As it happened: Critérium du Dauphiné stage 6 - Georg Zimmerman wins, Vingegaard keeps the lead

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné

Racing is set to get underway in roughly 20 minutes time, starting with a 10 minute, 4.6 kilometre neutralised section.

And here's what the riders will see when they reach kilometre 0. Hopefully the weather will stay dry for the rest of the day, though that's not thought to be likely.

Just while we're waiting for the race to get underway, here's a chance to look back at our race report on the dramatic events of stage 5.

Critérium du Dauphiné: Jonas Vingegaard rides solo to stage 5 win and GC lead

And here's the latest GC top 10 classification, courtesy of our colleagues at FirstCycling

The peloton is currently riding on the neutralised section. Racing properly gets underway at 1220 CET.

A reminder of our race leaders:

Overall: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)

Mountains: Donovan Grondin (Arkéa-Samsic)

Points: Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma)

Best Young Rider: Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates)

Teams: UAE Team Emirates

One non-starter confirmed so far: sprinter Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AIUIa). The peloton is down to 135 riders.

Stage 6 of the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné is now underway. 170.2 kilometres left to race.

On today’s menu:

Km 52.8: climb: Côte de Clermont-en-Genevois (Cat.2, 4.7km, 7.5%) 

Km 141.2: sprint: Saint-Jean-de-Sixt 

Km 151.9: climb: Col des Aravis (Cat.2, 5.7km, 7.8%)

Km 166.7: climb:  Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe (Cat.3, 3.2km, 6.1%)

Km 170.2: climb: Crest-Voland (Cat.3, 2.3km, 6.6%)

The weather right now is cloudy with showers, temperatures a balmy 21.4C. Little wind. Up in the Alps, though, at today's highest altitude of 1,486 metres above sea level at the summit of the Col des Aravis, it's 16 degrees. Rain was initially forecast for the stage, but it looks set to stay dry for now.

160 kilometres to go

Multiple attacks so far in the race, but nothing's sticking.

Three of the four classification leaders at today's start: L-R - Christophe Laporte (points); Jonas Vingegaard (overall); Donovan Grondin (mountains).

There are more than 3,000 metres of vertical climbing in today's stage, but rather than save their energy for later, the race is having anything but a sedate start as the battle for the break rolls on and on. Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X) is one of those trying to get in the move, but so far, it's no dice for anybody.

150 kilometres to go

20 kilometres into the race and still no break.

The official race website reports the first abandon of the day: Natnael Tesfazion (Trek Segafredo). 134 riders left in the race.

Another abandon, mountains classification leader Donovan Grondin (Arkéa-Samsic). The peloton is still together, but the attacks are still coming thick and fast. 

Grondin's abandon means Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) is now the provisional leader of the mountains ranking. But with two second cat. and two third cat. climbs on today's menu, Latour's continuing to hold on that ranking by the end of the stage is anything but a given.

130 kilometres to go

18 riders off the front now, 40 kilometres covered at a jawdropping average speed of 53 kmh. 

The race is five kilometres from the foot of the first categorized climb of the day, the Côte de Clermont-en-Genevois (Cat.2, 4.7km, 7.5%).

The lead group of 18 has managed to get away from the bunch and has a lead of 25 seconds, but it's a fair bet that it'll splinter on the Cat 2 climb, the Côte de Clermont-en-Genevois, the race is now tackling. Here's a full list of our leaders for now, which include the man who's been in most of the breaks so far, Fredrik Dversnes (Uno X)

Simon Guglielmi and Lukasz Owsian (Arkéa-Samsic)
Fredrik Dversnes (Uno X)
Omar Fraile (Ines Grenadiers)
Greg Van Avermaet (AG2R-Citroën)
Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious)
Omar Fraile (Ineos Grenadiers)
Andrea Bagioli (Soudal-QuickStep)
Olivier Le Gac (Groupama-FDJ)
James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost)
Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar)
Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates)
Eddy Finé (Cofidis)
Harry Sweeny (Lotto Dstny)
Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AlUla)
Matteo Vercher and Alexis Vuillermoz (Total Energies),
Florian Stork (Team DSM)
Gianmarco Garofoli (Astana Qazaqstan)

Jumbo-Visma are chasing. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) is the biggest threat on GC of the 18 breakaways. The Briton is 2:55 back on race leader Jonas Vingegaard and eleventh on GC. 

Here's a shot of the 18-rider breakaway forming, with Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) on the front.

The bunch has reeled in almost all the break, and three kilometres from the summit of the Côte de Clermont-en-Genevois, only one rider, Omar Fraile (Ineos Grenadiers) remains out in front. We're not quite back to square one, but almost.

