Friday, July 7

TdF: Stage 6

The sixth stage of the 93rd Tour de France was through 189 kilometers of the beautiful, rolling hills of Brittany from Lisieux to Vitre. It was the final opportunity for the sprinters to seize a stage win before tomorrow's big time trial. Robbie McEwen, the leader for the green sprinter's jersey by a single point, won his third stage in another wild and frantic finish--though his chief rival, Tom Boonen, maintained his hold on the yellow jersey for at least one more day. The overall standings saw only a few minor adjustments:

1. Tom Boonen (Belgium)
2. Robbie McEwen (Australia)
3. Michael Rogers (Australia)
4. Oscar Freire (Spain)
5. George Hincapie (USA)
6. Thor Hushovd (Norway)
7. Paolo Savoldelli (Italy)
8. Floyd Landis (USA)
9. Vladimir Karpets (Russia)
10. Serhiy Honchar (Ukraine)