The sixth stage of the Dauphiné was very spectacular. The riders had to cover the stage in the pouring rain. Immediately after the start there were a lot of attacks. Small and large groups tried to get away. Also the favourites had a go. Tim Wellens was the most active of the Lotto Soudal riders, but he got caught.

When halfway in the stage sixteen riders were left in front, including all team leaders, Tony Martin, Rui Costa, Vincenzo Nibali, Alejandro Valverde and Tony Gallopin took off. Team Sky let riders return to the first peloton and when it counted about 50 riders they organized the chase, but in the meantime the gap with the leaders was more than three minutes. Bart De Clercq, Tiesj Benoot and Tim Wellens were all part of the first peloton.

The finale was a battle between the big guys. In front for the stage win and yellow jersey, a few minutes behind to limit the time gap and to bridge. Nibali tried to leave his companions behind, but it was Gallopin who got away with four kilometres to go. The last two kilometres were uphill and the others came back. Rui Costa beat Nibali and won stage six; Valverde was third, ahead of Gallopin. In the background a strong Tiesj Benoot reacted to a counterattack of Daniel Martin and John Gadret. Benoot was eighth.

In the overall classification Gallopin jumps to the eighth place. Bart De Clercq did well today and is seventeenth.

“I had marked today’s stage. Depending on the circumstances I knew it had to suit me. It went really fast right from the beginning, there were a lot of attacks and also the top riders wanted to make something of the stage. Before the decisive breakaway was formed, we had been ahead with twenty riders, without Froome or one of his teammates. The groups came back together and then I got away with Nibali, Rui Costa, Valverde and Tony Martin; some big names,” Tony Gallopin said.

“We took a few minutes, but uphill I soon realized Nibali was the strongest. On the first category climb Martin and I were dropped, but we could rejoin the others in the descent. I knew there was a possibility to get away four kilometres before the finish, but on the climb to the finish I couldn’t stay ahead. Such a stage is good for the confidence. This are only my first race days since Liège-Bastogne-Liège.”

“This was without any doubt the hardest day of my career," Benoot said. "Yesterday I let go, also because I knew today’s rainy weather would suit me better then the warmth yesterday. But I had marked today, possibly to join a breakaway and see how far I could get. And that was pretty far, indeed.

"First I was part of a group of 50 riders behind the five leaders, with Tony in that front group. When the group fell apart because of the tempo of Sky, I could hang on. In the last phase I responded to an attack of Daniel Martin and John Gadret. Because I’m not playing a role in the overall classification they let me go easier than a favourite. I did well today in a medium mountain stage, but that doesn’t mean I’m a GC rider (laughs)."