Saturday 09 March 2013 at 16h52

This forelast stage of Paris-Nice 2013 was the longuest, with its 220 kilometers between Manosque and Nice. The different difficulties of today's stage thinned out the peloton chasing behind a big leading group and this selection thus battled for the sprint on the Promenade des Anglais, sprint won by Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep).

The summary of the 6th stage of Paris-Nice 2013: Manosque > Nice

After the different abandons in yesterday's stage and the two non starting riders (Francis de Greef (Lotto-Belisol) and Alexis Vuillermoz (Sojasun)) this morning in Manosque, 163 riders started on the roads of this longuest stage of Paris-Nice 2013, 220 kilometers towards the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

Until the top of the first difficulty of the day at kilometer 6.5, the Côte du Bois de Rousset, the peloton stayed together and on the top, Egor Silin (Astana) is the first to start the descent, ahead of the rider wearing the polka dot jersey, Johann Tschopp (IAM Cycling) and Hubert Dupont (AG2R La Mondiale). It was only in the descent of this climb that today's breakaway was formed, first with an attack by Egor Silin and Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) before growing out to 11 riders, with Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEDGE), Arnold Jeannesson (FDJ), Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team), Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), Julien El Farès (Sojasun), Borut Bozic (Astana), Jérôme Pineau (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Gatis Smukulis (Katusha) and Johann Tschopp (IAM Cycling).

While these 11 leading riders first have some difficulties in creating a gap, the gap goes up to 2'40" however at kilometer 50, just before Andreas Klier (Garmin-Sharp, the rider behind MyKnoaky) leaves the roads of Paris-Nice 2013 the day before the finish on the Col d'Eze.

At the intermediate sprint in Flayosc, won by Borut Bozic ahead of Smukulis and Bardet, the peloton's delay is up to 3'30" and the leading group goes on, via Draguignan, towards the Côte des Tuilières, already on the programme in the Tour du Haut-Var. On top of this climb Tschopp adds some additional points on his counter for the King of the Mountains classification, arriving on top ahead of Pineau and Bozic.

In the feeding zone several riders abandon the race, Robert Gesink (Blanco Pro Cycling Team), ill, Yoann Offredo (FDJ), Andrey Zeits (Astana) and the winner of the stage which arrived in Nice in Paris-Nice 2012, Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team).

A bad feeling to quit for the first time in your life during a stage but my body needs to recover from this cold. Next goal: Catalunya!

— Robert Gesink (@RGUpdate) March 9, 2013

After having reached a maximum of 3'50" the gap of the breakaway on the peloton goes back down to 3'35" at the foot of the Côte du Mont Méaulx where Simon Clarke arrives first on top, ahead of Bozic and El Farès. At the foot of the Côte de Cabris only 2'30" remain and in this climb the leading group loses Smukulis and El Farès while in the peloton several sprinters no longer manage to follow the pace and Mark Renshaw (Blanco Pro Cycling Team) also leaves the race.
On top, the gap of the leading group is only 1'55" when Tschopp again takes the points for his precious polka dot jersey, ahead of Jeannesson and Bookwalter.

In the climb of the Col du Ferrier the leading group again loses some elements since Bookwalter, Bozic and Pineau no longer manage to follow the tempo. Tschopp again arrives first on top and thus really merits the final polka dot jersey he'll receive on top of the Col d'Eze tomorrow, ahead of Clarke, Silin and the other riders of the leading group and 1 minute ahead of the peloton.

With the efforts of the riders of Team Sky, the team of the rider wearing the yellow jersey, Richie Porte, the gap continues to go down and just before they're taken back by the peloton, Simon Clarke tries an attack to stay ahead alone, but Jeannesson, Bardet, Vorganov and Tschopp get back on him and in the climb towards the sprint in Tourrettes-sur-Loup the peloton finally gets back on them.

The young Warren Barguil (Argos-Shimano) tries a short attack but the peloton doesn't really want to let him go. It was thus out of a regrouped peloton (well, what remained of it) that Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) goes on to get the points and the bonifications in the sprint he takes ahead of Andriy Grivko (Astana) and Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep).

There haven't really been any further attacks after that and it was thus from this group that the sprint on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice started. Even though Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team) and Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R La Mondiale) were leading the peloton, it was finally Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) who wins the stage.

The classifications of Paris-Nice 2013 after stage 6/ Manosque > Nice

The stage classification

Here's the top 5 of this 6th and forelast stage:

1/ Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) - 5h14'23"
2/ Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team)
3/ José Joaquin Rojas (Movistar Team)
4/ Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R La Mondiale)
5/ Tony Gallopin (Radioshack-Leopard)

General classification

By winning this stage, Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) enters the top 5 of the general classification, at the 3rd place in the same time as Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team). Apart from that this classification remains unchanged, that is at least until tomorrow's individual time trial on the Col d'Eze!

1/ Richie Porte (Team Sky) - 29h40'31"
2/ Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) - +0'32"
3/ Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) - +0'42"
4/ Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
5/ Jean-Christophe Péraud (AG2R La Mondiale) - +0'49"

Points classification

The other winning operation for Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) was in the points classification because with his stage victory today and the 25 points he thus took, the former French champion climbs up to the first place of this classification and takes back the green jersey. He hasn't won it yet though because in tomorrow's time trial there will still be from 25 to 1 points attributed to the first 20 riders.

1/ Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) - 76 points
2/ Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) - 61 points
3/ Borut Bozic (Astana) - 60 points
4/ Elia Viviani (Cannondale) - 55 points
5/ Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) - 50 points

King of the Mountains classification

In the King of the Mountains classification, Johann Tschopp (IAM Cycling) now is really sure to keep the polka dot jersey because the Swiss rider has a 40 points avantage over his first competitor, Thierry Hupond (Argos-Shimano), and only 10 points will be awarded on top of the Col d'Eze tomorrow.

1/ Johann Tschopp (IAM Cycling) - 64 points
2/ Thierry Hupond (Argos-Shimano) - 24 points
3/ Richie Porte (Team Sky) - 17 points
4/ Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) - 17 points
5/ Cyril Lemoine (Sojasun) - 14 points

Best young rider classification

In the best young rider classification, no changes in the top of the classification and it's most probable that the young Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) will go home with the white jersey tomorrow:

1/ Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) - 29h41'03"
2/ Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing Team) - +0'20"
3/ Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) - +0'22"

door Thomas Vergouwen
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this publication is published in: Paris-Nice | Paris-Nice 2013

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