At 25 years old, Zimmermann had a dream day during this first foray into the Alps to win the second victory of his career, by far the most beautiful, after that in 2021 on the Tour de l'Ain.

"I can't believe it. I already felt strong yesterday (Thursday) and went back today (Friday). Winning a stage on the Dauphiné... I'm really proud of myself," said the Intermarché rider, who beat the other two survivors of the morning breakaway, Frenchman Mathieu Burgaudeau and Spaniard Jonathan Castroviejo.

Burgaudeau once thought he could beat the German on the pole by coming back on him in the last kilometer, and bring to the France a fourth stage victory in this Dauphiné.

But he stuck when Zimmermann countered his attack and put a layer back on. "I'm coming back to the snatch at 500 meters," commented the Frenchman. I had already put everything to come back to Zimmermann. I had no more energy. I'm disappointed but there are no regrets, he was the strongest."

Behind, the favourites came in at 48 seconds, after having scored their pants in the three relatively short climbs of the final.

Gaudu still loses time

The yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard placed a little acceleration. But the Dane did not insist and finished in a small group that included all the leaders, including his two immediate pursuers in the general, Ben O'Connor and Julian Alaphilippe, who are respectively 1 min 10 and 1 min 23 behind the winner of the last Tour de France.

Jonas Vingegaard was greeted at the finish of the 6th stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné by his partner and their daughter on June 9, 2023 © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP / Archives

"The climb wasn't long enough to make a difference. Two difficult steps await us. I hope to have good legs," commented the Jumbo-Visma rider, greeted at the finish by his wife and granddaughter.

David Gaudu lost time again, finishing 25 seconds behind the group of favorites and now 3 min 47 behind the Dane overall. At the start of the stage, the leader of Groupama-FDJ assured that it was "not necessary to be worried" in view of the Tour de France (1-23 July) where he will aim for a podium.

"The Tour is coming very quickly, but the end of the Tour is only six weeks away. We must not panic and continue to work," he said, adding that he had "more or less found the reason" why he was walking less well on this Dauphiné, but without wanting to say more. "We keep it to ourselves," he said.

David Gaudu at the finish of the 6th stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, June 9, 2023. The leader of the Groupama-FDJ has again given ground on the favorites and is now 3 min 47 from Jonas Vingegaard to the general © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP / Archives

Saturday, place to the high mountains with a sequence of three mythical passes, the Madeleine (25 km at 6.2%), the Mollard (18.5 km at 5.8%) and the Croix-de-Fer (13.1 km at 6.2%), where will be judged the finish at 2,067 meters above sea level.

The opportunity for a great explanation between the favorites, before the last stage on Sunday which promises to be just as gratin with six new climbs before the final at the Bastille of Grenoble.

© 2023 AFP