In 2009, Jerome Pineau took the biggest victory of his career when he surprised the sprinters in a mostly flat stage. Today he tried to repeat that feat in the Tour de France but failed to accomplish his mission.

IAM Cycling remained on the forefront of the race for more than 170 kilometers during the sixth stage of the 101st Tour de France.  Although André Greipel (Lotto Belisol) celebrated the victory in the sprint finish at Reims, Jérôme Pineau took off early in the day’s main breakaway with three other riders before being swept back up by the peloton with less than 20 kilometers left in the stage. 

And though Pineau paid for his efforts by finishing 4’51” behind, his friend and confidant Sylvain Chavanel managed to provide the team with another top-10 finish by sprinting into 10th place.  The only downside for the day was that Marcel Wyss fell heavily and suffered multiple superficial abrasions.
 
One month to the day after spending part of his race at the hospital in Gap after fracturing his fifth metacarpal in a crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Jérôme Pineau proved that he had completely returned to form.  The operation he underwent at the University Hospital in Geneva which installed a plate to reduce the fracture in his hand allowed him to get through the most difficult time in his career and be at the start line of the Tour de France. 

After the stage, the 34 year old French rider talked about his race. 

“I suffered through the stages in England, but since returning to France I have felt more comfortable.  So today I took to the break and I’m very happy to have done this to help out my teammates.  The peloton remained nervous and it will take a while for it to calm down. 

"I’m not frustrated at all about my day.  In this kind of stage, I had a one in ten chance of success.  But I am also reminded of my greatest victory dating back to the 2009 Giro, and that happened in a break very similar to this one. 

"We must make many attempts before one will work out, and I really wanted to put in my best effort.  I do love my job.  I have my health and my legs back.  I am very happy to be here.”