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12:35:26 - Welcome To The Live Coverage Of Stage Six

The 181.5km stage from Girona to Barcelona is due to commence at 12.45pm. There is a small neutral zone before the peloton arrives at the site of the official start. This is expected to be at around 12.55pm. The rain, it falls today in Spain. At the site of the finish beside the 1992 Olympic stadium, it has been pouring down this morning with thunder booming in the distance. The conditions were meant to be hot but for the moment it's mild and very wet in Barcelona.

Live coverage of the stage will begin shortly.

12:37:51 - Five Climbs, Three Sprints

The route for stage six features five small climbs evenly spread throughout the course, they are: the cote de Saint-Feliu de Guixols (cat-4 at 32km), cote de Tossa de Mar (cat-4 at 55km), cote de Saint Vicenc de Montalt (cat-3 at 98km), Collsacreu (cat-3 at 110km) and the cote de la Coneria (cat-4 at 159km). The three intermediate sprints are in Lloret de Mar (64km), Sant Pol de Mar (85.5km) and Cardedeu (132.5km).

12:42:07 - Prize Classifications: Part 01 – Yellow Jersey

There was virtually no change to the general classification after the fifth stage to Perpignan. The one main alteration was Robert Gesink (RAB) dropping from 63rd overall right down to 173rd. The Dutch Tour debutant was expected to factor in the general classification rankings but a crash a crucial moment of the stage cost him dearly. He lost 9’35” after falling at the 120km mark.

Fabian Cancellara (SAX) is still 0.22 second ahead of Lance Armstrong (AST) on GC. In third place is the 2007 Tour champion Alberto Contador (AST) while two other former podium finishers – Andreas Kloden (AST) and Levi Leipheimer – are ranked fourth and fifth after 634.5km of racing. The German and American are 31” and 38” behind, respectively.

12:42:51 - Prize Classifications: Part 02 – Green Jersey

Mark Cavendish (THR) added another 26 points to his tally in the green jersey competition. He had 70 before the start of stage five and that’s the tally that Thor Hushovd (CTT) now has. In third place in the points classification is American Garmin-Slipstream riders Tyler Farrar (54pts). Gerald Ciolek (MRM), who finished fifth in Perpignan, is now ranked fourth (42pts) and the stage winner from yesterday, Thomas Voeckler (BBO) is fifth (41pts).

Ordinarily, today’s stage should be one to suit the characteristics of a rider like last year’s green jersey winner, Oscar Freire (RAB) but the Spaniard has not been a factor in the bunch finishes so far this year; he has 17pts in the “sprinter’s category” and is ranked just 29th.

12:46:38 - Prize Classifications: Part 03 – Polka-Dot Jersey

The rider who earned nine points in the climbing classification in stage two, Jussi Veikkanen (FDJ). He had two team-mates in the escape of stage five and Anthony Geslin has moved up to third in the race for the polka-dot jersey, with six points – the same tally as the German ranked second, Tony Martin (THR) who remains the only rider to win points on a cat-3 ascent in the 2009 Tour.

There are three cat-4 climbs in stage six (with 3, 2 and 1 points for the first three over the line) and two cat-3 rises (with 4, 3, 2 and 1 points for the first four).

12:48:21 - Rolling Neutral Zone

The peloton is currently rolling through the neutral zone and on its way to the site of the start proper.

12:49:47 - Prize Classifications: Part 04 – White Jersey

Tony Martin (THR) continues to lead the youth classification. He is 39” and 44” ahead of the Liquigas pair Roman Kreuziger and Vicenzo Nibali, respectively. Last year’s winner Andy Schleck is currently fourth (at 49”).

12:50:04 - Prize Classifications: Part 05 – Team Rankings

The riders on Jean-Rene Bernaudeau’s Bbox Bouygues Telecom team gave their manager something to celebrate on his 53rd birthday. Not only did Thomas Voeckler win the fifth stage but, thanks to the 18th place for Yukia Arashiro and 73rd for William Bonnet, the French formation also won the team classification in Perpignan. In the general rankings, however, the Bbox boys are second last in the category that’s led by Astana, 2’33” ahead of Saxo Bank and 2’45” ahead of Columbia-HTC.

