Kittel wins stage six of Tour de France as Froome retains yellow jersey

Marcel Kittel won stage six of the Tour de France in Troyes as Chris Froome stayed safe in the yellow jersey.

Quick-Step Floors’ Kittel beat Frenchman Arnaud Demare (FDJ) and fellow German Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) in a sprint finish at the end of the 216-kilometre stage from Vesoul.

Team Sky’s Froome had a relatively stress-free first day in the yellow jersey, with the only threat that came his way being a runaway parasol midway through the stage.

A podium finish remains a realistic ambition for Geraint Thomas in the Tour de France after he handed over the race leader’s yellow jersey to team-mate Chris Froome on Wednesday.

Froome finished third behind Italian Fabio Aru and Irishman Dan Martin on stage five from Vittel to La Planche des Belles Filles, swapping places with Thomas as a 12-second deficit became a 12-second lead for the three-time Tour winner.

But Thomas – who took yellow with victory in the opening time trial in Dusseldorf – remains second overall, two seconds ahead of Aru, with Sky in a dominant position after five days of racing.

“I said from the start I just want to keep improving year on year and I’m here to do that,” said Thomas, who has finished 15th in each of the last two Tours despite sacrificing himself for Froome.

“To do that I want to be in the thick end of the hard stages with Froomey until the real crunch. That will just mean I’m up there on GC anyway as a consequence of that.”

Thomas’ primary focus for the season was a tilt at the Giro d’Italia, but Sky’s hopes in the first grand tour of the season were dashed by a freak crash on stage nine which felled both Thomas and co-leader Mikel Landa.

Though that may not have worked out, spending four days in the yellow jersey has gone a long way to making up for it for Thomas – who hopes the experience gained will help him contend in a grand tour again in the future with next year’s Giro already on the radar.

“I had my chance with the Giro, but with everything that happened here I can still do a lot in this race,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot as well. It’s all good experience for years to come.”

The 31-year-old has six stage-race wins to his name, including Paris-Nice in 2016 and the Tour of the Alps this year.

However, nothing compares with the spotlight of wearing the leader’s jersey in the Tour, even if Thomas makes it sound like just another day on the bike.

“It may sound a bit stupid but at the same time, it’s just a bit bigger,” he said of the pressures of the yellow jersey.

“I don’t really let it go to my head, I’m quite laid back anyway. Whatever, just crack on with it.