Fraile is caught before the summit

Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies), the new leader of the Dauphine mountains classification, adds to his points total by crossing the summit of the Côte de Clermont-en-Genevois in first place.

110 kilometres to go

And shortly after the summit of the Côte de Clermont-en-Genevois, a 14-rider group goes clear. But on this ultra-fast and furious start to the stage, there's no guarantee they'll stay away. 

Average speed of 49.5 kmh in the first hour. Slow, that ain't.

With barely 100 kilometres to go, it finally looks like we finally have a break of the day.

The names of the 14 riders are: 
Nans Peters (AG2R-Citroën)
Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers)
Andrea Bagioli and Dries Devenyns (Soudal Quick-Step)
Andrey Amador (EF Education-EasyPost)
Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty)
Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar)
Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates)
Axel Zinglé (Cofidis)
Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AlUla)
Mathieu Burgaudeau, Matteo Vercher and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies)
Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa Samsic) 

Jumbo-Visma are chasing behind, but not overly hard and the gap is rising.

Many of the names present in this latest move of 14 were already on the front in the 18-man break that was caught on the second category Côte de Clermont-en-Genevois: Bagioli, Jorgenson, Trentin, Craddock, Vuillermoz and Guglielmi.

Mathieu Burgaudeau wasn't present early on today, but he was a lone long-distance breakaway on stage 3.

A third rider abandons today: Manuele Boaro (Astana Qazaqstan).  

The gap between break and bunch is rising fast: 3:00 the latest gap.

88 kilometres to go

2:40 the gap

A shot of the 14 men up front: 

Georg Zimmerman (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) is the most dangerous rider on GC in the 14-man move, but that's only in a very relative way, as he's 38th overall, 6:28 back.

Uno-X lend a hand to Jumbo-Visma keeping the 14 breakaways under control at around three minutes. It's likely that things are likely to stay fairly stable now until the stage hits the lower slopes of the Col des Aravis, some 45 kilometres further on. 

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Another abandon in today's stage: Rudy Porter (Jayco-AIUIa). His teammate Dylan Groenewegen was a DNS and stage 6 has also seen Donavan Grondin (Arkéa-Samsic), Natnael Tesfatsion (Trek-Segafredo) and Manuele Boaro (Astana Qazaqstan) quitting the race.

Meantime at the front end of affairs, DSM have decided they are going to give Uno-X a hand at keeping the break under control.

50 kilometres to go

Race situation: 

Break: Nans Peters (AG2R-Citroën), Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers), Andrea Bagioli and Dries Devenyns (Soudal Quick-Step), Andrey Amador (EF Education-EasyPost), Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates), Axel Zinglé (Cofidis), Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AlUla) Mathieu Burgaudeau, Matteo Vercher and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies) Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa Samsic) 

At 3:00: peloton

Still to come:

Km 141.2: sprint: Saint-Jean-de-Sixt 

Km 151.9: climb: Col des Aravis (Cat.2, 5.7km, 7.8%)

Km 166.7: climb:  Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe (Cat.3, 3.2km, 6.1%)

Km 170.2: climb: Crest-Voland (Cat.3, 2.3km, 6.6%)

The 14 riders tackle a minor unclassified climb, on rain-soaked roads.

The gap for the 14 is shrinking as DSM rack things up behind: their current advantage is down from a maximum to 3:15 to 2:20.

On a long, draggy ascent to the sprint at Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, Vingegaard is sitting in about twelfth wheel in the middle of a small cloud of Jumbo-Visma riders, right behind the Uno-X and DSM leaders of the peloton.

It's now starting to rain again.

38 kilometres to go

The break is falling apart a little on this non-classified climb, with collaboration between the 14 leaders disintegrating as their lead shrinks down towards two minutes. 

Ben O'Connor is lying second overall and his AG2R-Citroen team is right behind the knot of Jumbo-Visma riders in the peloton. He warned yesterday that the descent off the Col des Aravis would be tricky in the wet, and that could well be the case today. Read his full comments here:

Ben O’Connor back in thick of Criterium du Dauphiné action, moves up to second

How it looked in the break on this unclassified climb...

32 kilometres to go

Attacks in the break as their gap drops below 2:00

As the road dives through a series of snowsheds, the break reforms loosely but there's precious little cohesion.

Andrea Bagioli and Dries Devenyns (Soudal Quick-Step) are pushing hard to keep the break alive, but it's an uphill task, literally and metaphorically.

For the break, the sprint at Saint-Jean-de-Sixt is less than a kilometre away...

Vuillermoz, the only previous stage winner in the Dauphine who's also in the 14 ahead, has been dropped from the break. 

In the sprint at Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, Trentin picks up the points unopposed from the other 12 riders left ahead.

Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) has attacked from the bunch. 

