Key moments

16:15 - Top five placings

Top five placings in the 178-kms 6th stage of Paris-Nice between Suze la Rousse and Sisteron.
1. Luis Leon Sanchez (RAB)
2. Jens Voigt (RNT)
3. Henrich Haussler (GRM)  14 seconds behind
4. Elia Viviani (LIQ)
5. Grega Bole (LAM)       same time.

16:15 - Sanchez wins on the line

Luis-Leon Sanchez wins the 6th stage.

16:14 - Side by side now

Voigt launches the sprint!

16:14 - Final sprint

Sanchez and Voigt are watching each other now. The Spaniard has been in the lead for the past three kms.

16:12 - Under the red flame

and it should be between Voigt and Sanchez now.

16:12 - Latest gap

Two kms to go and the two lead the peloton by 55 seconds. The four chasers have been caught.

16:11 - Two for Voigt?

Voigt won the Paris-Nice prologue in 2005.

16:10 - Fourth for Sanchez

Should he win, it would be Sanchez’s fourth stage win on Paris-Nice. He won overall in 2009.

16:07 - 4 kms to go

and the front pair lead four of their former companions by 45 seconds and the peloton by 1:05.

16:04 - Seven kms to go

and Sanchez and Voigt keep the same 1:05 lead over the peloton.

16:03 - Two men in the lead

Nine kilometres to go and Sanchez and Voigt dropped Cherel.

16:01 - 10 kms to go

and the three lead the peloton by 1:05.

15:59 - Result on Cote des Marquises (Km 166, 3rd cat)

1. Voigt 4 pts
2. Sanchez 2 pts
3. Cherel 1 pt

Peloton 1:05 behind.

15:58 - Break splits

Voigt, Sanchez and Cherel have now dropped their breakaway companions.

15:57 - Veuchelen dropped

The polka-dot jersey holder is struggling as Luis-Leon Sanchez went up a gear on the climb.

15:55 - The break in the last climb

The break is in the last climb, Cote des Marquises (3rd cat, km 164).

15:54 - 15 kms to go

and the seven escapees lead the peloton by one minute.

15:52 - Result of the sprint

Result of the sprint in Sisteron (km 159.5):
1. Voigt 3 points
2. Geschke 2
3. Geslin 1

15:51 - Peloton 1:10 behind

The peloton crossed the line 1:10 behind the seven escapees.

15:44 - First passage in Sisteron

The break on the line in Sisteron for the first time before a 19-kms lap.

15:43 - Cofidis and Europcar lead the chase

Cofidis and Europcar raise the pace and lead the chase but the gap remains stable.

15:42 - 25 kms to go

and the lead of the seven escapees is 2:15. The peloton regrouped. 

15:24 - Peloton splits again

The tempo raised at the front of the bunch and the peloton split again in several groups.

15:23 - Gap down to two minutes

Km 133 - The gap between the seven escapees and the bunch is now down to two minutes.

15:10 - Latest gap

Km 132 - Sanchez, Voigt, Navarro, Cherel, Geslin, Veuchelen and Geschke lead the peloton by 2:25.

15:10 - Average speed

The average speed in the third hour of the stage was 43.3 kph. The overall average speed was 42.1 kph.

15:02 - Gap under three minutes

Km 124 - The gap was reduced to 2:55.

15:01 - Latest gap

At the top of the climb, the peloton trails the seven by 3:00.

14:42 - Results on Cote des Mourres (km 120.5, 3rd cat)

1. Veuchelen 4 points
2. Geschke 2 points
3. Voigt 1 point

14:41 - Gap increases

Km 105 - The seven escapees lead the peloton by 3:50.

14:38 - Basso gives up

Ivan Basso (LIQ) has also bid farewell to this Paris-Nice.

14:33 - Mollema calls it quits

Dutchman Bauke Mollema (RAB) has just given up.

14:19 - Latest gap

Km 88 - The seven escapees lead the peloton by 3:30.

14:15 - Latest gap

Km 87 - The seven lead the peloton by 3:35 as the Montagne de Lure is visible nearby.

14:10 - Latest gap

Km 84 - The seven lead the peloton by 3:45.

13:44 - Average speed

The average speed in the second hour of the stage was 37.7 kph. The overall average speed was 41.5 kph.

13:40 - Results on Cote d’Aurel (Km 66.5, 3rd cat)

1. Veuchelen 4 pts
2. Cherel 2 pts
3. Voigt 1 pt

13:38 - Sanchez the best placed overall

Luis Leon Sanchez is the best placed overall of the seven escapees. The 2009 Paris-Nice winner is currently 17th in the GC, 3:51 behind Bradley Wiggins.

13:29 - The seven tackle the third climb

Km 65 - Voigt, Navarro, Sanchez,Geslin, Cherel, Veuchelen, Geschke tackle the third climb of the day, Cote d’Aurel (3rd cat).

13:28 - Levarlet gives up

Guillaume Levarlet (SAU), involved in a crash in stage 4, has just given up.

13:22 - Navarro joins the six

Daniel Navarro (SAX) joined the six escapees. Seven men are now in the lead.

13:15 - Six men in the lead

Km 52 - Sanchez, Geslin and Cherel joined Voigt, Geschke and Veuchelen in the lead. The peloton is 3:20 behind.

13:12 - Three men in the lead

Km 46 - Frederik Veuchelen (VCD), Jens Voigt (RNT) and Simon Geschke (PRO) are in the lead.
Luis-Leon Sanchez (RAB), Mickael Cherel (ALM) and Anthony Geslin (FDJ) are 22 seconds adrift.
Daniel Navarro (SAX) is 38 seconds behind.
The regrouped peloton is 2:15 behind. 

13:05 - Average speed

The average speed in the first hour of the race was 45.3 kph.

