It seems only appropriate that on a day when the peloton had to battle rain and slick roads, a man by the name of Thor “God of Thunder” Hushovd would take the stage win.

The entire stage six of this year’s edition of the Tour de France actually took place in Spain, and Boulder’s Garmin-Slipstream team animated much of the day. Garmin’s British-born David Millar got in an early breakaway, then attacked with about 18 miles to go, only to be reeled in by the main pack with under one mile to the finish. In the final sprint, Hushovd earned the new Cervélo Test Team its first win.

Tune in tomorrow for what promises to be a dramatic stage, as the race makes its first foray into the Pyrenees. Garmin’s Bradley Wiggins is predicting that 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador will make his move in the steep, final climb of the day. The stage will also be a true test of Garmin’s Christian Vande Velde, who is riding strong so far but is still recovering from a nasty crash in May’s Giro d’Italia.

Geoff Van Dyke
Geoff Van Dyke
Geoff Van Dyke is the editorial director of 5280 Publishing. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffVanDyke