REIMS, France – A brief look at the sixth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday:

Stage: A 194-kilometer (121-mile) mostly flat stage from the agribusiness center of Arras to Reims, in Champagne country, both towns home to World Heritage sites. The stage ran along battlefields of World War I in a nod to the centenary of its start.

Winner: German rider Andre Greipel led a sprint after bursting out of the speeding pack with about 300 meters left. He edged Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff and France’s Samuel Dumoulin at the line.

Yellow Jersey: Vincenzo Nibali. The former Vuelta and Italian Giro winner maintained his lead over the main challengers, finishing in the same time as Greipel. Two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador is 2:37 behind.

Quote of the Day: “Everything has been thrown at us over the last six days” – Team Sky rider Bernhard Eisel, on the bad weather, cobblestone patches, and crosswinds that riders have faced since the race began, notably in rainy northern France.

Stat of the Day: 14. The number of riders listed as suffering bruises, scrapes, fractures and near-concussions on the day’s medical report.

Friday’s Stage: Riders set off from Epernay, arguably the capital of bubbly, on a 234.5-kilometer (146-mile) trek to northeastern Nancy. It’s the second longest Tour stage.