2012 Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 to Stage 11
Stage 6
Stage 6
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11 May 2012 — [Urbino](/wiki/Urbino "Urbino") to [Porto Sant'Elpidio](/wiki/Porto_Sant%27Elpidio "Porto Sant'Elpidio"), 
[thumb\|[Miguel Ángel Rubiano](/wiki/Miguel_%C3%81ngel_Rubiano "Miguel Ángel Rubiano") leads [Jens Keukeleire](/wiki/Jens_Keukeleire "Jens Keukeleire") during the stage. Rubiano eventually went on to win the stage by over a minute, and assumed the lead of the [mountains classification](/wiki/Mountains_classification_in_the_Giro_d%27Italia "Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia").](/wiki/File:11_May_2012_Giro_di_Italia_Rubiano.jpg "11 May 2012 Giro di Italia Rubiano.jpg")
After only fourth\-category climbs at best during the early stages of the race, the sixth stage saw the introduction of the higher categorised climbs, with three third\-category climbs on the stage's parcours, as well as the second\-category *Passo della Cappella* on gravel roads, all coming after the  mark. Fifteen riders representing fourteen teams – only  had more than one rider in the breakaway, with riders [Gatis Smukulis](/wiki/Gatis_Smukulis "Gatis Smukulis") and [Aleksandr Kuschynski](/wiki/Aleksandr_Kuschynski "Aleksandr Kuschynski") – contributed to the opening move of the stage, as they accelerated off the front of the main field inside the first  of the stage. Of the fifteen, four riders were dropped very quickly after that, including mountains classification leader [Alfredo Balloni](/wiki/Alfredo_Balloni "Alfredo Balloni") (), with the best placed of the remaining eleven out front being 's [Luke Roberts](/wiki/Luke_Roberts "Luke Roberts"), who had been 25th prior to the stage. , who did not have a rider in the move out front, set about trying to bring the gap down to the main field, as the eleven riders held an advantage of close to nine minutes prior to the first climb of the day, the *Cingoli*.

's [Michał Gołaś](/wiki/Micha%C5%82_Go%C5%82a%C5%9B "Michał Gołaś") led over the climb, while [Miguel Ángel Rubiano](/wiki/Miguel_%C3%81ngel_Rubiano "Miguel Ángel Rubiano") () attacked on all three of the remaining climbs, giving him enough points to replace Balloni as the leader of the mountains classification at stage's end. After sitting up on the first two climbs to allow his breakaway companions – sans one rider, 's [Pablo Lastras](/wiki/Pablo_Lastras "Pablo Lastras"), who abandoned after a crash with  rider [Jack Bauer](/wiki/Jack_Bauer_%28cyclist%29 "Jack Bauer (cyclist)") – to rejoin, Rubiano did not wait at the top of the *Montegranaro* and accelerated away solo. Rubiano continued to extend his gap over the main field in the next few kilometres, extending his gap over his former breakaway companions to a maximum of a minute\-and\-a\-half, while he had three minutes in hand over the peloton. As it transpired, Rubiano continued on to the stage victory, 70 seconds clear of a group of riders consisting of 's [Adriano Malori](/wiki/Adriano_Malori "Adriano Malori"), Gołaś, [Alexsandr Dyachenko](/wiki/Alexsandr_Dyachenko "Alexsandr Dyachenko") of the  team, and [Cesare Benedetti](/wiki/Cesare_Benedetti_%28cyclist%29 "Cesare Benedetti (cyclist)") representing [Grand Tour](/wiki/Grand_Tour_%28cycling%29 "Grand Tour (cycling)") debutants . The field was led over the line 41 seconds later by  rider [Daryl Impey](/wiki/Daryl_Impey "Daryl Impey"), but Malori gained sufficient time to become the new leader of the race overall, 15 seconds ahead of Gołaś. Rubiano moved into fourth place in the standings behind [Ryder Hesjedal](/wiki/Ryder_Hesjedal "Ryder Hesjedal") (), half a minute behind Malori.

| **Stage 6 result**  |  | Rider | Team | Time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 |  |  |  | | 2 |  |  | \+ 1' 10" | | 3 |  |  | \+ 1' 10" | | 4 |  |  | \+ 1' 10" | | 5 |  |  | \+ 1' 10" | | 6 |  |  | \+ 1' 51" | | 7 |  |  | \+ 1' 51" | | 8 |  |  | \+ 1' 51" | | 9 |  |  | \+ 1' 51" | | 10 |  |  | \+ 1' 51" | |  | **General classification after stage 6**  |  | Rider | Team | Time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 |  [20px\|Pink jersey](/wiki/File:Jersey_pink.svg "Jersey pink.svg")[20px\|White jersey](/wiki/File:Jersey_white.svg "Jersey white.svg") |  |  | | 2 |  |  | \+ 15" | | 3 |  |  | \+ 17" | | 4 |  [20px\|Blue jersey](/wiki/File:Jersey_blue.svg "Jersey blue.svg") |  | \+ 30" | | 5 |  |  | \+ 32" | | 6 |  |  | \+ 36" | | 7 |  |  | \+ 37" | | 8 |  |  | \+ 39" | | 9 |  |  | \+ 39" | | 10 |  |  | \+ 41" | |
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What were the details of Stage 6?