Tour de France (st. 6)
Colombian rider and Movistar team-mates away from any incidents en route to Troyes, end of first stage between Vosges and weekend's mountain duo in the Jura
The longest stage so far in the 2017 Tour de France – 216km from Vesoul to Troyes, turned almost 230km by virtue of what seemed an endless neutral zone – brought more heat and took again its toll on all riders, yet put no excessive stress on the GC contenders.
Erviti, Bennati, Castroviejo, Sütterlin and Amador covered Nairo Quintana without any troubles to make sure the Colombian did not lose any time at the finish. German Marcel Kittel (QST) took, in turn, its second stage victory ahead of Arnaud Démare (FDJ) and André Greipel (LTS).
"Even though it might seem like another one of those 'transition' stages, the heat made for a really tough one", was Quintana's short reaction after the finish. "Happily, we got through it unscathed, and as long as you remain out of trouble in such days, it's a little victory for you. My legs continue to feel good at the moment," concluded the Cóndor at the end of two flat stages connecting the Vosges and the two Jura stages on Saturday and Sunday.
Friday will bring a stage seven as long as today's, 213.5km finishing at Nuits-Saint-Georges preluding Saturday's lumpy Les Rousses finale.