13:01 - Results on Cote du Pas de Ventoux (Km 40.5, 2nd cat)

1. Veuchelen 7 points
2. Voigt 5
3. Geschke 3
4. Cherel (ALM) 2
5. LL Sanchez 1

13:00 - Valverde back in the leading group

Km 37.5 - Alejandro Valverde took advantage of the Cote du Pas de Ventoux climb (2nd cat) to reintegrate the yellow jersey group.

12:51 - Veuchelen and Voigt attack

Km 36.5 - Veuchelen and Voigt attacked. They are chased by Albasini and Luis-Leon Sanchez.

12:50 - Latest gap

Km 30 - The peloton remains 40 seconds behind the Wiggins group.

12:44 - Top ten riders trapped

Among the top ten riders trapped at the back are Valverde (4th), Spilak (5th), Monfort (7th), Jeannesson (8th), Chavanel (9th) and Kiserlovski (AST). 

12:40 - Composition of the leading group

The 26 riders in the lead are:
Boonen, De Weert, Leipheimer, Vandenbergh (OPQ), Kloeden, Voigt (RNT), Wiggins, Thomas, Zandio (SKY), Albasini (GEC), Luis-Leon Sanchez, Renshaw (RAB), Feillu, Lagutin, Leukemans, Veuchelen, Westra (VCD), Jorgensen, Morkov (SAX), Geslin (FDJ), Klier (GRM), Hushovd, Burghardt, Van Garderen (BMC), Degenkolb, Geschke (PRO).

12:31 - Results on the Cote de Buisson (km 15.5, 3rd cat)

1. Veuchelen 4 points
2. Lagutin 2 points
3. Voigt 1 point

12:28 - Latest gap

Km 17 - The peloton is 40 seconds behind the Wiggins group.

12:24 - The pack regroups behind the Wiggins group

Km 14 - The pack, including green jersey holder Alejandro Valverde (MOV), caught the second echelon and now trails the Wiggins group by 35 seconds.

12:18 - Situation of the race

Km 12 - A group of 28 riders, including Bradley Wiggins, Lieuwe Westra and Tejay Van Garderen are in the lead. A second echelon of 30 riders follows, 20 seconds behind. The main bunch, including green jersey Alejandro Valverde, is 48 seconds adrift.

12:10 - Peloton splits

Km 6 - The peloton split in two parts and Alejandro Valverde is currently in the second echelon. The yellow jersey group comprises 28 riders and leads the rest of the pack by 35 seconds.

12:08 - Two other non-starters

First stage winner Gustav Larsson (VCD) and Belgium’s Klaas Lodewijck (BMC) did not start either. Only 159 riders left in the peloton. 

12:05 - Start given

The start of the 178.5-kms 6th stage to Sisteron was given at 12:07 to 160 riders.

12:01 - Winners in Sisteron

Six Paris-Nice stages finished in Sisteron and the winners were:
1997 - Laurent Jalabert 1998 -Andrei Tchmil 1999 - Jacky Durand 2000 - Matteo Tosatto 2001 - Alex Zuelle.

11:59 - Three riders did not start

Dmitry Fofonov (AST), Remi Pauriol (FDJ) and Maarten Neyens (LTB) are not starting today.

11:58 - In the press today

In l’Equipe, Vacansoleil team director Hilaire Van der Schueren warns against ruling out Lieuwe Westra too soon: "Yes he can win. I believe Col d’Eze is better for him than for Wiggins."
Also in l’Equipe, Levi Leipheimer says how much Wiggins impressed him: "I stayed behind Wiggins in the climb to be as close as possible on the line. It’s too bad that I lost a few seconds but Wiggins really rode an extraordinary race."
L’Equipe rates the chances for overall victory as follows: Wiggins 60 pc, Westra 15 pc, Leipheimer 20 pc and Valverde 5 pc.

11:57 - Unlucky Le Mevel

On his Twitter profile,Christophe LeMevel tells how he forgot to take his MyKnoaky piece of wood with him on the day he crashed.
"Before my crash on Paris-Nice,@KlierAndreas gave me a piece of wood...I regrettably forgot it.Now never without @Myknoaky! Thanks Andreas ;)"
Myknoaky is a small wooden talisman supporting the charity Plant for the planet.

11:56 - Jersey holders

Briton Bradley Wiggins, third in stage 5, retained his overall lead and his six seconds lead but his runner-up has changed. Lieuwe Westra (VCD), winner in Mende, is now second while American Levi Leipheimer (RNT) is down to third, 10 seconds adrift.
Alejandro Valverde (MOV) is back to 18 seconds down and he kept the points classification green jersey ahead of Wiggins and Westra.
The polka-dot jersey changed hands and now belongs to another VCD rider, Frederik Veuchelen, one of the escapees of stage 5. The Belgian holds a solid 16 points lead over Luis Angel Mate (COF) and David Le Lay (SAU).
Despite losing ground in the GC, Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) retained his young rider’s white jersey ahead of Rigoberto Uran (SKY) who worked hard for his leader on the Mende climb.
While Omega Pharma Quick Step retained their lead in the team standings, Team Sky are now only a minute down

11:56 - Climbs of the day

Km 15.5 - Cote de Buisson (3rd cat)
Km 40.5 - Cote du Pas du Ventoux (2nd cat)
Km 66.5 - Cote d’Aurel (3rd cat)
Km 120.5 - Cote des Mourres (3rd cat)
Km 166 - Cote des Marquises (3rd cat)

11:50 - Sprint of the day

Km 159.5 - Sisteron

11:49 - Welcome on the 6th stage

Welcome on the 178.5-kms 6th stage of Paris-Nice between Suze-la-Rousse and Sisteron.

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