Favorites stage 6 Tour de France 2024

For the second day in a row, the sprinters get another chance in the Tour de France, making it three sprints in the first six days. Not a bad score in this Tour de France, which continues its northward journey between Macon and Dijon. In the latter place, you can "get the mustard" this Thursday, and IDLProCycling.com will fill you in on the details.

Route stage 6 Tour de France 2024

Favorites stage 6 Tour de France 2024 | Knowing w`here (and how) to get the mustard

We start in Macon, soon reaching the first elevation gains of the day. After barely ten kilometers, there’s a battle for mountain points on the Col du Bois Clair (1.6 kilometers at 6 percent), but these are the last ones to be awarded on this day for the flatland riders.

The intermediate sprint falls remarkably early, after 31.3 kilometers. In Cormatin, we might get a preview of what is likely to happen later in the day: a battle among the fast men, since in a stage like this, there's usually not much enthusiasm for being in the day’s breakaway.

From Pouilly-sur-Saône, 50 kilometers into the race, we enter potential crosswind territory. This could cause some turmoil on a day like this, with the wind blowing sideways. Both on the Route du Dijon (D996) and other roads, there are some open stretches, but will they be enough to create splits in the wind?

On to the finale, where we rush into the last three kilometers with a bend. The two-kilometer point will also be crucial, as it is followed by a chicane and a significant narrowing of the road width at 1700 meters from the finish. From that road, we transition onto the broad final straight line.

Continue reading below the photo.

However, the Tour wouldn't be the Tour without a little twist, which in this case is a large roundabout 800 meters from the finish. Here, the peloton will inevitably string out, and the sprint will likely be launched by the lead-outs as they exit the roundabout. A crucial point, indeed!

Climb
10.0 km: COL DU BOIS CLAIR (1.6 km at 6.0%)

Times
Start: 1:50 p.m.
Finish: around 5:19 p.m.

Weather stage 6 Tour de France 2024

We will be racing north for most of the day, with a slight eastward turn between Chagny and Pouilly-sur-Saône. The wind is coming from the west, with a force of 3 on the Beaufort scale. This means that it will be blowing sideways in the run-up to the finale, so the riders will definitely be on high alert.

After two sprint opportunities, the sprint story of this Tour de France has already been written: Mark Cavendish securing his 35th stage win in the world's greatest race, wearing the Astana Qazaqstan Team jersey. The old fox still has it, but how much further does he want to push, making it even tougher for future contenders?

On paper, the two fastest men in this Tour de France are a Dutchman and a Belgian. Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) hasn't really exploded in his two chances so far, which only increases the potential for a big breakthrough from the Amsterdam native. The same goes for the "Flame of Ham" Jasper Philipsen, who eagerly hopes for his first stage win in this Tour.

The crash of Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) has also disrupted the fight for the green jersey, giving Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) a sudden good chance at the maillot vert. However, he has to share the lead role in his team with Gerben Thijssen, who might be better suited to a sprint like the one in Dijon.

Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) and Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) are hunting for stage success with their fast German legs in this Tour de France, while Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X) are also in the chase. From France, Arnaud Démare (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) are consistently in the mix for the prizes.

Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL) is getting closer to success, while Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) is probably more focused on Saturday. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) also does well on flat sprints but will compete on Saturday as well. Wout van Aert will likely not sprint for Visma | Lease a Bike, as the stages on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday suit him better.