The bikers will be facing a new challenge in stage 6 of the Tour de France. This is all the more true for those bikers who feel that they have a chance in the general classification standings, particularly following the elimination of the defending champion Christopher Froome from the championship on Wednesday.

Unfortunately for Froome, he will not compete in the 2014 Tour de France as he has sustained a left wrist injury during a crash during a rainy fifth stage of the race. Following the accident, Team Sky tweeted, "Team Sky rider and defending champion Chris Froome out of Tour de France after a crash on the fifth stage."

In fact, it was a gloomy day for British cycling, which has been dominating the championship for the last two years. Prior to the accident, even sprinter Mark Cavendish decided to witness the tours from the sidelines following a shoulder injury he sustained in a crash.

Froome has decided to withdraw from the Tour de France following his accident, and this has opened up new opportunities for the other bikers to win the top prize this year. While Spain's Alberto Contador seems to be the main contender for the race title this year, as the mountainous stage of the race begins, there are other bikers like American Andrew Talansky, Nairo Quintana and Peter Sagan, who may go up in the standings.

Stage 6

During the sixth stage of the 2014 Tour de France, riders will move from Arras, the music festival city, through the scenic city of Reims. It is expected that the sprinters will rule during this 194-km race.

Although Germany's Marcel Kittel, Italy's Vincenzo Nibali, Slovakia's Peter Sagan, and Norway's Alexander Kristoff are being considered as the favorites to finish first the stage, there may be some surprises owing to the unpredictability of wind towards the conclusion of the race.

In fact, the riders may once again be toubled due to bad weather conditions, akin to the chaos and carnage that caused injuries to dozens in Stage 5. In general, for the general classification condenters, Stage 6 is the calm before the storm, as it marks the penultimate day prior to the tour heading into the Alps on Saturday.

Live Stream

Viewers in the United States can catch the 2014 Tour de France action live on NBCSN, while those in the U.K. can watch it on ITV4. In addition, viewers can also watch the race via live stream on NBC Sports Extra (US), ITV4 (UK), and SBS Live Stream (Australia).