The stage looked set for a mass sprint finish after the 199-km run from Troyes, only for riders to start skidding out of contention in a treacherous final kilometer in Nancy.

France's Christophe Mengin, who had led for more than 160 km and was bidding to win his second Tour stage in his home town, was the first to crash into a barrier near the finish line.

The front of the chasing peloton then piled up in turn, a crash which involved the Tour's best sprinters -- Belgian Tom Boonen and Australian Robbie McEwen.

Six-times Tour champion Lance Armstrong avoided the crash. The American will take his overall leader's yellow jersey to Germany in Friday's seventh stage, which ends in Karslruhe.

"We were all very nervous with the rain and the turns and the crashes at the finish," said Armstrong, who added that team manager Johan Bruyneel had warned him and his team mates of the dangers ahead.

Bernucci, 25, took advantage of the confusion to finish on his own, with a three-second lead over Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov. Germany's Robert Foerster was third, seven seconds behind.

It was Bernucci's first success since his professional debut three years ago.

"It's my first victory, I'm very happy. I did not expect it," said the Fassa Bortolo rider.

"When I reached the finish line, I realized there was nobody else and the victory was mine. When I saw the others fall, I gave it my all."

Second pla