12:51:14 - Comments From One Of Yesterday’s Aggressors

Marcin Sapa was one of the six escapees in stage five. The Polish Lampre rider was caught in the final 10km and finished 141st in the stage but he remains optimistic about trying to be part of another break in the future. "We knew that we must attack and I reached the departure with this aim in my mind. There was cooperation among the attackers, but in the final kilometers I was tired. Anyway, this is only the first attempt, there will be many more stages and I'll try again".

12:53:13 - Racing In Stage Six

The official start of the sixth stage was 12.54pm. There was an attack as soon as the flag was waved at kilometer zero to signal the start.

12:55:48 - 177 Riders In The Race

There are 177 riders still in the Tour de France. Robert Gesink is the non-starter.

12:56:16 - Gesink Abandons With Broken Arm

It was an incident that he couldn’t avoid but at the 120km mark of the fifth stage, Robert Gesink touched a wheel and tumbled into the ditch at the left side of the road. He landed heavily, cutting his left elbow and knee but quickly stood back up and returned to the race as fast as possible. The Dutch rider rode 77km with a fractured radius and although he came close to rejoining the peloton that was speeding ahead and splitting up because of the rapid pace of the Saxo Bank and a few other teams. Eventually Gesink limped home to last place with the support of faithful team-mate Grischa Niermann, finishing 9’35” behind Thomas Voeckler.

The Dutchman has abandoned the Tour after five stages.

12:56:40 - 3km Raced...

The early attack amounted to nothing. As the bunch passes the 3km mark, it is still all together.

13:00:12 - Garmin: A “Local” Team

Seven out of the nine riders on the Garmin-Slipstream team live in Girona, the city that hosts the start of stage six. LeTour.fr contacted directeur sportif, Matt White, before the start of the stage and asked what we could expect to see from his team today. “The plan is for us to get in the break. I’ll be interested to see if Saxo Bank really want to defend today because it’s going to be a difficult one to police. I think it’s a good day for an escape to succeed,” said the Australian.

“We give an open card to anyone on the team today. Wiggins and Millar are probably a little too high up the rankings to be given any room to move but they are free to try if they want. Everyone else has been told that they should try and take the chance and put themselves in any move that looks like working.

“I think it’ll be a really aggressive stage and wouldn’t be surprised if the escape stays away all the way to the finish.”

13:02:12 - Garmin: “Farrar can beat Cavendish…”

Matt White told LeTour.fr that he believes that Garmin’s sprint specialist Tyler Farrar is capable of winning a stage. “Yesterday we had the same goal as Columbia,” said the directeur sportif, “we wanted to bring it back for a bunch sprint so we helped with the chasing. Tyler’s not as fast as Cavendish but he’s proven this year that he can beat him so it is possible. We just need to set him up and hope that he times it well if it comes to a sprint.”

The American team has two riders in the top 10 thanks to its second place in the fourth stage. Bradley Wiggins is ranked sixth overall, 38” behind Cancellara and David Millar is 10th at 1’07”. “We’re really pleased with how the team time trial went,” concluded White. “Of course we would have liked a win but we can be pleased that we put some good time into some other riders. Christian Vande Velde is doing well and seems to be coping with his recuperation after the crash in the Giro. He’s taking things day by day but we’re happy with how he’s traveling.”

13:11:04 - 12km Raced

The peloton is at the 12km mark and it's still one group. There have been no successful attacks so far today.

13:12:04 - Dry At The Start

While the rain falls gently down the drain in Barcelona, it's dry at the start in Girona today. The temperature for the sixth stage is around 24 degrees Celsius and the strong wind of yesterday isn't quite as severe today.

13:13:07 - Bahamontes: 81 Today

Federico Bahamontes, the Spaniard who won the Tour de France 50 years ago, turns 81 today. In the year the ‘Eagle of Toledo’ won, his dossard (race number) was 81.

13:14:08 - Peloton At 17km Mark

It's a tailwind for the riders today. The bunch is at the 17km mark and moving along at a fairly rapid pace early in stage six.

13:17:23 - All Together At 25km

The bunch is at the 25km mark and still no escapes have succeeded today.

