Stage 6 is by far the easiest of the hilly stages. Just the one long but average climb and then a pretty flat run to the finish in the Velodrome in Quetzaltenango. The main favorites are still Mendes and Kolobnev. But watch for Parisien and Marentes, as well as constant attacker Fahnert.
It's a slow start but still Rojas Villegas takes a tumble early on. No injurues and he's quickly back in the pack.
The first attacks don't come until 10km in. Safarzadeh, Passalacqua, Valencia, Vosekalns and Esquivel are the riders to break clear. They ease away to make up the days breakaway.
The days only sprint point the KoM atop the Cumbre de Pologua at 48km. Safarzadeh just takes top points in his chase of the KoM jersey. Valencia is second and Passalacqua third. The gap to the peloton is a stable 4'00.
Not much else happens on this short and quiet stage. Vontobel and TomTom up the pace with 25km to go and start shedding riders! The biggest casualties are Sabatini, Dahlberg and Sweeting who must have marked this a stage to win.
Through the 20km mark the gap has dropped to 1'15 but neither Vontobel nor TomTom want to work anymore. The gap doesn't grow but it's not reducing either. People look to Sauber-Petronas and they just shake their heads with Zoidls lead protected.
The breakaway turns into the velodrom with 4km to go and instantly Esquivel attacks! The other riders raise pace rather than countering. Vosekalns and Valencia also gap the others just after.
With 2km to race Valencia blasts past Esquivel at the bottom of the track. Vosekalns also catches Esquivel but seems spent. Safarzadeh and Passalacqua are just trying to not loose time to these guys now.
Juan Pablo Valencia wins Stage 6 with ease come the line. Vosekalns got around Esquivel for second. Passalacqua and Safarzadeh finish with the same time as their breakaway companions. Montaguti won the peloton sprint 1'27 behind the break. Sai-Udomsin was 7th and Edmondson 8th. Race leader Zoidl was 9th, with Haga just behind in 10th.
