Epernay, the start of Stage 6 of the Tour de France

Stage 6 of the Tour de France, with only one categorized climb on the day, seems like a perfect course to finish in a bunch sprint. Which makes me think the break-away will survive. Hah!

The route from Epernay to Metz appears to be a fast one on paper: 207.5 kilometers; few climbs and nothing steep save the Côte de Bruxières, which has only 170 meters gain from St. Mihiel; and a downhill run into Metz.

Choosing who will wind up in the middle is difficult. There aren’t very many sprinters from the back end of the standings left to move up into the front half, so the point d’appui might just stay where it is or shift slightly if a few sprinters are feeling taxed by the early stages. Of course, a crash in the last 15 kilometers could change things dramatically. The roundabout just after Noveant-sur-Moselle might catch a few riders unaware.

If no one withdraws overnight, however, we’re likely to finish with all riders coming home, so expect another case of the Cuspides. Let’s hope for the best and keep Kuchynski on the fulcrum.