Two races in one, in the sixth stage of the Tour Auvergne Rhône Alpes, the Saint-Vulbas - Crest Voland covering 182.3 km, and in the end Maxim Van Gils celebrates, returning to secure a prestigious result. Second place went to Norwegian Tobias Johannessen of Uno-X Mobility while in third position, six seconds down, young Luke Tuckwell finished - Van Gils' teammate at Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe - who claimed the yellow jersey as the race leader.

Two races in one: the first animated by 60 riders who break away from the peloton from the opening kilometers and increase their advantage meter by meter, the second instead led by the race's big names who were slow to react, battling head-to-head only on the final climb with Seixas and Del Toro finishing level and Jorgenson conceding them 13 seconds in the finale, while Ayuso and Skjelmose lost 27 seconds to the pair of young guns. 

THE RACE. From the gun the peloton splits immediately: 60 riders up front, the rest chasing. The first hour flew by at an average speed of 49.3 km per hour, everyone flat out.

Frenchman Clement Braz Afonso racked up points for the climbers' classification while at the head of the chasing group it was especially Decathlon CMA CGM of Paul Seixas working hard. 

But 54 riders in the breakaway, after the first two climbs of the day whittled down the leading group, were simply too many and the relentless effort from Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe, XdS Astana and Uno-X Mobility in particular saw the advantage balloon to over 4 minutes. The big names, as mentioned, only fought back on the final climb with Seixas being the first to ignite the battle and Del Toro never giving him any room.

Worth noting that Van Aert, yesterday's fifth stage sprint winner, did not start due to an elbow injury. New Zealand's Fisher Black of Red Bull Bora also withdrew.

to be updated

STAGE RESULTS

1. Van Gils Maxim    Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in 04:06:34
2. Johannessen Tobias Halland    Uno-X Mobility
3. Tuckwell Luke    Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe + 06
4. Torres Pablo    UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 13
5. García Raúl    Movistar Team + 33
6. Voisard Yannis    Tudor Pro Cycling Team
7. Jegat Jordan    Team TotalEnergies
8. Rodriguez Cristian    XDS Astana Team
9. Braz Afonso Clément    Groupama-FDJ United 
10. Jasch Lennart    Tudor Pro Cycling Team 
11. Maisonobe Sam    Cofidis
12. Parra José Félix    Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 
13. Craps Lars    Lotto-Intermarché + 01:01
14. Armirail Bruno    Team Visma | Lease a Bike 
15. Martin-Guyonnet Guillaume    Groupama-FDJ United + 01:18
16. Steinhauser Georg    EF Education-EasyPost 
17. Vercher Mattéo    Team TotalEnergies + 02:02
18. Gogl Michael    Alpecin-Premier Tech + 02:26
19. Simmons Quinn    Lidl-Trek + 02:34
20. del Toro Isaac    UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 03:15
21. Seixas Paul    Decathlon CMA CGM Team
22. Jorgenson Matteo    Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 03:28
23. Skjelmose Mattias    Lidl-Trek     + 03:37
24. Ayuso Juan    Lidl-Trek
25. Dhondt Robbe    Team Picnic PostNL  + 03:41
26. Nordhagen Jørgen    Team Visma | Lease a Bike
27. Castrillo Pablo    Movistar Team + 04:11
28. Uijtdebroeks Cian    Movistar Team     
29. Debruyne Ramses    Alpecin-Premier Tech + 04:15
30. Plapp Luke    Team Jayco-AlUla + 04:27
31. Martinez Daniel    Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe 
32. Bisiaux Léo    Decathlon CMA CGM Team 
33. Rodriguez Carlos    Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team  + 04:34
34. Baudin Alex    EF Education-EasyPost + 04:47
35. Castellon Jan    Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 
36. Vauquelin Kévin    Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team
37. Breuillard Nicolas    Team TotalEnergies     

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Tuckwell Luke    Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in 22:14:55
2. Armirail Bruno    Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 01:12
3. Martin-Guyonnet Guillaume    Groupama-FDJ United + 02:00
4. Jorgenson Matteo    Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 02:34
5. Rodriguez Cristian    XDS Astana Team + 02:37
6. Parra José Félix    Caja Rural-Seguros RGA + 03:04
7. Seixas Paul    Decathlon CMA CGM Team + 03:06
8. Ayuso Juan    Lidl-Trek + 03:15
9. Skjelmose Mattias    Lidl-Trek + 03:15
10. del Toro Isaac    UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 03:22
11. Nordhagen Jørgen    Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 03:22
12. Johannessen Tobias Halland    Uno-X Mobility + 03:28
13. Maisonobe Sam    Cofidis + 03:35
14. Baudin Alex    EF Education-EasyPost + 03:38
15. Vauquelin Kévin    Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team + 03:50
16. Uijtdebroeks Cian    Movistar Team + 04:09
17. Braz Afonso Clément    Groupama-FDJ United + 04:15
18. Bisiaux Léo    Decathlon CMA CGM Team + 04:17
19. Plapp Luke    Team Jayco-AlUla + 04:18
20. Rodriguez Carlos    Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team + 04:22