Leopold König got safely through another stage at the Criterium du Dauphiné and his team is confident that he will be able to shine in tomorrow's queen stage. While König saved himself in the peloton, his teammate Cesare Benedetti chased a stage win in the breakaway.

Cesare Benedetti finished in a solid 12th place at today’s sixth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. The 26-year-old Italian riding for Team NetApp – Endura was part of a 16-man lead group that formed 29 kilometers into the race. The winner of the 168-kilometer stage from Grenoble to Poisy was Jan Bakelants (OmegaPharma – Quick-Step). With two days to go, Leo König is still in 14th place overall.

“Just like the last couple of days, the beginning of the stage today was also highly competitive. The group had some very fine riders in it, and it was a very good thing that Cesare managed to join them. The character of the stage suited him well, and even during the difficult final part of the race today he gave his best. The spot is all right because all the riders in the field are already feeling their legs now in the sixth stage. Leo was always in a good position in the chase group, and the team supported him very well in terms of allowing him to save as much energy as possible going into the difficult weekend. We’re confident that he will be in good shape tomorrow,” says Enrico Poitschke, summing up today’s stage.

With only three comparatively easy mountain classifications and one sprint classification, the sixth stage at the 66th Critérium du Dauphiné was one of the easiest in terms of the route profile and also the last opportunity for non-climbers to score a stage win.

After a fast start, the group of the day took shape rather early. NetApp-Endura’s Cesare Benedetti was also part of that group. As usual, the overall leader’s team controlled the day’s events, allowing the 16 riders to build up a maximum lead of only six minutes. Because none of the breakaway riders was a threat in terms of the general classification, and because only six of the 21 teams competing were not represented in this lead group, the group managed to hold together until the final part of the race this time. With just 20 kilometers to go to the finish, three riders took advantage of the 4.6-kilometer Côte de Marcellaz-Albanais to launch the decisive attack. In the end, Jan Bakelants won the stage ahead of Lieuwe Westra (Astana). Zdeněk Štybar (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) won the sprint of the chase group, taking third place on the podium.

Whether or not Leo König will be able to hold on to his spot among the top 15 at this prestigious tour, or whether the Czech rider will even manage to fight his way into the tour’s top 10 will be decided tomorrow. After all, the seventh stage includes a total of five mountain classifications and ends in a demanding 10.2-kilometer climb with an average 8% incline up the Montée de Finhaut-Émosson.