13:25:43 - Comments From Matt Lloyd

One of the riders to get caught up in an incident during the fifth stage was Matt Lloyd of the Silence-Lotto team. As the bunch passed under the banner marking the site of the second intermediate sprint, the former Australian champion was seen waiting for a new bike. LeTour.fr spoke to him after the stage to find out what happened. "It was really quite weird," he explained, "I was riding along minding my own business. Then there was some hesitation, a squeel of brakes and someone in front of me stopped. I couldn't go anywhere so I ploughed into the guy ahead of me. I was thinking, 'Oh here we go again...' and I unclipped from my pedals and, somehow, landed on my feet.

"It wasn't really a crash because I never hit the ground. Certainly not a spine-chilling moment like what I had at the Amstel Gold. It was really quite bizarre. All I had to do was get a new bike and I was racing again. No damage done."

13:31:31 - First Climb Due Soon

The peloton is about to contest the sprint for points at the cote de Sant Feliu de Guixols, a cat-four ascent at the 32km mark.

13:33:11 - Zabriskie Gains 10" Lead

Zabriskie has attacked and gained a 10" advantage at the 30km mark. The Garmin rider didn't have anyone else with him and it seems he is about to be caught by the peloton.

13:34:36 - Results Of First Climb

The points from the climb at the 32km mark were won by:

1. Alexandre Botcharov (KAT) 3pts

2. Dave Zabriskie (GRM) 2pts

3. Amets Txurruka (EUS) 1pt

13:47:36 - Seven Riders Try To Escape

There was a group of seven riders who were trying to get ahead of the peloton but they have been caught at the 39km. The group included Hincapie (THR), Millar (GRM) and Freire (RAB).

13:48:24 - Sastre In Crash

There has been a crash and it seems that Carlos Sastre has been involved. We await confirmation of the others caught up.

13:50:23 - Not A Crash: An Incident...

Sastre was involved in the recent incident but it seems that it was not a crash (as reported previously).

13:51:15 - Caisse d'Epargne Comments...

LeTour.fr contacted the directeur sportif of the Caisse d’Epargne team to get his thoughts on this stage in Spain. Jose-Luis Jaimerena believes one of his riders is capable of winning at the top of the Montjuic climb. “I think this stage will be very lively and nervous. It’s true that it is still and opportunity for the sprinters. But the fact that the stage finishes at our home gives us more motivated. We will try to put someone in an escape. And if we do not succeed, we must find a solution. The arrival is at the top of a climb, it could be an opportunity for Rojas. Logically we want to be the animators of this stage although all the riders will be aware of what’s yet to come, the big mountain stage tomorrow.

13:53:23 - Three Riders On The Attack...

At the 48km mark, Millar (GRM) has a lead of 10" on Chavanel (QSI), 20" on Auge (COF) and 45" on the peloton.

13:56:34 - Fast Start To Stage

The peloton covered 46.8km in the first hour of racing in stage six.

13:57:14 - Two In The Lead

Chavanel has caught Millar at the front of the stage. They are 10" ahead of Auge.

13:57:41 - Peloton At 55"

Millar and Chavanel have a lead of 55" on the peloton which is splitting up a little as the pace of the race is extremely high early today.

13:58:42 - 28 Spaniards In The Peloton

So far in this year's Tour, two Spanish riders have been on the podium: Alberto Contador and Haimar Zubeldia who are part of the Astana line-up that won the team time trial. There are 28 Spaniards in the peloton, the second most represented nation in the race.

14:01:39 - Auge Joins Leading Pair

At the 49km mark, Auge caught Millar and Chavanel. This trio has a lead of 1'00" on the peloton.

14:02:12 - Rooijakkers Still In Hospital

There are now nine Dutch riders in the Tour. Two starters from the Netherlands have already abandoned. The first was Piet Rooijakkers who crashed in the team time trial. “I have a little less pain compared to yesterday,” he said, a day after a complicated, seven-hour operation to fix a fracture bone in his left arm. “I think the painkillers are working

“They had to fasten a tendon in my right hand and took a piece of bone from my hip for my left under arm which is broken at three places.”

14:06:54 - The Nations Represented...

Of the 177 riders in the peloton, France has the most starters. Here is a summary of how many riders from each country are present in the Tour de France for 2009.

