Tour De Brew - Stage 6

Stage 5 was a great stage to watch. An early break-away was manditory and they held it

together to within 40km of the finish and this was followed by

a late attack at 33km launched by French pair

Jeremy Roy, and

Thomas Voeckler, who was only caught with 1.8 km to go. The peleton were droping like ten pins, with

Alberto Contador, Britain's Bradley Wiggins and Dutchman Robert Gesink all surviving crashes to go on and continue their bid for overall victory. Mark Cavendish finally gathered a win for 2011 with a come from behind bunch sprint.

His HTC-Highroad team defied the difficult conditions on the coast road leading to Cap Frehel before successfully chasing down Voeckler and delivering their man to the line. Hushovd will again wear yellow, and rumors are rife that he will agian enjoy and Bridge Road Brewers Beechworth Pale Ale to help him sustain his time in yellow.

Stage 6: Dinan Lisieux 226 km

This is by some distance the Tour's longest stage, taking in undulating roads. There are no big hills as such, just constant up and downs taking a toll, the sort of stuff Robbie McEwan would hate. Even though you would expect the sprinters to be in control in this region, there is sure to be a late twist on the short, sharp rise towards the basilica in Lisieux, little more than a kilometre from the finish. Any riders who gain seconds there are likely to dispute the finish between them. Thor Hushovd has shown great stamina in the last couple of steeper finishes, and this stage would not be beyond him. Or will Philippe Gilbert have his name written all over it?

Beer for the stage: Mountain Goat Steam Ale. R

eplacing the Goats Pale Ale, this beer..."

is a crisp, certified organic ale. We incorporate some wheat malt in the grist make up and ferment it cool. We use Hallertau and Citra hops along with a light dose of Galaxy flowers at the end. This is a conservatively hopped beer that comes in at about 28 IBU’s,

4.5% ABV

." Mountain Goat don't do things in halves, this is a cracker of a beer, and if you can get your hands on some, a great one to see in the new day. A favourite of Thomas Voekler and Matt Goss, fact, check it on wiki.

Bière locale: Le Brewery. A producer of traditional ales in the Normandy region. Established in 2001, they produce a wheat, pale, dark, milk stout, old ale and a strong IPA at 10% ABV. Bernard Hinualt was a regular patron at Friday afternoon knock of drinks until cycling got in the way, he now acts as a global ambassador for the "brand".

*some facts may be slighty incorrect, blame the beer