Dylan Groenewegen from the Jayco AlUla team secured victory in the Tour de France’s sixth stage, spanning Mâcon to Dijon, after Mark Cavendish was obstructed in the final sprint kilometer of the Cours Général de Gaulle. Groenewegen, a Dutch sprinter, sporting distinctive sunglasses with an aerodynamic beak, narrowly beat Jasper Philipsen and Biniam Girmay, the victor of the third stage.
The stage was largely unremarkable, alternating between sun and rain. Cavendish had to scramble back into the middle of the race after a wheel swap at the same time as the onset of crosswinds which temporarily divided the peloton, occurring 90km from the end line.
As Cavendish strove to regain position in the peloton, Tadej Pogacar, the race leader, found himself alone in the lead group, his UAE Team Emirates counterparts held back. Fortunately for the Slovenian, this situation was short-lived.
Cavendish likewise found himself unexpectedly alone while negotiating the undulating routes through the Cote d’Or vineyards, forcing him to independently rejoin the peloton. However, he was eventually able to catch up with his Astana Qazaqstan teammates in the final 10km sprint.
In a repeat strategy, his team travelled on the right of the road, similar to their tactics during stage five’s dramatic finish in Saint-Vulbas. A tumble in the peloton just 7km from the finish line led to the fall of several EF Education EasyPost cyclists, causing a brief delay.
Entering Dijon, Cavendish’s team ensured he was at the front, but lost momentum in the end. The British sprinter could only observe while his competitors advanced to pursue the stage victory.
Sam Bennett from Ireland finished 35th in the stage, followed by Ben Healy at the 80th spot. Ben Healy retained his 30th place in the general standing, with Sam Bennett lagging behind at the 147th location.