41 – France

28 – Spain

15 – Germany

15 – Italy

10 – Belgium (originally 11, but Jurgen van de Waelle (QSI) abandoned after breaking a collarbone in a crash in stage two)

9 – Netherlands (originally 11 but Piet Rooijakkers abandoned after a crash in stage four and Robert Gesink fractured a bone in his left arm in a fall in stage five)

8 – Russia

7 – USA

6 – Australia

4 – Great Britain

3 – Denmark, Luxembourg and Switzerland

2 – Austria, Belorussia, Colombia, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal and Ukraine

1 – Canada, Finland, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden

14:09:01 - 1'55" Lead: Millar Virtual 'Maillot Jaune'

The best placed in the general classification of the three stage leaders is David Millar (GRM). He began the sixth stage ranked 10th, 1'05" behind Cancellara. The Scot is now the virtual leader of the Tour as his escape group is now 1'55" ahead of the peloton.

14:11:50 - Results Of Second Climb

The points for the climb at the 55km mark were won by:

1. Stephane Auge (COF) 3pts

2. Sylvain Chavanel (QSI) 2pts

3. David Millar (GRM) 1pt

14:12:33 - Peloton At 55km: 2'15" Behind...

At the top of the second climb, the peloton is 2'15" behind Millar, Chavanel and Auge.

14:13:29 - First Intermediate Sprint Due Soon

The first intermediate sprint for points is in Lloret de Mar at the 64km mark. The escapees are about to share the spoils in this prime...

14:15:46 - Thor Hushovd A Winner In Lloret De Mar

On 18 May this year, a stage of the Volta Catalunya concluded in Lloret de Mar which is where the first intermediate sprint of today's stage is. The winner earlier this year was Thor Hushovd who beat Alejandro Valverde and Greg Henderson of the Columbia team in a sprint.

14:19:32 - Chavanel 5th In Lloret De Mar

Millar, Chavanel and Auge are now 3'15" ahead of the peloton. When the stage of Volta Catalunya concluded in Lloret de Mar, the fifth place rider was Sylvain Chavanel. In sixth was Jussi Veikkanen, who is currently wearing the polka-dot jersey but that is under threat by Auge.

14:21:03 - Results Of Lloret de Mar Sprint

1. Sylvain Chavanel (QSI) 6pts

2. Stephane Auge (COF) 4pts

3. David Millar (GRM) 2pts

14:22:47 - Few Rain Drops Falling...

There has been storms in Barcelona this morning but the peloton has been racing on dry roads since the start at 12.54pm in Girona. As it reaches the 65km mark, however, a few drops of rain are beginning to fall.

14:24:20 - Peloton At 3'45"

As it arrives at the site of the intermediate sprint in Lloret de Mar, the peloton is 3'45" behind Millar, Chavanel and Auge.

14:25:40 - Lead Up to 3'50"

The peloton is now 3'50" behind the leading trio.

14:31:47 - Rabobank, Cervelo & Milram Lead Peloton

Riders from the Rabobank, Cervelo and Milram teams are at the front of the peloton as it's 3'30" behind the leading trio.

14:39:09 - Hushovd A Winner In Barcelona This May

In the sixth stage of the Volta Catalunya on 23 May this year, Cervelo's Thor Hushovd won the stage. He beat Fabio Sabatini of the Liquigas team and Greg Henderson of Columbia. The Norwegian and Italian are in the Tour this year but the New Zealander is yet to make his debut in this race.

14:43:13 - Gonzalo Ramirez Crashes

Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez of the Agritubel team has crashed. He is back on his bike, putting on a rain vest and getting ready to chase down the peloton.

14:46:20 - Escalada a Montjuich Winners In Recent Years...

The sixth stage concludes on the Montjuich climb to the Olympic stadium. In October each year (except 2008) there is a race called the Escalada a Montjuich. In 2007 the winner was Daniel Moreno while the runner-up was Samuel Sanchez and third place was Carlos Sastre.

Other winners of this Spanish race at the end of the season have been:

2006 - Igor Anton

2005 - Samuel Sanchez

2004 - Samuel Sanchez

2003 - Jose Ivan Gutierrez

2002 - Joseba Beloki

2001 - Joaquim Rodriguez

2000 - Fabian Jeker

14:48:50 - Lead Down To 2'45"

With 5km to go to the second sprint the advantage of the leading three has been reduced to 2'45".

14:49:37 - Rain Falls On Peloton

The roads of the Tour de France are wet for the first time in the 2009 edition. So far, there's been only one fall and the victim of the crash, Gonzalo Ramirez is back on his bike.