We're now onto the lower slopes of the Col des Aravis: (Cat.2, 7.8km, 5.7%,) and while the break has reformed, the gaps have dropped to 1:39 on Campenaerts and 1:52.

Riders starting to slide out of the back of the bunch now, like points leader, double stage winner and race leader for the first three stages Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma).

25 kilometres to go

Having briefly reformed, the break has split yet again, with Jorgenson and Trentin amongst those dropped. 

Campenaerts has also been caught after his unexpected counter-attack from the bunch.

Trek-Segafredo have added their weight to the chase behind, spearheaded by Uno-X.

22 kilometres to go

Around 4.5 kilometres from the summit and the light rain teems down, Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) and Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos-Grenadiers) go clear.

Castroviejo hasn't had a win since the Spanish Nationals TT in 2019, and Burgaudeau since a stage of Paris-Nice 2022, so both will be keen to make this count.

Zimmerman joins Burgaudeau and Castroviejo at the front of the race. But the gap is now down to 1:19 on the bunch.

While his teammate Dries Devenyns (Soudal Quick-Step) was picked up by the peloton earlier on the Aravis, Andrea Bagioli is the closest pursuer of the trio, with a gap of 20 seconds to try to close.

At 6:28 on race leader Jonas Vingegaard, Zimmerman is the best placed overall of the three ahead, but any chance of making inroads in the GC is long gone. It's all about the stage or nothing now for the German.

 Zimmerman, Castroviejo and Burgaudeau have 500 metres to go on the Aravis, with Zimmerman labouring heavily but effectively at the front as the trio's gap on the bunch lifts a little to 1:30. 

Burgaudeau leads Castroviejo and Zimmerman over the top of the Aravis and the trio's speed rises instantly on the descent to 65-70 kmh: 1:32 the gap. 

An interesting acceleration behind by Ineos Grenadiers in the right-hand side of the bunch as they approach the top of the climb.

Four Ineos Grenadiers on the front of the bunch with Egan Bernal in third place on the series of switchbacks that initiate the descent of the Aravis. Bernal was in an upbeat mood after attacking late on stage 5 and he had this to say afterwards:

Egan Bernal 'missing a bit of confidence' in first Critérium du Dauphiné climbs

Castroviejo making a notable effort to stretch things out on the corners of the descents, but it's not yet clear if his job is to try and go for the stage or stay as far ahead as possible for an attack by his team leaders: maybe both? Worth remembering teammate Carlos Rodriguez won on a similar-ish uphill finish in Itzulia-Basque Country last year.

The three riders left from the break

Nine kilometres to go

31 seconds for the break over their closest pursers and 1:35 on the bunch

Trentin, Baglioli, Peters and Guglielmi, all part of the earlier break of 14, are still between the leading trio and the bunch at around 30 seconds

Burgaudeau leads Castroviejo and Zimmerman are still hurtling down the descent before the final two third category climbs.

Still to come: Km 166.7: climb:  Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe (Cat.3, 3.2km, 6.1%)

Km 170.2: climb: Crest-Voland (Cat.3, 2.3km, 6.6%)

The three are now on the lower slopes of the Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe.

Six kilometres to go

Castroviejo still doing a lot of the spadework on the lower slopes of this first of the two cat 3 climbs. 1:40 the gap.

French climber Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) puts on the pressure in the peloton, but with 90 seconds between the break and bunch it's now-or-never time for the chasers.

After Elissonde's show of strength Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) comes to the front and lays down a steadier pace. Vingegaard looking good in third spot.

Four kilometres to go

 Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers) have 1:25 on the bunch and are looking increasingly likely to take the stage win..

Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers) cross the summit with 45 seconds on their closest pursuers. A fast descent now, and then it's straight onto the last climb of the day.

The three hit the start of the final ascent of the day, Crest-Voland (Cat.3, 2.3km, 6.6%).

Zimmerman attacks 1.9 kilometres from the finish and opens a gap on Burgaudeau and Castroviejo.

Zimmerman is accelerating away, thrashing at the pedals, and has now got a gap of nearly 100 metres.

Zimmerman is weaving a little, head swaying, but he's getting the gap.

Behind no race action yet, although Vingegaard looking a little isolated at the front of the bunch.

Burgaudeau is counter-attacking and trying to close the gap on Zimmerman.

Meanwhile Vingegaard is attacking and only O'Connor looks able to follow...

Burgaudeau comes around Zimmerman, but the German recovers to take the stage at the last moment.

Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) wins Stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Vingegaard has been brought back and the group of favourites cross the line together.

That was a thrilling finale. Burgaudeau tried his utmost to shed Zimmerman, but having worked hard to get back up to him, the Frenchman didn't quite have the energy when Zimmerman responded right at the end.

