Arras – Reims

Distance: 194 kilometers.

Today’s stage has a couple of Category 4 climbs, but nothing too difficult for the sprinters. It crosses the Somme and the Marne rivers sites of some of the most deadly battles of World War I.

This stage wasn’t the Somme [58,000 British casualties on the first day] but one rider didn’t start and three more couldn’t finish this stage after accidents on the rain soaked roads.

Andre Greipel won the stage and Luis Mate took the Red Numbers, but the field was reordered when the peloton broke into smaller groups. In the last two stages Vincenzo Nibali’s hold on the Yellow Jersey became noticeably stronger as major contenders have lost a lot of time.

Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – AST – 041 ) [Yellow] 24h 38′ 25″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 051 ) [Green] 217 points
Cyril Lemoine ( Fra – COF – 174 ) [Polka Dot] 6 points
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 051 ) 3 [White]

Team: Astana Pro ( AST – 041-049 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: André Greipel ( Ger – LTB – 135 )
Combative: Luis Angel Mate Mardones ( Esp – COF – 175 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – AST – 041 )
2 Jakob Fuglsang ( Den – AST – 042 ) + 00′ 02″
3 Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 051 ) + 00′ 44″
4 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 074 ) + 00′ 50″
5 Fabian Cancellara ( Sui – TFR – 163 ) + 01′ 17″
6 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – LTB – 131 ) + 01′ 45″
7 Tony Gallopin ( Fra – LTB – 134 ) + 01′ 45″
8 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 007 ) + 01′ 54″
9 Andrew Talansky ( US – GRS – 091 ) + 02′ 05″
10 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte ( Esp – MOV – 011 ) + 02′ 11″

The Rest of the Top 30:
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