by Stephanie Gutowski

Stage 6 began in front of the Shuzenji station of the Izuhakone Railway Co., Ltd. The day's 14 lap circuit ride from the station to the Japan Cycle Sports Center included a very hilly 8km section.

On the first of 14 laps on the circuit, Chris Froome (Team Konica Minolta) broke from the peloton. Alexandr Dyachenko and Andrey Medyanikov (Kazakhstan National Team), and Alessandro Donati (Acqua e Sappone-Caffe Mokambo) caught Froome - along with Yukiya Arashiro and Koji Fukushima (Nippo Corporation) and Kazuyuki Manabe (Team JBCF). The eight-man break gained a 50 second advantage on the peloton. Arashiro then attacked the break just beforethe hilly section with seven laps to go. Donati immediately followed the Japanese rider. The two gained 20 seconds on the other breakaways and 1'20 to the peloton with five laps to go. They were eventually caught by the two Kazakhs as well as Froome and Fukushima. Froome was next to attack. Froome had 40-seconds to the chasing group on the final laps and kept his advantage until the finish for the stage win.

Chris Froome
Photo c. Tour of Japan

Stage 6 Results:

1 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta 3.52.26
2 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 0.41
3 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
4 Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada
5 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
6 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
7 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
8 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil - Shimano
9 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team
10 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor
11 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
12 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team
13 Timo Honstein (Ger) Team Sparkasse
14 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 0.50
15 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 0.56
16 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Team Konica Minolta
17 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 1.03
18 Makoto Nakamura (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 1.05
19 Takumi Beppu (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 1.15
20 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada

Chris Froome
Photo c. Tour of Japan

General classification after Stage 6:

1 Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 19.38.39
2 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 1.57
3 Alexandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 2.24
4 Andrey Medyannikov (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team 2.25
5 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 2.29
6 Chris Froome (Ken) Team Konica Minolta 3.33
7 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 3.36
8 Tomoya Kano (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 3.55
9 Timo Honstein (Ger) Team Sparkasse 4.14
10 Alexandr Dymovskikh (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
11 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Myata - Subaru Racing Team 4.45
12 Takumi Beppu (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 5.01
13 Thijs Zonneveld (Ned) Discovery Channel Marco Polo Team 5.11
14 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 6.29
15 Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 6.34
16 Hidenori Nodera (Jpn) Skil - Shimano 6.38
17 Yoshinori Iino (Jpn) Pearlizumi Sumita Ravanello 9.21
18 William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com - AIS 9.50
19 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo Corporation - Meitan Honpo Co LTD - Asada 10.28
20 Francesco Di Paolo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 10.34

Stage 6 final lap.
Photo c. Tour of Japan