Following Robbie Hunter earning the white jersey in 2001, and then Daryl Impey’s yellow jersey achievement two years later, Teklehaimanot is now only the third ever African rider to earn a Tour de France leaders jersey.
Advertisement
“That’s not the way to get the yellow jersey, due to someone else’s misfortunes, but Tony finished yesterday”.
With its short, steep climb to a finishing straight that levels out for the final 400m, this stage to Le Havre prompted considerable debate over who would prevail: sprinters or puncheurs, specialists on this terrain.
Germany’s John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) and Norway’s Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) completed the top five in the 190.5km flat stage from Livarot to Fougeres in Brittany.
Tour de France general classification leader Tony Martin has pulled out of the race after confirming that he broke his collarbone in a crash on Stage 6, his team announced on Friday morning (AEST).
“Collarbone is broken. We will discuss further steps”, Martin wrote on Twitter.
And it could have been worse with the likes of reigning champion Vincenzo Nibali and fellow overall hopeful Nairo Quintana both taken down in Thursday’s fall. I can’t really remember what happened.
Martin, who rides alongside Mark Cavendish for Etixx-QuickStep, required the support of three team-mates to remount his bike and cross the line in the yellow jersey, while cradling his left arm. As his team doctor so delicately put it, “the collarbone is in lots of pieces, so it was a major impact”.
With bikes piled up and riders slowing down, Stybar rode ahead while Martin sat up on the side of the road.
Stybar did not seem to be aware of the spill, and when he looked over his shoulder near to the line he seemed surprised to see no one behind him.
The Czech rider stole a march on the bunch to win by two seconds from Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), who was second for a second successive day.
Tour de France chief commissioner Guy Dobbelaere also clarified that there would be no official leader going into stage seven following Martin’s withdrawal.
“It was a stressful day even for the Tour de France“, sport director Charley Wegelius said in a statement.
Quintana had blood dripping from his right arm and elbow as he crossed the line.
“Teams always want to be near the front, so it’s hard to find a position, but falling like that near the end”, Nibali said.
Froome tweeting later that he had grazed his knee in the collision, but it was only the German that was seriously hurt.
Cycling Weekly reports that Froome arrived at the bus and asked that team helper to hold his bike while he spent two minutes talking to Nibali.
Advertisement
Early into Thursday’s stage, Eritrean rider Daniel Teklehaimanot, Frenchman Perrig Quemeneur, and Belgian Kenneth Vanbilsen formed an early breakaway group. I was very upset with him, but then, watching the video…
