Current maillot jaune Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) will likely hold on to his prize until the race hits the mountains.(Image credit: James Huang)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) dons a full helmet cover in anticipation of rain.(Image credit: James Huang)
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) flashes that magical smile.(Image credit: James Huang)
Stage 2 winner Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) spent the next day in yellow.(Image credit: James Huang)
Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) is again a contender for the white jersey competition.(Image credit: James Huang)
2010 Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso (Liquigas) saddles up for the day.(Image credit: James Huang)
This Lampre rider clearly hasn't had a great opening few days.(Image credit: James Huang)
Just five stages in, lots of riders in the peloton are heavily bandaged from early crashes.(Image credit: James Huang)
Robbie McEwen (Katusha) gingerly makes his way down the slippery metal stairs.(Image credit: James Huang)
Yes, it's true: Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) is now all business.(Image credit: James Huang)
Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) arrives at the rider sign-in area.(Image credit: James Huang)
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) acknowledges the crowd.(Image credit: James Huang)
Former world champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank) gets ready to start the day.(Image credit: James Huang)
Team Sky up on stage to collect their prize.(Image credit: James Huang)
Saxo Bank strongman Jens Voigt is all smiles at the start of Stage 6.(Image credit: James Huang)
Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) waves to the crowd.(Image credit: James Huang)
It's all official now: Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) is signed in for the day and rolls off towards the start.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lance Armstrong (Team Radioshack) waves to the crowd.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lance Armstrong (Team Radioshack) purses his lips as he makes his way to the start.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lance Armstrong (Team Radioshack) had a team staff member with him to hold his bike and ease his passage through the crowds.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lance Armstrong (Team Radioshack) makes his way towards the stairs.(Image credit: James Huang)
Serguei Ivanov (Katusha) is looking relaxed before the start of Stage 6.(Image credit: James Huang)
Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam) will be looking to carry his green jersey all the way to Paris.(Image credit: James Huang)
Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Columbia) is looking like a lot of riders in this year's Tour de France - banged up and bruised.(Image credit: James Huang)
Euskaltel-Euskadi's Samuel Sanchez waves to the crowd.(Image credit: James Huang)
Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam) grabs his bike and heads to work.(Image credit: James Huang)
Caisse d'Epargne leader Luis-Leon Sanchez signs in for the day's stage.(Image credit: James Huang)
George Hincapie (BMC) is an easy rider to spot what with his tall frame and brightly colored kit.(Image credit: James Huang)
George Hincapie (BMC) arrives at the rider sign-in area.(Image credit: James Huang)
Cadel Evans (BMC) gets escorted to the starting line.(Image credit: James Huang)
Cadel Evans (BMC) is in a good position at the start of Stage 6.(Image credit: James Huang)
BMC arrives at the sign-in area en masse.(Image credit: James Huang)
BBox-Bouygues Telecom leader Thomas Voeckler makes his way through the crowd.(Image credit: James Huang)
Garmin-Transitions lead-out man Julian Dean finds himself in search of stage wins for himself while teammate Tyler Farrar heals up.(Image credit: James Huang)
Garmin-Transitions sprinter Tyler Farrar still bears the marks of earlier injuries, which include a fractured left wrist.(Image credit: James Huang)
HTC-Columbia rider Mark Renshaw gave teammate Mark Cavendish an excellent lead-out yesterday.(Image credit: James Huang)
Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) is showing major promise early in his career.(Image credit: James Huang)
HTC-Columbia rider Bernhard Eisel is looking forward to the day.(Image credit: James Huang)
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) rolls towards the starting line.(Image credit: James Huang)
Stage 5 winner Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) waves to the crowd.(Image credit: James Huang)
David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) is having some problems with injuries early on in this year's Tour de France.(Image credit: James Huang)
Garmin-Transitions time trial specialist David Zabriskie rolls up to the sign-in area.(Image credit: James Huang)
Lanky Belgian Johan van Summeren's arms don't even fill in the sleeves of his jersey.(Image credit: James Huang)
David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) awaits the rest of his teammates so they can head off to the starting line.(Image credit: James Huang)
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) rolls towards the start line for Stage 6.(Image credit: James Huang)
Early morning thunder storms greeted the riders in France, but the inclement weather moved clear as the peloton readied to depart Montargis for the Tour's sixth stage, the 227.5km journey to Gueugnon. Today will likely be a day for the sprinters who are looking for another chance to shine prior to the weekend's entry into the Alps, decidedly un-friendly terrain to the Tour's fast men.
After a rocky start to the Tour, Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) won for the first time at the Tour yesterday, out-sprinting Gerald Ciolek (Milram) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) for stage honours in Montargis. While the Manxman is well behind the eight ball regarding his green jersey aspirations, Cavendish and his lead-out train should once again be back in action today, trying to make it two-in-a-row.
The Tour's green jersey holder, Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam), as well as double stage winner Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) and three-time world champion Oscar Freire (Rabobank) will have something to say about that, however, so expect another spirited finale to the longest day on the road at the 2010 Tour.
The teams of the sprinter will have to be vigilant as there's a category 4 climb, Côte de la Croix de l'Arbre, 23km from the finish which may provide an opportunity for those with breakaway aspirations.
It's a day to keep the powder dry for the GC contenders, and maillot jaune Fabian Cancellara should expect to add another yellow jersey to his collection.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
