Vuelta 2017: Marczynski wins three-up sprint in stage 6, Froome retains in lead

The 6th stage of La Vuelta takes in five intermediate climbs, while the finish is almost 40 kilometres after the last peak. The race brings spectacle from start tot finish. Marczynski, Mas and Poljanski are the last remaining riders of a huge break away, and Marczynski is fastest on the line. Froome holds on to the red jersey. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 6th stage 2017 Vuelta

1. Tomasz Marczynski (pol)
2. Pawel Poljanski (pol) s.t.
3. Enric Mas (spa) s.t.
4. Luis León Sánchez (spa) + 0.08
5. Jan Polanc (slo) s.t.
6. Warren Barguil (fra) + 0.26
7. Giovanni Visconti (ita) s.t.
8. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
9. Fabio Aru (ita) s.t.
10. Jack Haig (aus) s.t.

12. Nicolas Roche (irl) s.t.
13. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
14. Wout Poels (nld) s.t.
15. Esteban Chaves (col) s.t.
16. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
17. Wilco Kelderman (nld) s.t.
20. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) s.t.
22. Alberto Contador (spa) s.t.
25. David de la Cruz (spa) + 0.43
26. Louis Meintjes (rsa) s.t.
27. Rui Costa (por) s.t.
28. Simon Yates (gbr) s.t.
29. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) s.t.
40, Miguel Ángel López (col) + 0.46
44. Tejay van Garderen (usa) s.t.
59. Romain Bardet (fra) + 6.52
125. Carlos Betancur (col) + 12.31

GC after the 6th stage
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Esteban Chaves (col) + 0.11
3. Nicolas Roche (irl) + 0.13
4. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 0.27
5. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 0.36
6. David de la Cruz (spa) + 0.40
7. Fabio Aru (ita) + 0.49
8. Adam Yates (gbr) + 0.50
9. Michael Woods (can) + 1.13
10. Simon Yates (gbr) + 1.26

11. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 1.28
12. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 1.40
13. Warren Barguil (fra) + 1.43
14. Sam Oomen (nld) + 1.57
16. Wout Poels (nld) + 2.23
18. Rui Costa (por) + 2.52
19. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 2.55
20. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 2.59
23. Alberto Contador (spa) + 3.10
24. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 3.12

Race report
Following multiple attacks in the first 40 kms a large break away takes shape on the first climb, Alcudio de Veo. KOM leader Davide Villella is on board and he is first to crest the Alto de Alcudio de Veo and Puerto de Eslida. The other main riders in the front group are the Enric Mas, Antonio Pedrero, Marc Soler, Pawel Poljanski, Tomasz Marczynski, Giovanni Visconti, Jarlinson Pantano, Bob Jungels, Darwin Atapuma, Jan Polanc, Maxime Monfort, Larry Warbasse and Luis León Sánchez.

Atapuma is first to crest the third climb, Alto de Chirivilla, ahead of Villella. Maxime Monfort and Bob Jungels accelerate on the downhill to race to a lead of almost 1 minute, but they are brought back on the penultimate climb, the Puerto del Oronet. Villella is dropped, while Atapuma takes 3 more KOM points on the top.

When then front group tackles the Puerto del Garbi the peloton is 3 minutes down on them. With 4 kms to climb the gain is down to 1’30” and Contador accelerates in the main group. All favourites are dropped except for Froome and Van Garderen – yet, the American crashes.

On the summit of the Garbi Mas and Marczynski are the last men standing, but Poljanski, Sánchez and Pedrero rejoin them on the descent. Froome and Contador reel in former attackers, while they are chased down themselves by a group with all other GC contenders except for Yates (Simon), Bardet, Van Garderen and De la Cruz. The French rider cracks but Yates and De la Cruz are only half a minute behind. Van Garderen rejoins them.

When the lead over the main group is down to 10 seconds Sánchez en Pedrero stop their efforts with 15 kms remaining. Then the gap widens to more than half a minute. So a miscalculation by Sánchez. He tries to make it back to the front with Polanc, but to no avail. The leading trio has enough of a margin to fight out victory between themselves with Marczynski outsprinting compatriot Poljanski and Mas to take the win

More bad luck when Van Garderen punctures with 3 kms to go, and once again crashes a little later. Yet, he limits his losses and finishes in the same time as Simon Yates. The American only loses 17 seconds to Froome, dropping him to fourth overall.

And Froome himself? The leader was the only rider who was able to follow Alberto Contador’s continued resurgence and now leads the overall 11 seconds ahead of the new number two, Esteban Chaves.