Stage 6 – Dinan to Lisieux at 226.5 km

The stage 6th stage see’s the riders covering more km’s than the previous few stages. The food consumption both on the bike and off will start to play a vital role in some of these harder stages to come. If the calorie intake is low and doesn’t match or exceed the expenditure then the recovery will be poor and the riders form and condition will start to quickly deteriorate.

Today has two category 3 climbs with a category 4 tailing them. It is also interesting to note that the Sprint Prime today is located after the first category 3 climb in Vassy. This will pose some difficulties for some of the serious green jersey hunters and the sprinters teams will be trying hard to either keep their rider up with the peleton or get them back into the peleton after the climb in order to gain points for that coveted green jersey.

Be assured a small group will go up the road today but again will not be afforded to much time on the peleton. Today should prove to be a hard day on the bike with the stage being undulating. It is the type of stage that could suit Evans and Gilbert as the par cours is suited to those rouleurs. This first week of the tour is proving to be like the one day classics, each and every day is like a classic. 

Another hard day today with rain and dampness all through the stage. Todays stage would prove hard for the riders to maintain any king of rhythm regarding food and drink consumption. With the weather being so wet a rider wouldn’t start to feel as thirsty as in dryer or hotter conditions but at the same time just as much liquid is being lost and needs to be replaced. At the same time the food consumption by riders tends to drop in nasty weather like this due to the fact of the constant pressure to stage at the front of the peleton. The dangerous and slippery conditions of the road and the classic like undulating conditions make eating ie taking their hands of the handlebars opening the food parcel and trying to stuff it down their mouths aswell as trying to see where their going and stay upright at the front of the peleton, not easy. This process is critical for recovery, recovery alwasy starts on the bike.

A note on food consumption for riders in stage racing is always to start the recovery before the stage ends, i.e. if you can start eating some protein bars in the last 30 mins of a stage it will triggor some early recover even before you get off the bike. This is a trick used by the pro’s in the high level squads. I also see a comment from Nicolas Roche regarding a trick his father Stephen recommended. If you insert some blocks under the end of your bed raising your feet and putting your legs at an incline above you heart that it will aid recovery. This does work as I used it more than twenty years ago as did Stephen. I have come accross riders with the drawers taken out of dresser in hotel rooms and using them to raise the bed, but be carefull if then bed is to high then blood circulation will not be as efficient during the night and recovery will be worst. Four inches or 100mm is recommended for a 6′ or 183cm rider.

Below is a list of riders who either withdrew or were eliminated from the Tour. You can click on the rider number to access the riders profile.

This is a typical power from a rider in this stage, nothing special.

Juan Antonio Flecha’s SRM Data

• Total Time = 5:13
• TSS = 287
• Average Power = 226 Watts. Avg Normalized Power* = 312
• Avg HR = 114
• Max HR = 166
• Mean Maximal 1-minute power = 667
• Max Maximal 5-minute power = 453
• Mean Maximal 20-minute power = 360
• Avg Cadence = 82 rpm
• Avg Speed = 26.5 mph

It’s also important to note that this rider put out 494 watts for just over 4 minutes at the end of the stage which was over 5 hrs in duration.