Belgian outsprints Norwegian on the line to win Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage

Maxim Van Gils of Red Bull claimed victory on the sixth stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné. The Belgian rider launched his sprint and narrowly defeated Norway's Tobias Halland Johannessen of Uno-X in a thrilling finish.

The 26-year-old Van Gils demonstrated superior strength after a demanding 182-kilometer stage featuring multiple climbs from Saint-Vulbas to Crest-Voland. Johannessen found himself battling two Red Bull riders in the closing kilometers, including Luke Tuckwell, who was part of the leading trio.

The stage proved to be a major triumph for the Red Bull team, as Luke Tuckwell also secured the overall leader's yellow jersey. Tuckwell now holds a 1 minute and 12-second lead over Bruno Armirail of Visma heading into the final two mountain stages on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, Danish cyclist Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek struggled on the climbs and lost ground in the general classification. He dropped three places to ninth overall, now trailing the leader by over three minutes. His teammate Juan Ayuso also lost three positions and is ranked with the same time as Skjelmose.