14:51:32 - Leaders Near 2nd Sprint

Millar, Auge and Chavanel are about to contest the sprint for points in Sant Pol de Mar at the 85.5km mark.

14:53:15 - Results Of Second Sprint

The points at the second sprint were won by:

1. David Millar (GRM) 6pts

2. Sylvain Chavanel (QSI) 4pts

3. Stephane Auge (COF) 2pts

14:54:03 - Katusha Also Chasing...

Rabobank and Milram have been joined by Katusha at the front of the peloton that is now 2'40" behind Millar, Auge and Chavanel.

14:56:22 - Tour Stages In Spain...

Below is a summary of all the stages of the Tour that have concluded in Spain and the winners...

1949: Bordeaux – San Sebastian, Caput

1957: Perpignan – Barcelona, Privat and Anquetil were the winners of two half-stages.

1965: Ax-les-Thermes – Barcelona, Perez-Frances

1968: Saint-Gaudens – Seo-de-Urgel, Van Springel

1974: Colomiers – Seo-de-Urgel, Merckx

1977: Oloron – Vitoria, Nazabal

1991: Pau – Jaca, Mottet

1992: San Sebastian – San Sebastian (prologue), Indurain ; San Sebastian – San Sebastian (stage 1), Arnould

1996: Argelès-Gazost – Pampelune, Dufaux

2006: Tarbes – Val d’Aran (Pla de Beret), Menchov

15:00:09 - Peloton 2'20" Behind At Feedzone

As the bunch arrives at the 88km mark, it is 2'20" behind the leading trio.

There has been a crash in the feedzone with David Le Lay (AGR) and an Eusktaltel rider caught up in the incident. The fallen riders have all stood and are about to start riding again.

15:03:53 - Second Category-Three Climb Of 2009 Tour Due Soon...

The leaders are about to begin the ascent of the cote de Sant Vicenc de Montalt (which peaks at the 98km mark). This is the second cat-3 climb of the 96th edition of the Tour.

15:07:36 - Details Of Third Climb

The third climb of stage six is 3.3km long with an average gradient of 5.2 per cent. Chavanel has been leading the escapees for most of the ascent but now Millar is moving forward...

15:12:25 - Gonzalo Ramirez Attacks Peloton

Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (AGR) has attacked the peloton at the base of the third climb. He has prompted a reaction from an Euskaltel rider.

15:15:34 - Point For First Three On Climb

The points of the third climb were taken by:

1. Auge (COF) 4pts

2. Chavanel (QSI) 3pts

3. Millar (GRM) 2pts

...we wait for the peloton to arrive before posting the fourth-place result.

15:16:47 - Txurruka Attacks

The move by Gonzalo Ramirez has prompted a reaction from Amets Txurruka. Now the Astana team is moving to the front of the peloton.

15:17:26 - Txurruka Takes One Point

Txurruka took fourth place on the third climb, 1'55" behind Auge, Chavanel and Millar.

15:17:59 - Astana Leading Peloton

There are five riders from the Astana team - including Lance Armstrong - now leading the peloton.

15:19:58 - Auge Virtual Leader Of Climbing Classification...

Stephane Auge has collected seven points for the climbing prize today. He started the stage in 8th place in the race for the polka-dot jersey. With the extra points, he now has a lead of one point over the man in the climber's jersey Jussi Veikkanen (FDJ).

15:22:39 - Txurruka 50" Behind Leaders

Txurruka is closing in on the leading trio. He attacked on the third climb of the stage and is now 50" shy of Millar, Chavanel and Auge.

15:23:21 - Auge Attacks Lead Group

Auge appears to be inspired today. He has attacked the lead group and is on his own with an advantage of about 100 meters on Chavanel and Millar.

15:25:04 - Peloton At 1'10"

With Txurruka 40" behind the leading trio. The peloton is closing in quickly on the escapees thanks to the work of the Astana riders. The bunch's deficit is currently just 1'10". It had been as much as 3'45" (at the 64km mark).

15:26:34 - Dry Roads For The Moment

As the bunch winds its way through the hills of norther Spain, the rain has stopped and the roads are dry again. Auge continues to lead on the descent with Millar and Chavanel showing a little more caution and losing a little ground. These three are 40" ahead of Txurruka and 1'30" ahead of the peloton.

