Criterium du Dauphine: Adam Yates retains lead as Julian Alaphilippe wins stage

15th Jun 2019 | Source: BBC

Alaphilippe, who has also triumphed in the Milan-San Remo, Fleche Wallonne and Strade Bianche, edged to victory on Friday

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe sprinted to victory in the sixth stage of the Criterium du Dauphine as Britain's Adam Yates retained the overall lead.

Alaphilippe, 27, edged out Gregor Muehlberger in a photo finish after a long breakaway to secure his 10th victory of the season.

The group of general classification contenders, including Yates, finished six minutes and 10 seconds adrift.

Yates remains four seconds ahead of Dylan Teuns in the overall standings.

Alaphilippe escaped from the peloton with Austrian Muehlberger and Italian Alessandro de Marchi only 12km into the 228km ride from Saint-Vulbas to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne in France.

De Marchi was dropped on the eighth and final climb of the day about 10km from the finish, leaving Alaphilippe and Muehlberger to duel it out.

The Austrian led out the final sprint and then went wheel to wheel with Alaphilippe, the world's number one ranked rider, before the Frenchman prevailed by a few inches.

Saturday's seventh and penultimate stage ends with the punishing climb at Pipay, which lasts for 19km with an average gradient of 6.9%.

Meanwhile, Britain's Chris Froome, who has had successful surgery on the multiple serious fractures he suffered in a high-speed crash on Wednesday during a training ride, has been told by his surgeon he is likely to face "at least six months" away from cycling.