.
The attack is terrible for the peloton
The Jumbo-Visma has succeeded. A group of four riders including Pogacar, Vingegaard, yellow jersey Jai Hindley and a Vingegaard teammate make a hole in the peloton.
The peloton sounds the charge
The Jumbo-Visma, which had been leading the peloton for many kilometres, decided to attack.
4 km from the summit, Alaphilippe lets go
At La Mongie, Wout van Aert decided to step up the pace again. Fatal for Julien Alaphilippe who is left behind.
Van der Poel left behind
It is too much for the grandson of Raymond Poulidor. Mathieu van der Poel is left behind in the leading group. Wout van Aert continues to print his tempo of hell.
It’s Matîs Louvel’s turn to win
Faced with the infernal pace of Wout van Aert, the Frenchman from the Arkea Samsic team, Matîs Louvel, dropped out of the leading group.
The van Aert locomotive
The Belgian, already in the leg yesterday, leads the leading group with a lot of rhythm. It’s going too fast for Gorka Izagirre who is forced to let go of the group.
Historic tourmalet
The mythical Col du Tourmalet is the most climbed col by riders in the history of the Tour de France. Since 1947, this is the 61st time it has been climbed in the Grande Boucle.
The composition of the leading group
Here are the 13 riders leading the race:
– J. Alaphilippe (Soudal – Quick Step)- W. Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)- R. Guerreiro (Movistar)- T. Johannessen (Uno-X)- G. Izagirre (Movistar)- K. Neilands (Israel – Premier Tech)- Mr. Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers)- Mr. Louvel (Arkéa Samsic)- N. Powless (EF Education – Easy Post)- Mr. Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)- J. Shaw (EF Education – Easy Post)- J. Gregaard Wilsly (Uno-X)- C. Juul Jensen (Jayco AlUla)
The duo is resumed
Wout van Aert nods to Julian Alaphilippe to return to the leading group. Van Aert wants to keep a tight group before the toughest percentages of this climb.
Attack of Julian Alaphilippe
Quietly in the leading group, the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe attacks when he seemed to take over. He is accompanied by James Shaw who does not seem to want to help him.
Top enemies set the tempo
Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, opponents since their youth, are in charge of this leading group.
The distanced peloton
The race leader is 4’50” ahead of the peloton. The Bora-Hansgrohe team in the yellow jersey, Jai Hindley, decides to take matters into their own hands and put in a little boost.
Tourmalet Hell
Lead runners begin the ascent of this 17. km pass with an average gradient of 7.3%.
The leading group will start the Tourmalet
The 16 riders who make up the leading group will begin the ascent of the Col du Tourmalet, classified out of category.
Alaphilippe takes points
Here is the distribution of points for the runners who crossed the Col d’Aspin.
Neilson Powless in the lead
The one who lost his polka dot jersey yesterday, took the lead in the Col d’Aspin and thus collected 10 points in the mountain classification.
10 points at the key
Whoever passes the summit of the Col d’Aspin first will earn 10 points in the climbers’ classification.
Soon the arrival of the Col d’Aspin
3 kilometers separate the runners from the finish of the Col d’Aspin.
Tadej Pogacar gives news of his companion
“She’s fine, she’s already gone home. It’s going to take her a few days to get back on the bike.”
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Runners suffer from the heat
Water bottles in the jersey, open jersey, gloves removed… The runners use tricks to feel the heat less.
The French and the Col d’Aspin
During the last two climbs of this pass, two Frenchmen came first: Julian Alaphilippe in 2018 and Thibaut Pinot in 2022.
Second difficulty of the stage
The Col d’Aspin (12 km at 6.5%), category 1, approach for runners. We will then be at kilometer 68.
Coquard ahead of Van Aert and Van der Poel
Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel were overtaken by the French rider during the intermediate sprint.
Bryan Coquard wins the intermediate sprint
Like yesterday, the Frenchman won the 20 points of the intermediate sprint. He now has 104 points. Jasper Philipsen, the green jersey, has 150.
The milestone of 100
There are now less than 100 kilometers left before the finish in Cauterets-Cambasque.
10 km before the intermediate sprint
Yesterday, it was Bryan Coquard who had recovered the 20 points of the intermediate sprint.
Felix Gall makes the weight!
100% polka dot outfit for the leader of the best climber classification.
The heat is present!
It is hot, very hot on this stage.
Neilson Powless in the lead
Neilson Powless passed the Côte de Capvern-les-Bains in the lead and obtained two additional points in the classification of the best climber.
Neilson Powless resumed his hunt for the polka dot jersey and pocketed the 2 points at the top of the Côte de Capvern-les-Bains ahead of his teammate James Shaw (1 point). The Bora-Hansgrohe controls the peloton and stabilizes the gap at 3 minutes. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/KrBOvIYO1g
— The Gruppetto (@TheGruppetto) July 6, 2023
Julian Alaphilippe remains struggling
The Frenchman, winner of the 1st stage in 2021 and absent in 2022, remains in the leading group.
Beginning of the ascent of the coast
The leading group begins the ascent of the Côte de Capvern-les-Bains. The gaps remain more or less unchanged.
The peloton behind
The peloton is now almost 3 minutes behind (2’45”) behind the leading group, a few minutes from the start of the climb up the Capvern-les-Bains hill.
The first difficulty comes
The Capvern-les-Bains coast (5.6 km at 4.8%), category 3, will be climbed in almost 5 kilometers now.
The polka dot jersey to change owner
After Neilson Powless, it is the Austrian Felix Gall who now wears the best climber’s jersey on his shoulders.
Support for Alaphilippe
The double world champion can count on his supporters on the side of the road.
Heavy in front
We find in particular Van der Poel, Van Aert and Alaphilippe in the leading group.
The runners are placed
The pace has now slowed, the head of the race is 40 seconds ahead of his pursuers and 1 minute 30 on the peloton.
The pride of his
Winner yesterday as boss, Jai Hindley was congratulated by his family.
One side to start
The Capvern-les-Bains coast (5.6 km at 4.8%) will be done from kilometer 30.
Already a small advance
A dozen riders took off and have nearly 15 seconds ahead of the peloton. Bryan Coquard is one of them.
Already an attack
It was expected, Wout Van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe start and take the lead. Benoît Cosnefroy is not far away.
The real start is given!
Let’s go for 144.9 km and nearly 4 hours of racing.
Watch out, Mr. Pogacar!
The Slovenian, who lost considerable time yesterday in the fifth stage, is 1 minute and 40 seconds behind the yellow jersey, Jai Hindley. The point on the general classification:
Read also :
Tour de France 2023: the yellow jersey general classification after the fifth stage Pau-Laruns
The Tour will climb the Tourmalet
Shortly before kilometer 100, the runners will begin the ascent of the Col du Tourmalet (17.1 to 7.3%).
What does the map say?
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MAP. Tour de France 2023: 6th stage Tarbes – Cauterets-Cambasque, discover the route and profile of this Thursday’s route
Hello everyone !
Welcome to this live broadcast, during which you can follow the sixth stage of the Tour de France 2023 Tarbes – Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9 km).