Froome safe in lead but van Garderen slips back

Tomasz Marczynski took the honours on stage six of La Vuelta as overall leader Chris Froome saw his nearest challenger Tejay van Garderen slip down the standings.

Lotto Soudal rider Marczynski, who had never claimed a stage win in a Grand Tour, pipped fellow Pole Pawel Poljanski (Borahansgrohe) and Spaniard Enric Mas (Quick-step Floors) to the line following a sprint finish on the streets of Sagunto.

The trio finished the 204.4-kilometre stage from Vila-real in a time of four hours, 47 minutes and two seconds, with the pairing of Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) and Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates) completing the top five as they crossed the line eight seconds later.

Froome was part of an 18-strong group who finished next, 26 seconds back. Many of Froome’s biggest rivals were there – but not Van Garderen.

The American started the day ten seconds behind Froome in second place, but the BMC Racing rider crashed twice in the closing stages and now lies 30 seconds adrift of the leader in fourth place.

Froome’s lead at the top of the standings increased marginally to 11 seconds with Colombian Esteban Chaves of Orica-scott now second. Four-time Tour de France winner Froome is looking to become just the third man to win the Vuelta and Tour in the same year

Meanwhile, Geraint Thomas will return from injury for Team Sky at the OVO Energy Tour of Britain when it begins in Edinburgh on 3 September.

The 31-year-old won the opening time-trial of the Tour de France on 1 July to take the race leader’s yellow jersey for the first time in his career.

He had been forced to abandon May’s Giro d’italia after a crash, then had to quit the Tour with a fractured collarbone.

Thomas is now set to race in the Tour of Britain, which concludes in Cardiff on 10 September, for the first time since 2011 and will be joined by fellow Welshman and Team Sky rider Owain Doull.