15:28:05 - Details Of Fourth Climb

The leaders are about to get to the top of the fourth climb. The Collsacreu ascent 4.1km long at an average gradient of 5.2 per cent. Auge's trio leads Txurruka by 30" and the peloton by 1'50".

15:32:13 - Furlan Having Trouble...

Angelo Furlan (LAM) who is riding with bandages on his left leg and arm and his right elbow, has been dropped by the peloton on the fourth climb of stage six.

15:33:56 - Txurruka Closing In On Leaders

With 1km to climb, Txurruka is just 12" behind Millar, Auge and Chavanel.

15:35:25 - Big Crowds Today

The Catalan flag is being waved all along the course today. There are a lot of people on the climbs and the main colors are red and yellow.

15:36:25 - Auge Intent On Taking Points

Auge has led the escape over the fourth summit. The Cofidis rider will wear the polka-dot jersey this evening if he finishes the stage.

15:37:08 - Results Of Fourth Climb

The points for the fourth climb of stage six were taken by:

1. Auge (COF) 4pts

2. Chavanel (QSI) 3pts

3. Millar (GRM) 2pts

4. Txurruka (EUS) 1pt

15:38:02 - Four In The Lead

Txurruka has caught Chavanel, Auge and Millar at the 111km mark.

15:38:20 - Astana Continue To Lead Peloton

There are eight Astana riders at the head of the peloton. The one missing rider seems to be Alberto Contador who is nestled in near the front of the bunch but not in the line-up that's been leading the bunch since the base of the third climb (around the 95km mark).

15:39:45 - Evans Punctures

Cadel Evans has had a puncture. Van Summeren is waiting for the Silence-Lotto team leader.

15:43:12 - Five Silence Riders With Evans

After his little incident, there are five riders from the Silence-Lotto team helping him return to the peloton.

15:44:22 - Change Of Peloton Leaders

The Astana team had been on the front of the bunch for about 20km. Now there are riders from Katusha, Milram and Rabobank taking their place. Cadel Evans has returned to the pack after his puncture.

15:45:32 - Peloton At 1'45"

Millar, Txurruka, Chavanel and Auge are working well together at the front of the stage. They are 1'45" ahead of the peloton.

15:46:50 - Armstrong The Only Rider In Tour Who Raced 1992 Olympic Road Race

Of the 177 riders still in the 2009 Tour de France, only one was a finisher in the 1992 Olympic road race. It was Lance Armstrong's final competition as an amateur and he finished 14th. The race was won by a future team-mate of the American, Fabio Casartelli (who died as the result of injuries sustained in a crash during the 1995 Tour de France). Silver was won by Erik Dekker (who is now a directeur sportif of Rabobank) and third went to Dainis Ozols.

Fourth place went to Erik Zabel. A total of 84 riders finished the race in 1992.

15:58:27 - Average Speed For Third Hour

The average speed for the third hour is 37.3km/h. The first three hours were raced at an average of 41.2km/h.

15:58:58 - Peloton 1'35" Behind

The peloton is keeping the escapees honest. There is only 1'35" between Txurruka, Millar, Chavanel and Auge and the main pack. There's a little more than 50km to go in the sixth stage.

16:03:03 - Yellow Jersey Gets Mechanical Assistance

Fabian Cancellara is having his saddle adjusted by the team mechanic as the back of the peloton. It's the second time in three days that his had mid-race mechanical work done on his saddle.

16:06:39 - Erik Dekker Remember The 1992 Road Race

LeTour.fr recently contacted Erik Dekker to ask him about the Olympic road race from 1992 that was held 50 kilometers away from Barcelona. “I remember the day well,” said the Dutchman. “Three of us attacked and got away with about 30km to go in the stage. We knew we would share the medals but Fabio Casartelli outsprinted me in the finale but I was so happy to have a medal that I remember crossing the line with my arms in the air.

“I think that the race was on the second of August and I had another couple of weeks as an amateur before doing my first race as a professional. That was the Tour de L’Avenir and I was with the Buckler team which later became WordPerfect.”

16:12:13 - Leaders Pick Up The Pace

The peloton has been hovering around 1'30"-1'40" behind Txurruka, Millar, Chavanel and Auge for the last 15km. Txurruka just did a little acceleration and the speed has picked up a little. Rain is starting to fall again but the downfall at the site of the finish has stopped.