No major changes in the overall classification. Vingegaard tested his rivals briefly but the real battle will be in the two big two mountain stages this weekend.

A first shot of Georg Zimmerman taking today's stage win: 

A nice shot of Zimmerman on the attack in the final climb

Here's the top 10 of today's stage, courtesy of FirstCycling

A first reaction from Georg Zimmerman (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), winner of today's stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné: “I can’t believe it at this moment, I just gave my best and tried everything to be as good as possible, it worked out perfectly. Yesterday [in the break] I felt strong but it didn’t work out and today I tried again and like I gave it everything. I knew the parcours really well because 2018 there was a finish up here in the Tour de L’Avenir and I was in a similar situation,but just the favourites sprinted around me with 200 metres to go and today it was the other way round. I could attack on the climb and go full gas and in the end take the sprint, I’m completely speechless.”

Asked if he was scared he might lose the stage given he had such a hard fight against Burgaudeau, Zimmerman says “to be honest I’m an optimistic person, I never fear to lose, I always hope to win. Second place is also a nice result so I don’t fear to get second. I just give my best and today it was good enough to win a stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné.”

For Burgaudeau finishing second was surely a tremendous disappointment, though he has a coveted consolation prize: the lead in the mountains classification. 

No other changes in the different classifications: Vingegaard remains in the race lead, Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) is the Best Young Rider, Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) in the points lead.

Here's the overall rankings after today's stage, with no change on time or placings in the top four. However, Australians Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) move up into the top six after Felix Grosschartner (UAE Team Emirates), previously fifth overall, lost nearly three minutes. 

A shot of race leader Jonas Vingegaard with his family after the finish

And here's an initial reaction from Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) after today's stage. He said after stage 5 he'd be on the defensive and focus on keeping his lead but as things turned out, he tested his rivals a little on that final climb of Crest-Voland:
"Yeah it [my attack] was because someone else started the show if you can say, Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X) put in a good attack and made it really hard, so I was thinking to counter-attack. But in the end the climb was not hard enough or long enough to make a difference and a selection."
As for the next two days, Vingegaard says "they will be superhard, hopefully I'll feel good." Rather than specific rivals "it's more like the whole top ten I'm looking at and so yeah, you cannot give space to anyone. You have to look at everyone and not give any gifts."

For a full report of today's stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, along with a gallery of pictures and further analysis,  look no further than here:

Critérium du Dauphiné: Zimmerman wins stage 6 amid GC stalemate

One final classification just in: after stage 6UAE Team Emirates remain in control of the teams ranking.

For Zimmerman this is a breakthrough victory of some proportions at 25, even if a 21st place in his first Grand Tour in the Vuelta back in 2020 was an impressive result in anyone's book.  The 2023 Dauphiné stage 6, though, is the first time he's taken a WorldTour race and it's also the second win of a career with multiple placings but with only one previous success in his palmares: a stage of the Tour de L'Ain in 2021.
For Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, too, this victory marks an important highpoint: it's their first WorldTour win of 2023.

So what's next for the Critérium du Dauphiné?

Stage 7 of the Critérium du Dauphiné might be the shortest of this year's race at   147.9 kilometres but it is also the hardest: its summit finish in on a major Alpine col almost automatically earns the stage that unofficial honour.
Running from Porte-de-Savoie to the Col de la Croix de Fer, the stage starts with the Hors Categorie Col de la Madeleine (km 76.5) and follows that up with another HC climb, the Col du Mollard (km 129), before concluding on the first category Col de la Croix de Fer (km 147.9).
As if that wasn’t enough, the Mollard is preceded by an unclassified climb, the 12 kilometre Col de la Confrené. Yikes.

The key interest in GC after three days in which Jonas Vingegaard has clearly dominated the overall is whether the riders just behind him on that ranking can actually put in some kind of a challenge.
Ben O'Connor (AG2R-Citroën) spoke briefly after the finish to reporters: apart from lying second overall, he was able to respond to Vingegaard's attack on the final cat 3 climb. A good omen for sure, as O'Connor said, although the two crunch Alpine stages are still to come.
"Yes it was fun, it was pretty cool to be able to follow him because last year I couldn't and I got dropped both times so I enjoyed that today. I'm glad, too, it didn't rain too much at the end."
O' Connor also revealed there was a little confusion as to whether the break was still ahead or not, the last thing he heard, he said, was that that wasn't the case. Either way, it was still a notable win for Zimmerman.

Ok, that wraps it up from the Critérium du Dauphiné live coverage for today, keep an eye on Cyclingnews as the evening progresses for more updates and news. We'll be back tomorrow with more live coverage of stage 7 and again on Sunday for the grand stage 8 finale.