Today was a day for Trek Factory Racing - already out of the fight for the overall classification in the Critérium du Dauphiné - to throw in all its cards and battle the frontline for a stab at stage glory, but for whatever reason it didn't play out as planned: The team was mysteriously missing from the early heated action.

It was a stage pegged for opportunists with the GC contenders expected to wait for the final two days, which finish on category one climbs, and Trek Factory Racing let another opportunity slip away.

As predicted the 183-kilometer race kicked into high gear from kilometer zero, but the pinstripes were mostly absent from the early aggression, and as a fierce battle played out ahead it was other team’s antagonists like Tony Gallopin, Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and Niki Terpstra, Julian Alaphilippe and Tony Martin  (Etixx- Quick Step) that were hungrily chasing a stage win.

Trek Factory Racing’s sport director Alain Gallopin did not sugarcoat the team’s performance and was unable to hide his displeasure after the race:

“I am disappointed because we made a plan this morning to have Matthew [Busche] or Riccardo [Zoidl] in the break. I saw Markel [Irizar] and Fumy [Beppu] try to do something in the beginning, and after it turned into a big fight with the leaders, but I am disappointed with the guys - when they try to do something they need to be with the 40 guys at the front.  Excuse me, but for me this is difficult to accept!

“For Bauke it’s different because he had a problem – and we are trying to fix it – and the focus for Bauke now is to finish the week better than the beginning and he is on the plan for the Tour de France. And as for Haimar [Zubeldia] I expected him to be in the top 50 today and I have not spoken with him yet…”

“But I am especially not happy with Matthew and Riccardo today. In this kind of fight today from the beginning, when the leaders are not expected to fight and normally are tired, you must take your opportunity. It ended up being special today and the race never stopped, but I cannot accept that we were not in the front.”

It was not the queen stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, but stage six played out in royal fashion with the race’s hard hitters hitting hard over the undulating parcours. The race did not play by the book and under pounding rain the general classification went through a stark reordering after a dangerous four-man breakaway formed in the latter part of the race with some of the race’s GC favorites and rode to the finish.

When all was said and done, after a fiercely raced, rain-soaked day, the leaderboard changed drastically: Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali grabbed the overall lead of the race, Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) snagged the stage victory and also slotted into second place, and Alexander Valverde (Movistar) moved back into contention climbing from 12th to 3rd place.

Meanwhile, the yellow jersey of Tejay van Garderen (BMC) arrived over two minutes later with an obliterated, bare-boned peloton and fell to fifth. With two hard stages remaining the race is again wide open.

Yaroslav Popovych was a non-starter today a result of illness and Calvin Watson, suffering from fatigue after completing his first Grand Tour in the Giro d’Italia, pulled out after 60 kilometers. The other six Trek Factory Racing teammates arrived together in the large grupetto numbering almost 100 riders, crossing the line over 36 minutes back.

Alain Gallopin added, “Honestly, to not have anyone in the top 50?  I cannot accept this because they have the legs to be there. I understand that it was raining, but it’s raining for everybody, and it was not cold - it’s no excuse. Today is no excuse. I am a little bit tired about that.”

“We have two more stages to go, and we need to find back our focus.”