Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse!

꧃We're just under an hour from the start of stage 6 but if you're wondering why it's so late, stage 6's route had to be altered due to snow. The original 151.1km had to be significantly cut down ahead of the race because snow-clearing crews were not able to guarantee a safe crossing of the Furka and Nufenen passes.

Full story: 2024 Tour de Suisse queen stage shortened due to snowpack

Big feeding schedule on the Lotto Dstny rider's stems today💝...

While we won't get the queen stage that was proposed, there should be an explosive hour of racing on stage 6, with the whole bunch arrꦛiving fresh at the foot of the final and only climb of the day up to Blatten-Belalp.

Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) is leading ꦆthe Tour de Suisse after two big GC days and his stage win yesterday. 

His nearest competitor for the overall is teammate Joao Almeida, who had a monster day on stage 5 as he rode most of the final climb for Yates before he attacked, then caught his breath and o🍰vertook every♉one to confirm a UAE 1-2 on the day and overall.

Under 15 minutes from the start in Ulrichen now.

For many riders this will be a completely odd stage with such a short di෴stance, here's how current best young rider and 5th overall Matthewಞ Riccitello saw it:

"It's hard to say, I've never done a stage really like this. Only 40k so we'll see. I just think it will be really fast all day and really fast up the lat climb," he told CyclingProNet before the start💜.

"Between the DS and all thꦰe riders, there's a lot of experience on our team so just stay around them and start the climb having spent as little energy as possible. Right now I'm in fift𝄹h so if I can stay here or improve then it will be a good race."

Stage start

Stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse is underw💧ay! We'll bᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe heading southwest down the valley road from Ulrichen with some descending roads at the start. All out, explosive racing incoming...

42.5KM TO GO

They've not rode too much neutral, than🐬kfully, with only 42.5km on the menu and we are officially racing! Stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse is a go, with around an hour of racing set to decide the day. 

It's a mass sprint right from the flag, with so many riders interested.&nꦦbsp;

Cofidis, EF, DSM and Jayco so far making the ꦡbest impression off theꦆ front.

Frank van den Broek (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost), Alexis Renard (Cofidis) and Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla) are the original quartetꦯ who🍨 have managed to pull away.

40KM TO GO

Two non-starters on stageꦫ 6: Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost). 

Renard has dropped from the break, perhaps aware a four-man group likely won't be big enough to make it. Bissegger, Van den Broek and Foldager lead for now but with Arkéa-B&B Hotels trying to br𒀰idge across with two riders. 🌺;

With some big 🌸downhill section🔴s, speeds are up close to 90kph. 12 seconds gap to the three leaders.

It's Kevin Vauqeulin for Arkéa who has left his teammate behind and is now trying to br🔯idge across. He has a Corratec Vini Fantini rider and Astana Qazaqstan man for help in his chase. 

The gap to the lead riders has gone out to 47 seconds. The trio in fron❀t is still Bissegger, Van den Broek and Foldager. 

UAE Team Emirates are on the front as controllers of the yellow jersey. The chasing trio haven't made much of an impression on the leaders and look like they will ꦫbe reeled back soon.

Correction, it was Garcia Pierna in the chase for Arkea, however, that doesn't matter꧑ with him, Cees Bolౠ and Ayco Bastiens all back in the bunch now. 

30KM TO GO

Gap to the trio in fro🐲nt is no at 1:00 with the Swiss national team and Corratec both close to the front of the peloton alongside UAE.

Some stunning terrain on today's stage. But with speeds up past 80kph, I doubt the riders will have seen many of the views along va🌳lley road they are flying down.

We're approaching the halfwa⛄y point of the stage which is rather comical to type so quickly. Gap is at 55 seconds.

UAE Team Emirates are pulling a very high pace on the ꦦfront of the peloton. 

20KM TO GO

Matthew Riccitello is working his way back to the peloton with teammates. It looks as though he had a problem, however, it wasn't caught on the broa🌳dcast. 

Here's the breakaway on stage 6, led by Van den Broek with Foldager and Bissegger swappi🌱ng turns in the move. They have just passed the intermediate s🥂print point with a lead of 1:07 on the UAE-led peloton. 

We're ಞinto a downhil🅰l section now and the speeds are up. Not far to go until we start climbing on this very odd stage. 

Peloton is completely stretched out on this long and thankfull𒁃y not too technical portion of descending. Average speed is 58kph for the day sღo far. 

Gap is out 🥂to 1:12 with 7km until the foot of the f🍷inal climb up to Blatten. 

Bisseg✤ger is showing his TT prowess in the breakaway, riding in his full aerodynamic setup and completing massi🔥ve turns on the front. 

10KM TO GO

Still UAE leading the way in the peloton with the final 🧸cl🌃imb approaching.

The break has gone through the town of Naters and turned right onto the lower slopes which lead into the final climb. It's a tough drag right t🍸o the line but with such fresh legs, we should see some stunning climbing speeds. 

Ineos Gre꧒nadiers have taken over the pacing on the front and are clearly fancying the day with one of Tom Pidcock or Egan Bernal. 

Almost 𒐪half of the peloton have now pulled ♛the plug as soon as the race hit the foot of the climb. Lots of riders now knocking off their effort knowing it isn't a day for them. 

Bissegger and Van Den Broek have left Foldager after an all out day in the break. The d𒀰uo in fro🦂nt have 1:00 of an advantage still. 

5KM TO GO

UAE are back leading the charge in the peloton from Ineos.&🌃nbsp;

Bissegger has attacked away from Van den Broek after looking the clear strongest in the breakaway.🌠 He's set off in pursuit of glory with 5km to go and a 55-second lead.

