• Criterium du Dauphine, Stage Six

Wiggins shines again as Team Sky dominate

Bradley Wiggins is on course to defend his title © PA Photos

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• News: Bradley Wiggins takes Criterium du Dauphine triumph
  

Team Sky rider Bradley Wiggins leads the Criterium du Dauphine going into the final stage after his team-mates put in a dominant performance on Saturday.

It was Quintana who won the stage by 16 seconds from Cadel Evans, with Wiggins crossing eight seconds later - but the bigger picture was the message sent out by Team Sky about their prowess ahead of the Tour de France. Wiggins is rapidly emerging as the man to beat at the Tour.

Wiggins has a one minute, 20 second cushion over Michael Rogers, his Team Sky colleague, in the general classification - and is on course to defend the title he won last year.

Team Sky set a blistering pace at the front of the main group on the final climb of the day, which was too hot for several celebrated names to handle, as they seized total control of the stage.

Vincenzo Nibali and Denis Menchov were both dropped as Team Sky stepped up their speed. By the time the riders got to the summit, four of the nine-man group wore Sky jerseys.

Meanwhile, RadioShack-Nissan rider Andy Schleck abandoned the race due to injury. "He couldn't pedal anymore," said the team's sports director Alain Gallopin to letour.fr.

"Since he crashed during the time trial, the whole right side of his body was hurting. He was climbing all right but he was suffering to hold his bike. Yesterday, he managed to finish but today, racing had become too difficult."

Stage Six result
1. Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar 4:46:12
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing at 16 seconds
3. Daniel Moreno (Esp) Katusha at 24 seconds
4. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky
5. Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge
6. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky
7. Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar
8. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto-Belisol
9. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Sky
10. Haimar Zubeldia (Esp) RadioShack

General classification
1. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky 23:40:59
2. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Sky at 1:20
3. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing at 1:36
4. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky at 1:48
5. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto-Belisol at 2:22
6. Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar at 2:58
7. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana at 3:07
8. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Rabobank at 3:26
9. Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky at 3:44
10. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing at 3:51

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