The Latest: Nibali, Quintana, Martin involved in crash

LE HAVRE, France (AP) — The latest from the sixth stage of the Tour de France (all times local):

___

5:58

Defending champion Vincenzo Nibali crashed in the final kilometer of the 6th stage of the Tour de France won by Zdenek Stybar of Czech Republic.

Nibali hit the tarmac after race leader Tony Martin fell in front of him. Martin stayed on the ground for a while before making it to the finish line surrounded by his teammates, with his left arm folded close to his chest.

Another favorite, Colombian Nairo Quintana, was also involved in the pile-up. Both Quintana and Nibali got back on their bikes and completed the stage. They will be credited the same time as the main pack as the crash happened within the final 3 kilometers.

___

5:16 p.m.

After spending most of the day at the front of the race, Daniel Teklehaimanot has earned the right to wear the best-climber's polka-dot jersey at the Tour de France.

The Eritrean rider from MTN-Qhubeka cyclist gave the thumbs up as he claimed a third point in the King of the Mountains classification with a sprint to the summit of the Cote du Tilleul, with 29.5-kilometer left before the finish in Le Havre.

Teklehaimanot, who took the jersey from Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez, is not expected to keep it once the race reaches the high mountains next week.

___

4:01 p.m.

Angered by the late testing at the Tour de France, FDJ team doctor Gerard Guillaume says serious criminals are less hassled than riders at cycling's biggest race.

After three riders from the French outfit were targeted by anti-doping tests after 11 p.m. on Wednesday night, Guillaume said cyclists should be treated in a more respectful way and, when it comes to evening time, should be given more time to recover from their intense efforts on the road.

"Even if the sport has made many mistakes in the past, I think it's going somewhat too far," Guillaume said on French TV. "The first controls of the day took place at 6 a.m. Let me remind you that there are no (police control) for members of criminal organization before 6 a.m. in France. I guarantee you that it would make the front page of L'Equipe newspaper if it happened in football."

Following the publication of Cycling Independent Reform Commission's report into the sport's doping culture, the UCI has introduced tougher anti-doping measures which include the possibility of waking up athletes in the middle of the night for testing.

___

3:23 p.m.

Eritrean rider Daniel Teklehaimanot has scored his first points in the battle for the King of the Mountains crown.

Teklehaimanot won the sprint at the top of the Cote de Pourville-sur-Mer after securing his first point at the Cote de Dieppe to move level with Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez, who is currently wearing the best climber's polka-dot jersey.

Teklehaimanot, who won the mountain classification at the Criterium du Dauphine, has already made history at the Tour as the first rider from Eritrea to compete in the three-week race when he launched the opening time trial off in the streets of Utrecht last weekend.

The MTN-Qhubeka rider is part of a three-man breakaway that escaped after 5 kilometers Thursday en route to Le Havre, alongside Perrig Quemeneur and Kenneth Van Bilsen (Cofidis). They currently hold a lead of 4 minutes and 39 seconds over the main pack.

___

1:00 p.m.

German rider Tony Martin defends the yellow jersey as riders set off on the sixth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday.

Martin safely protected the leader's jersey on a rainy fifth stage that featured another big crash, and which saw Martin's countryman Andre Greipel sealing a second stage win in a sprint finish.

Stage 6 is a 191.5-kilometer route starting from Abbeville and finishing in Le Havre, France's biggest commercial port.

It once again favors sprinters like Greipel, who will be eyeing a ninth career Tour stage win.

Martin leads British rider Chris Froome by 12 seconds and Tejay Van Garderen by 25.