Yates has marshalled the troops and UAE are setting a very tough pace now through Jan Christen. 𓂃The yellow jersey is sat third in the train with Almeida actually behind him now. 

Bissegger was actually just confirming the Tissot watch win at the sponsored kilometre, with Van den Broek now making more of an attꦓack away from the Swiss man after he confirmed a spot on the day's podium. 

Yates looks incredibly smooth in his efꦫfort for now.

Yates is down to just two teammates now with Del Toro ♐setting the pace and reducing Van den Broek's lead to just 25 seconds now. 

UAE are shredding this front group even on ꦺsuch a short effort. 4km to go to the top and there are only a handful of riders still in the GC group.&nꦅbsp;

Van den Broek's lead is melting away as the Emirati team shred the climb to Blatten. Now under 10 seconds and his day will soon⛦ be over. 

Attack

Wit🎶h Del Toro done, Adam Yates attacks! Almeida once agai🐟n lets the wheel go and settles into Skjelmose's draft to stay fresh for the end of the stage. 

Van den Broek is overtaken as Yates flys by him. Skjelmose is leading the chase with𓆏 Almeida the closest 🐼to him and Bernal also there. Everyone else unable to follow.

3KM TO GO

Skjelmose is brꩲinging back Yates now and looks much better than yesterday. If the Danish champion brings back the Brit, expect Almeidaও to try his own move.

Riccitello, Pidcock, Gall and Lenny Martinez are al𒊎l in the next chasing group behind the Skjelmose group on the road. 

Yates is still pushing on in front with Skjelmose not quite bridging the gap for now but his tempo still looks stro♏ng.

Yates is in the big c൩hainring again as he monsters his way up this steep climb.🙈 Still Almeida sits in waiting with Skjelmose and Bernal in a group 7 seconds down from Yates. 

Just as I typed,🃏 Bernal was unh♌appy with the pace and launches his own move to try and catch Yates. 

Bernal is making a good imprꦡession on Yates' gap with the top of the climb approaching. It will level out towards 🦂the top. Almeida has taken over from Skjelmose with Bernal making inroads on Yates' lead. 

Bernal has been caught by Almeida and S🌄kjelmos🦋e, with the Portuguese man attacking the duo!

1KM TO GO

Almei🔯da has caught Yates and taken over on the front. It's a UAE Team Emirates tandem now leading s🌞tage 6 of the Tour de Suisse. 

Almeida making contact has put B🐷ernal and Skjelmღose on the back foot again. Yates has taken over and started pulling on the front with the teammates again showing themselves as the strongest two riders at this race. 

Coming into the barriers section now with the UAE duo working well together ahead of those chasing. Will ไYates allow his teammate the🔜 win?

It looks aꦓs though there are no gifts at all with Almeida powering away to the win now! Yates is gapped even in the finale.

Stage Finish

João Almeida wins stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse! He celebrates over t🐎he line with Yateඣs following suit just behind him in yellow.

It's another top day for UAE Team Emirates with Skjelmose taking third and Bernal four🅺th close behind.

It's only small gaps over the top but it was another very successful day for the Emirati team who have dominated the GC action so far at this year's Tour de Suisse. Al♎meida has reduced the gap between him and Yates for 1-2 on GC having gained eight seconds thanks to his four-second lead over the line and four second bonus second advantage earned for the win. 

UAE Team Emirates is looking in very good stead with the Tour de France approaching later this month. Both Almeida and Yates will form part of their super team formed to support Tadej Pogačar in France as looks to complete a historic Giro-Tour double. 

Here's the moment João Almeida crossed the l𝓰ine to take victory at the Tour de Suisse, his first of the 2024 season, with teammate Adam Yates in the background. Yates leads the GC from his teammate by 27 seconds heading into the finale weekend.

Here's what Almeida had to say after his powerful solo win, squashing any talk of infighting between him ✤and Yateꦦs in the coming days:

"I think we [him and Yates] were both really strong, it was quite good. He [Yates] attacked quite far from the finish and I was just on the wheel of Skjelmose so it was perfectℱ for me. In the end, I could catch him back without bringing the other riders and we just arrived and I'm really happy with this victory," said Almeida in his flash interview.

"I think it's positive as long as we do first and second it doesn't matter who. I think we are both happy. As long as we do good teamwork and respect each other as we always do then that's the main thing. At the end of the day🗹, the team wins anyway so we just need to keep our focus these next two days and hopefully we can make it."

The pair have worked quite brilliantly so far♔ at the Tour de Suisse, taking home 1-2 finishes on the past two stages and holding first and second overall heading into the final weekend. But it was refreshing to hear Almeida give no illusions to the fact he himself wanted to win.

"Of course I want to win all the time," he said. "But I wo💖uld also respect my teammates as well so I'm happy for him also."

The GC standings aft🦋er stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse, power💃ed by . Strong work from Skjelmose to get back into the top five but the UAE duo are clearly in a different league at this race with over a minute lead on the next best rider Bernal.

Make sure to check out Cyclingnews' full stage report and growing gallery of a bizarre day's🐲 action 🦄at the Tour de Suisse:

Tour de Suisse stage 6: João Almeida wins dramatically weather-shortened mountain stage

Here's a look at 🌠the profile of the penultimate stage of the Tour de Suisse, with 118.2km route providing the finale change for the GC riders to make up time on the climbs before the stage 8 ITT on Sunday.

Racing will start and finish in Villars-sur-Ollon, close to the UCI headquarters in A൩igle, which will be the start location of the finale stage. 

That wraps things up for our live coverage of stage 6 at the Tour de Suisse. Check back tomorrow for our l𒅌ive coverage of stage 7 alongside race reports, news and features from the cycling world.