There was no joy for Mark Cavendish on stage six of the Tour de France today, the final flat one before around a week of mountain stages.

A huge crash 25km from the end of the stage fragmented the peloton.

Cavendish wasn't involved, but was held up by it, eventually rolling over the line around six minutes behind the leaders.

The stage was won by young Slovakian Peter Sagan, his third victory at this year's tour already.

Tomorrow the riders head into the Vosges Mountains in eastern France, with stage seven culminating in a hideous category one climb up La Planche de Belles Filles which, according to cycling pundits, is set to 'blow the field apart'.