16:21:58 - Posthuma Leading Peloton

The Rabobank team has been contributing to the chase today. Right now Joost Posthuma is the man doing the work at the front of the pack that is 1'30" behind the four leaders. He made his Tour debut in 2006 and immediately earned a podium appearance, taking the white jersey as the Best Young rider after the prologue in Strasbourg.

16:25:12 - Columbia Keeping Cool...

Columbia has not been too prominent at the front of the peloton today but a couple of the yellow and white jerseys can be seen sneaking forward at the moment. The bunch is 1'25" behind Millar's quartet.

16:26:53 - Wet Conditions

The roads are now wet as the race gets closer to Barcelona. The peloton is 1'10" behind the four escapees and now the Cervelo team is putting riders on the front.

16:29:07 - Millar's Virtual Lead Over...

Millar and his three escape companions are now 55" ahead of the peloton. That marks the end of the Garmin rider's stint as virtual leader of the 2009 Tour de France.

16:33:24 - Crash On Roadabout

There has been a crash near the head of the peloton as the bunch negotiated a roundabout. There are two Columbia riders involved. Michael Rogers looks to be in a bad way. Haussler was also involved. Farrar as well.

16:36:03 - Haussler Riding Again...

Haussler is back racing again after his crash. We wait to see what's become of the other crash victims.

16:37:18 - Millar Attacks

With 29km to go, Millar has attacked the lead group. He has opened up a good gap and there's apparently no reaction from the other three.

16:38:42 - 29km TT For Millar...

Millar has committed to going for the stage win on his own. He has a lead of 57" on the peloton and 17" on Chavanel, Txurruka and Auge.

16:40:31 - Millar's Close Call In Dauphine...

In the second stage of this year's Dauphine Libere, Millar attacked the peloton with six kilometers to go. He held on to an advantage of about 200 meters for most of finale. But was caught within sight of the line. It was a stage won by Angelo Furlan (LAM) in a sprint but Millar still managed to hold on to earn ninth place.

16:42:06 - Txurruka In Pursuit

Txurruka has decided to try and chase down Millar. He's got to make up about 20" to catch the Garmin rider.

16:43:24 - Millar 25km From Finish

Millar began his attack at the 46km mark of the 181.5km stage. He attacked his escape companions with 29km to go. He is now 25km from the finish with a lead of 1'00" on the peloton.

Txurruka is at 20" and Chavanel and Auge are at 55".

16:44:47 - Auge & Chavanel Caught

Just as the peloton passed under the 25km to go banner, it swallowed up Auge and Chavanel. There are now just two men ahead of the peloton.

16:45:19 - Flecha Leads Astana...

Flecha is the rider at the front of the peloton. Behind him is a line of Astana riders just ahead of men from the Saxo Bank squad.

16:46:02 - Millar On Final Climb

Millar is 50" ahead of the peloton as he nears the top of the 4.7km ascent of the cote de la Conreria. He is 28" ahead of Txurruka.

16:47:03 - Results Of Final Climb

1. Millar (GRM) 3pts

2. Txurruka (EUS) 2pts

3. Pauriol (COF) 1pt

16:49:31 - "It seems faster in the rain..."

In 2007 when Millar finished a time trial in Albi in the rain he made the comment afterwards that, "it always seems faster in the rain." He's currently leading the sixth stage with an advantage of about 30" on the peloton and having to deal with slippery wet roads.

16:52:05 - Pauriol Chasing Millar

There are three riders ahead of the peloton: Millar (GRM), Txurruka (EUS) at 31", Pauriol (COF) at 45" and the peloton at 1'00".

16:55:04 - Pauriol Has Txurruka In His Sights

Pauriol is about to catch up with Txurruka. The junction came with 16km to go in the stage.

16:55:47 - Astana Lead Peloton

Millar has increased his advantage. He is now 43" ahead of Pauriol and Txurruka and 1'05" ahead of the peloton. If he gains a few more seconds and holds on to it, Millar will not only win the stage but also become the second rider to take the yellow jersey in the 2009 Tour de France.

