Having already lost two riders, Lampre-Merida went into today's sixth stage in survival mode. Even though they didn't avoid all the many crashes, team leaders Rui Costa and Chris Horner survived the day without any time loss.

Having already lost Sacha Modolo, Lampre-Merida lost another rider today when Maximilano Richeze didn't start stage 6 of the Tour de France after having been involved in three crashes during the first five stages. Hence, the team was just hoping to get safely through a dangerous day that saw several riders hit the deck.

The team didn't avoid all the tumbles as both Nelson Oliveira and Jose Serpa hit the deck. While the former suffered no major injuries, the latter has a bruise on his right side.

Luckily, team captains Rui Costa and Chris Horner survived the carnage.

"In these early stages of the Tour you always have to be very careful, not only in stages like yesterday's but even on seemingly simple days," said Horner. "Today both Rui and I avoided problems so the balance is positive for us."

"Being able to get to the finish without being caught up in crashes or accidents is a nice point obtained by our two men for the climbs, Rui Costa and Chris Horner," manager Brent Copeland said. "They were careful to always ride in the best positions. Their teammates are working to understand each other better and better. We must consider that we have had the misfortune to lose two riders like Richeze and Modolo, riders that know how to maneuver in the bunch and can be a great support for their teammates."

Unfortunately, sprinter Davide Cimolai had to fight back from a puncture and after having spent too much energy, he was unable to mix it up in the sprint.