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Paris-Nice Stage 6: Carlos Betancur wins again and takes race lead

AG2R man makes move on final climb, Team Sky's Geraint Thomas slips to 2nd overall...

Carlos Betancur of AG2R-La Mondiale attacked on the final climb of the 2014 edition of Paris-Nice in Fayence this afternoon to win his second successive stage and with it take over the race lead from Team Sky's Geraint Thomas, who finished fourth.

Betancur, who minutes beforehand had seemed to be struggling, launched his attack as a select front group hit the only climb figuring in a stage finish in the Race to the Sun this year, the relatively short but punchy Mur de Fayence.

Only world champion Rui Costa of Lampre Merida was able to get ahead of the Colombian, doing so towards the top of the climb that concluded the 221.5km stage from Saint-Saturnin-lès-Avignon.

Betancur countered, however, and got back in front of the man in the rainbow jersey ahead of the line to take the stage, with Zdenek Stybar of Omega Pharma-Quick Step third.

Thomas seemed to be in difficulties in the latter part of  the ascent but came back strongly to finish fourth, frustratingly for him, outside the time bonuses.

On a warm spring day in Provence, ten riders formed the break including BMC Racing's British rider, Steve Cummings, but the escapees were afforded little leeway by the peloton, their lead never reaching 3 minutes.

They were subsequently joined by two of the biggest names in French cycling, Sylvain Chavanel of IAM Cycling and Europcar's Thomas Voeckler.

Chavanel was the final man brought back with around 25km remaining ahead of the day's final climb, the Category 1 Col de Bourigaille, which helped shred the front group to around 30 or so riders.

A number of riders attacked from there until the foot of the final climb, but it was Betancur's that would prove decisive not only for the stage win but also for the race leadership.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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Stumps | 10 years ago
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1,4,8 from the top 20 for me plus 1,2 GC dont know the jersey holder placings yet.

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Simon_MacMichael | 10 years ago
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Bonus seconds at intermediate sprints and stage finishes. Oh hang on. 2nd intermediate sprint on Sunday is in the village just after top of Col d'Eze?! That's going to be fun.

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cat1commuter | 10 years ago
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I'd love to see G win the GC, but I can't see where they can successfully attack in the remaining two days.

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