It may have been sans cobbles, relatively flat and ultimately ended in a bunch sprint, but stage six of the Tour de France was certainly not without its complications.
Strong crosswinds battered the bunch on several of the wide-open roads on which the peloton traversed, including the Chemin des Dames.
Measurements put the wind speed at 30km/h in patches, and with Omega Pharma-Quickstep among the teams looking to put the hurt on at the front it made for a nervous bunch.
So how does a rider contend with the crosswinds and the ever-present threat of echelons forming?
Laurens ten Dam (Belkin) was among the riders who finished in the front group, as last year’s 13th place finisher ensured he and team leader Bauke Mollema stayed in the top 30 overall ahead of the first mountainous stages which will come at the weekend.
And, as one of the pro riders to use ride tracking app Strava it is possible to see how his numbers stacked up during the stage.
The Dutchman, 33, who uses a power meter which therefore allows us to see accurate stats regarding his output on Strava, put out some impressive numbers on the long, flat open straights.
Of particular interest is the Chemin des Dames, where crosswinds were expected to cause huge fractures in the bunch – though the nerves of the peloton and the frantic pace from behind ensured it did not happen.
To stay safe, despite the almost entirely flat road, ten Dam recorded a maximum output of 475 watts with his cadence averaging 86.
The crosswinds did have one effect at least though – a strung out peloton, as can be seen by the eight seconds between the six Strava pros to upload their rides after the stage.
The key to staying safe in the crosswinds then? Ride hard, ride fast and ride towards the front.
