At the beginning of today’s longest 226.5 km stage from Dinan to Lisieux everyone was guessing Mark Cavendish would win.

That’s because last year’s longest stage in the Tour, 227.5 km from Montargis to Gueugnon, was won by the Manxman.

But on the rain streaked, uphill finish and with a lead out from his Team Sky teammate Geraint Thomas, Edvald Boasson Hagen managed to hold off some of the fastest sprinters in the world over 800 meters to the finish line.

It was the first stage win in the Tour de France for the 24-year-old Norwegian.

“I felt really good today and I’m so pleased to win the sprint,” said Boasson Hagen after the stage.

“Geraint Thomas did a great lead out and it’s just fantastic it’s all worked out.,” he added. “To get my first stage at the Tour de France is so special.”

Norwegian fans will be partying it up in the towns of Normandy tonight because Thor Hushovd came in third in the stage, and still wears the Yellow Jersey.

Cadel Evans still holds the second position overall, with Frank Schleck third in the General Classification.

Matt Goss (AUS) of HTC Highroads was second in the stage sprint, while his teammate Cavendish was dropped in this grueling, over-140 mile stage that had riders stuck in their wet saddles for over five hours.



Things looked promising for Cavendish at the 131 km mark, today’s intermediate sprint point at Vassay when he won handily and apparently without penalty points. A team set up with two other HTC Highroad members gave him a clean lead out to beat Phillipe Gilbert and Joaquin Rojas to the line.

But somewhere in the race the battery of the fastest man on earth wound down, and he could not finish the stage with the pack.

The disappointment was also to be had for Matt Goss who wrote on his Twitter less than an hour later, “NEARLY! Not often u wish for 10 more meters in a bike race!”

It was a spectacular coup for Boasson Hagen who managed to eclipse some of the best sprinters in the tour so far, including Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP) MOV and Philippe Gilbert (BEL) OLO. Gilbert was also considered one of the favorites for a win today.

As the riders entered the 2 km to the finish Vanendert attacked and was chased down by Thomas Voeckler. They were ahead by 100 meters, but were soon followed quickly by David Millar, Cadel Evans and Phillipe Gilbert.

Then Alexandre Vinokourov gained on Millar’s right, but he was caught by Mollema who established a gap but not enough to hold off the steam roller of sprinter legs behind him: Geraint Thomas accelerated quickly past him with Edvald Boasson Hagen on his wheel, who stayed in front to the finish and won the stage.

Tyler Farrar said at the beginning of the day that he didn’t have the legs for a sprint at today’s finish, and would leave it to his Garmin Cervelo teammate Hushovd.

On a day that alternated between rain and sun, Levi Leipheimer of Team RadioShack lost more than one minute when he crashed on slick wet pavement and hit a road guard.  The time loss means that Leipheimer is out of the top 20, slipping to 31^st position, one minute and 23 seconds behind the leader.

A Bad Day for All, Including a Bjarne Riis Bike Toss

It must have been a difficult day for many riders. David Zabriskie of Team Garmin Cervelo wrote on Twitter after the race, “One time while self administering a colonic I think I saw Jesus…that is how I feel right now at this very moment…”

It’s hard for the normal Joe or Joette to understand just how difficult riding the Tour must be, but when champions like Zabriskie complain, or like Cavendish fall behind, it’s gotta be bad.

Alberto Contador also had problems today when a mechanical problem had him looking for a new bicycle, but he didn’t lose much time.

Robert Gesink also appeared to have a temper tantrum on the side of the road, throwing his bike and looking for a replacement in the second half of the stage.

It was almost a Bjarne Riis moment–harking back to the 1997 Tour when then on and off Yellow Jersey rider threw his bike in a tantrum along the side of the road. (Riis is now team manager of Alberto Contador’s SaxoBank-Sungard team.)

The stage featured three climbs: a category 3 climb at Cote de Saint-Michel-de-Montjoie (at 99.5km), another category 3 at Cote du Bourg-d’Oilly (at 156.5km), and a category 4 at Cote du Billot (at 197km). The intermediate sprint was in Vassy at 131km. Those climbs may have taken the strength out of many sprint riders’ legs.

