Gap (dpa) – The French professional cyclist Valentin Ferron won the sixth stage at the 74th Critérium du Dauphiné as a breakaway.
After 196.5 kilometers from Rives to the well-known Tour de France stage town of Gap, the 24-year-old was able to assert himself ahead of his two compatriots Pierre Rolland and Warren Barguil.
The yellow jersey of the overall leader was defended by Belgian Wout van Aert, who crossed the finish line 32 seconds after day’s winner Ferron in the peloton. The two-time stage winner leads Mattia Cattaneo from Italy by 63 seconds and his Slovenian Jumbo Visma teammate Primoz Roglic by 66.
Two tour mountains on Saturday
On the seventh stage on Saturday, three weeks before the start of the Tour of France, the field is once again on familiar Tour terrain. Then on the penultimate stage of the 134.8 kilometers from Saint-Chaffrey to Vaujany the 2642 meter high Col du Galibier and the 2067 meter high Col de la Croix de Fer are on the program.
The heavily occupied World Tour race through south-eastern France ends on Sunday. The Dauphiné tour traditionally serves as the last test for many riders before the Tour de France, which starts this year on July 1 in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.