Adam Yates still in yellow at Criterium du Dauphine

Adam Yates clung on to his overall lead in the Criterium du Dauphine after finishing safely in the peloton at the end of stage six to Saint Michel de Maurienne.

The Briton, racing for Michelton-Scott, will take a slender four-second advantage over Belgium’s Dylan Teuns into the weekend’s decisive mountain stages, with other big names limbering up for the fight ahead.

Julian Alaphilippe won a sprint finish over Bora-Hansgrohe’s Gregor Muhlberger to win the stage after a strong attacking performance which also saw Alessandro De Marchi (CCC Team) cross the line in third.

The trio had escaped the pack towards the end of the stage and the jostle for victory proved too much for De Marchi, who dropped back while the Frenchman claimed the win on a photo finish.

Wout Poels of Team Ineos finished at the front of a peloton which contained Yates, but it proved a costly day for former stage winner Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who finished over 15 minutes off the pace.