Because of its length, this stage was also a good opportunity for a breakaway: And indeed, an early break at 5 km from the start was established by Anthony Roux (FRA) FDJ, Leonardo Duque (COL) COF, Johnny Hoogerland (NED) VCD,  Adriano Malori (ITA) LAM and Lieuwe Westra (NED) VCD .

A chase group formed behind them consisting of Jerome Pineau (QST) and Izagirre (EUS). If you recall, Pineau had a long break in last year’s Tour as well.

The breakaway riders were the first through the intermediate sprint point, with Roux (FDJ) gaining 20pts, Duque (COF) 17 points, Westra (VCD) 15 points, Malori (LAM) 13 points, and Hoogerland (VCD) 11 points.

Coming in to the intermediate sprint, the first rider in the peloton was Cavendish (THR) who gained 10 points with Rojas (MOV) second gaining 9 points, and Farrar (GRM) third gaining 8 points. Renshaw (THR), Gilbert (OLO), Petacchi (LAM), Delage (FDJ), Ventoso (MOV), Eisel (THR) and Moinard (BMC) also got points.

With 40 km to go, there were still two leaders including Malori (LAM) in a break and they were ahead of the peloton by more than 4 minutes, with a chase group a little more than a minute behind them.

Malori (LAM) soon was out in front by himself, and he was 35 seconds ahead of the peloton at 15 km to go. At the final five km, the peloton had him in their sights, with only a 12 second advantage for the break rider.

Because of his aggressive riding, Malori will get a red dossard for the seventh stage “and a few kisses from the podium girls,” according to ASO.

Ivan Velasco (EUS) did not start today, as he has quit the Tour because of a broken collarbone sustained in a crash.

OVERALL STANDINGS AT THE END OF STAGE 6 : Source: ASO

1.	HUSHOVD Thor	51	TEAM GARMIN – CERVELO	22h 50′ 34″
2.	EVANS Cadel	141	BMC RACING TEAM	22h 50′ 35″	+ 00′ 01″
3.	SCHLECK Frank	18	TEAM LEOPARD-TREK	22h 50′ 38″	+ 00′ 04″
4.	MILLAR David	56	TEAM GARMIN – CERVELO	22h 50′ 42″	+ 00′ 08″
5.	KLÖDEN Andréas	74	TEAM RADIOSHACK	22h 50′ 44″	+ 00′ 10″
6.	WIGGINS Bradley	111	SKY PROCYCLING	22h 50′ 44″	+ 00′ 10″
7.	THOMAS Geraint	117	SKY PROCYCLING	22h 50′ 46″	+ 00′ 12″
8.	HAGEN Edvald Boasson	114	SKY PROCYCLING	22h 50′ 46″	+ 00′ 12″
9.	FUGLSANG Jakob	13	TEAM LEOPARD-TREK	22h 50′ 46″	+ 00′ 12″
10.	SCHLECK Andy	11	TEAM LEOPARD-TREK	22h 50′ 46″	+ 00′ 12″
11.	MARTIN Tony	175	HTC – HIGHROAD	22h 50′ 47″	+ 00′ 13″
12.	VELITS Peter	179	HTC – HIGHROAD	22h 50′ 47″	+ 00′ 13″
13.	HORNER Christopher	72	TEAM RADIOSHACK	22h 50′ 52″	+ 00′ 18″
14.	GESINK Robert	41	RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM	22h 50′ 54″	+ 00′ 20″
15.	VINOKOUROV Alexandre	61	PRO TEAM ASTANA	22h 51′ 06″	+ 00′ 32″
16.	GILBERT Philippe	32	OMEGA PHARMA – LOTTO	22h 51′ 07″	+ 00′ 33″
17.	VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen	31	OMEGA PHARMA – LOTTO	22h 51′ 13″	+ 00′ 39″
18.	BARREDO Carlos	42	RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM	22h 51′ 14″	+ 00′ 40″
19.	GAUTIER Cyril	183	TEAM EUROPCAR	22h 51′ 32″	+ 00′ 58″
20.	BASSO Ivan	91	LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE	22h 51′ 37″	+ 01′ 03″
21.	DE WEERT Kevin	124	QUICK STEP CYCLING TEAM	22h 51′ 38″	+ 01′ 04″
22.	GERDEMANN Linus	14	TEAM LEOPARD-TREK	22h 51′ 40″	+ 01′ 06″
23.	ROCHE Nicolas	101	AG2R LA MONDIALE	22h 51′ 46″	+ 01′ 12″
24.	CUNEGO Damiano	161	LAMPRE – ISD	22h 51′ 46″	+ 01′ 12″
25.	SILIN Egor	198	KATUSHA TEAM	22h 51′ 46″	+ 01′ 12″
26.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	88	MOVISTAR TEAM	22h 51′ 49″	+ 01′ 15″
27.	VOECKLER Thomas	181	TEAM EUROPCAR	22h 51′ 49″	+ 01′ 15″
28.	URAN Rigoberto	118	SKY PROCYCLING	22h 51′ 52″	+ 01′ 18″
29.	PINEAU Jérôme	127	QUICK STEP CYCLING TEAM	22h 51′ 55″	+ 01′ 21″
30.	HESJEDAL Ryder	55	TEAM GARMIN – CERVELO	22h 51′ 56″	+ 01′ 22″
31.	LEIPHEIMER Levi	75	TEAM RADIOSHACK	22h 51′ 57″	+ 01′ 23″
32.	KARPETS Vladimir	191	KATUSHA TEAM	22h 52′ 03″	+ 01′ 29″
33.	MOLLEMA Bauke	45	RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM	22h 52′ 08″	+ 01′ 34″

