Joao Almeida won the abbreviated sixth stage of the 2024 Tour de Suisse on Friday ahead of his UAE teammate Adam Yates, who retained the overall lead in Blatten.

The stage was shortened to 42.5 kilometers. It originally was planned to run 151.1 kilometers from Locarno, but snowpack made Nufenen Pass impassable and also ruled out an alternate route over the Furka Pass.

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The stage still finished with a brutal seven-kilometer climb to Blatten, and Yates attacked with three kilometers to go.

The Briton had won Thursday's fifth stage with a ferocious attack on the final climb, but this time, he was caught.

Almeida shook off the other pursuers, including former Tour de France winner Egan Bernal and defending champion Mattias Skjelmose, and caught Yates with one kilometer to go. The Portuguese rider pulled away at the finish to win in 55 minutes, 13 seconds.

"I think we were both really strong," said Almeida at the line. "He attacked quite far from the finish, and I was just on the wheel of Skjelmose, so it was perfect for me. In the end, I could catch him without bringing the other riders back."

Yates was four seconds behind with Skjelmose, a Dane who rides for Lidl-Trek, at nine seconds, and Colombian Bernal of Ineos at 15 seconds.

In the overall standings, Yates leads Almeida by 27 seconds. Bernal is third at 1:28.

Both Yates and Almeida likely are to be support riders for UAE leader and Giro d'Italia winner Tadej Pogacar, when the Slovenian launches his attempt to regain the Tour de France title on June 29.

Saturday's penultimate stage at the Tour de Suisse is a tough 118.1-kilometer circuit starting and ending in Villars-sur-Ollon and including three big climbs.

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

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