Stage


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July 1 post: Stage 6 starts in Dinan just 5 or so km south of the popular walled, château city, Saint-Malo. The west to east run across Normandy to the finish in Lisieux will be the longest stage of this year's Tour at 227 km. Avid cycling fans will know that Lisieux also hosts the annual Le Critérium de Lisieux bike race following each Tour de France.

The GC favorites might be somewhat nervous about this stage. The second half of the course is lumpy with three minor categorized climbs and a short climb before the finish. The length of this stage and an expected tailwind will make this stage hard to control and there could be some splits in the peloton. Leading up to the flat final km in front of the basilica in Lisieux is a 6% section for about 1.5 km. A finish like this is the reason why Mark Cavendish has shed a few pounds for this year's race, but it will take a lot of work by his HTC-Highroad team to keep this stage together. More than likely a break will succeed. — Steve