STAGE STANDING AT THE END OF STAGE 6

1.	HAGEN Edvald Boasson	114	SKY PROCYCLING	5h 13′ 37″
2.	GOSS Matthew Harley	174	HTC – HIGHROAD	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
3.	HUSHOVD Thor	51	TEAM GARMIN – CERVELO	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
4.	FEILLU Romain	201	VACANSOLEIL-DCM	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
5.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	88	MOVISTAR TEAM	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
6.	VICHOT Arthur	139	FDJ	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
7.	GILBERT Philippe	32	OMEGA PHARMA – LOTTO	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
8.	CIOLEK Gerald	123	QUICK STEP CYCLING TEAM	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
9.	MARCATO Marco	206	VACANSOLEIL-DCM	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
10.	JEANNESSON Arnold	134	FDJ	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
11.	FUGLSANG Jakob	13	TEAM LEOPARD-TREK	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
12.	EVANS Cadel	141	BMC RACING TEAM	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
13.	EL FARES Julien	155	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
14.	HINAULT Sébastien	105	AG2R LA MONDIALE	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
15.	KLÖDEN Andréas	74	TEAM RADIOSHACK	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
16.	THOMAS Geraint	117	SKY PROCYCLING	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
17.	BOZIC Borut	202	VACANSOLEIL-DCM	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
18.	DUMOULIN Samuel	153	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
19.	GAUTIER Cyril	183	TEAM EUROPCAR	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
20.	GERDEMANN Linus	14	TEAM LEOPARD-TREK	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
21.	ROCHE Nicolas	101	AG2R LA MONDIALE	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
22.	VINOKOUROV Alexandre	61	PRO TEAM ASTANA	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
23.	RUIJGH Rob	208	VACANSOLEIL-DCM	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
24.	MARTINEZ Egoi	23	EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
25.	BOUET Maxime	102	AG2R LA MONDIALE	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
26.	MARTIN Tony	175	HTC – HIGHROAD	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
27.	HORNER Christopher	72	TEAM RADIOSHACK	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
28.	SANCHEZ Samuel	21	EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
29.	PERAUD Jean-Christophe	108	AG2R LA MONDIALE	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
30.	VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen	31	OMEGA PHARMA – LOTTO	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
31.	BOLE Grega	163	LAMPRE – ISD	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
32.	SCHLECK Andy	11	TEAM LEOPARD-TREK	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″
33.	DANIELSON Tom	52	TEAM GARMIN – CERVELO	5h 13′ 37″	+ 00′ 00″

Tags: Bjarne Riis bike toss, Edvald Boasson Hagen, HTC-Highroad, Mark Cavendish, Matt Goss, stage 6, Thor Hushovd, Tour de France 2011