16:57:14 - Millar Good On Wet City Roads

When Millar won the time trial to Nantes at the end of the 2003 Tour de France he set the second fastest time for a long time trial of the Tour. He crashed negotiating roundabouts as he entered the city but still held on for "victory" in the centenary edition of the race. It was pouring rain that day and he proved that he doesn't mind taking risks on slippery roads.

16:59:05 - Millar Chasing Victory & Yellow...

Currently Millar is the virtual leader again. He is 1'10" ahead of the peloton which is 15km from the finish. Pauriol and Txurruka are about 20" ahead of the bunch.

17:00:27 - Millar Increasing His Lead

Millar is now 1'00" ahead of Pauriol and Txurruka and 1'10" ahead of the peloton. The Scot has 11km to go in the stage.

17:02:11 - Millar Will Get A Reward

The organizers have just announced that the votes for the Most Aggressive Rider of the stage have gone in Millar's favor. The Garmin rider will be at the podium protocol today even if he doesn't win the stage. He is now 10km from the line with a lead of 1'07"... exactly what his deficit on Cancellara and Armstrong was at the start of the stage.

17:03:56 - 58" With 10km To Go

With 10km to in the stage, Millar is 58" ahead of the peloton.

17:05:09 - Big Crash In Peloton

A number of riders have been caught up in a crash in the final 10km. Laurens Ten Dam, Arashiro and a couple of others are still waiting for a new bike....

17:05:46 - Haussler Goes Down Again...

Haussler was also caught up in the fall. It was his second crash of the stage.

17:06:17 - Millar Leads By 45"

The Garmin rider is now out of the saddle and getting everything out of his legs. He has a lead of 45" on the peloton.

17:07:41 - Boonen Crashes

There has been another crash on the streets of Barcelona. Boonen has been caught up and although he's standing again he doesn't appear to be in a good way.

17:08:17 - Milram Leading Peloton

The Milram team is leading the peloton along with a couple of riders from the Columbia squad. Millar is fighting to hold his lead with 5km to go he has an advantage of 45".

17:09:14 - Boonen Riding Again

Boonen is back on his bike but out of contention for the stage win. He crashed with 6km to go.

17:10:04 - Last 2km Uphill

There final two kilometers of the sixth stage are uphill. Millar is now less than 4km from the line and his advantage is 30". He has been on the attack since the 46km mark of the 181.5km stage.

17:10:56 - Flecha Driving Peloton

The Rabobank and Milram teams are in charge of the peloton. Currently Flecha is flying at the head of the pack that's in the same straight as Millar.

17:12:11 - Peloton Splits In Barcelona...

The peloton that's now 20" behind Millar is not a complete one. The yellow jersey and green jersey are present but the group is about 75 riders strong. There are about 2km to go in the stage.

17:13:14 - Menchov In Dropped Peloton

Rabobank has been working for most of the day but now its leader, Menchov has been dropped by the peloton.

17:14:01 - Millar On The Climb

Millar refuses to concede. He is out of the saddle and on the climb leading to the finish line. The peloton has him in its sights and it seems his effort is all for nothing.

17:14:41 - Millar Caught

That's it for Millar. Now Le Mevel (FDJ) is on the attack but marked by a lot of Astana riders.

17:15:15 - Tony Martin Leads

Tony Martin is in the front of the stage now. He has Kloden on his wheel but the Cervelo team is also well represented in the finale.

17:15:52 - Hushovd Delivers For Cervelo...

Thor Hushovd has won again. The Norwegian beat Freire to the line in a difficult sprint.

17:16:55 - God Of Thunder Strikes In Barcelona

The climb at the finish meant that only the strongmen were in with a chance of stage honors. In the end it was Thor Hushovd who reigned supreme. It's his first Tour win since stage two last year. It's his sixth stage win in the Tour de France.

18:00:33 - Top 10 In Stage Six

The Cervelo team has earned its first victory in the Tour de France. The yellow jersey remains on Cancellara's shoulders for another day after he finished 10th in Barcelona. The top 10 is:

1. Thor Hushovd (CTT)

2. Oscar Freire (RAB)

3. Jose Rojas (GCE)

4. Gerald Ciolek (MRM)

5. Franco Pellizotti (LIQ)

6. Filippo Pozzato (KAT)

7. Alessandro Ballan (LAM)

8. Rinaldo Nocentini (ALM)

9. Cadel Evans (SIL)

10. Fabian Cancellara (SAX)