Katusha's Joaquim Rodriquez won the sixth stage of the Criterium du Dauphine this afternoon in France.
A group of eight riders including Sandy Casar got clear on a stage from Les Gets to Le Collet d’Allevard that was without Nicholas Roche who had withdrawn due to the injuries he suffered when crashing in yesterday's stage.
Hospital tests revealed that nothing was broken but Roche (pictured above) was not able to continue in the race.
The eight escapees who had shown some gentlemanly behaviour when it came to taking comfort breaks, were two and a half minutes clear with 30kms to go.
With 23kms to go, some pregnant heffers were startled by the riders and they broke from their field onto the road. Their charging up the road, took down a couple of riders including one Eustkatel rider. Everyone avoided being trampled on and was able to get on with the race.
The group containing race leader Bradley Wiggins got up to the escapees and the stage with its uphill finish was not up for grabs.
Wiggins left Cadel Evans behind as Joaquim Rodriguez shot off leader after dropping Vinokourov.
Rodriquez got into town and crested over the mountain top to the finish to take the stage in 5hr 12 mins, 46 seconds. Robert Gessink was second, third was Van Den Broeck, fourth was Kern and fifth was Vinokourov with Bradley Wiggins 54 seconds back in sixth.
Wiggins has a lead of one minute 26 seconds going into tomorrow's final stage which is from Pontcharra to La Toussuire and is 117.5km.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM