Criterium du Dauphine: Chris Froome extends lead as Thibaut Pinot wins stage six

Chris Froome won the Criterium du Dauphine in 2013 and 2015, going on to win the Tour de France in the same years

Chris Froome extended his lead in the Criterium du Dauphine to 21 seconds on Saturday with one stage remaining.

The British Team Sky rider finished fourth in the penultimate stage from La Rochette to Meribel, which was won by Frenchman Thibaut Pinot.

France's Romain Bardet was a narrow second to move into third in the overall classification behind Froome and Australian Richie Porte.

Froome, 31, had held a seven-second lead heading into stage six.

Bardet led Pinot up the final climb and, despite being beaten to the line by the FDJ rider, took 67 seconds out of Froome to vault up the overall standings.

Froome, twice a Dauphine winner, did not attempt to overhaul the French pair, but team-mates Mikel Landa and Sergio Henao led him up the final climb to ensure he would keep the yellow jersey.

The two-time Tour de France champion was able to steal a few seconds on other rivals as he broke clear to follow Etixx-Quick-Step's Dan Martin over the line.

Martin is now fourth, 30 seconds behind Froome, who also picked up eight seconds on Tinkoff's Alberto Contador and 10 seconds on Adam Yates of Orica GreenEdge.

In Sunday's final stage, the riders travel from Le-Pont-de-Claix to Superdevoluy.

Elsewhere, Froome's Team Sky and Great Britain team-mate Geraint Thomas finished 12 seconds behind home leader Fabian Cancellara in the first stage of the Tour de Suisse.

Stage six result:

1. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/FDJ) 4hrs 24mins 16secs

2. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R) same time

3. Daniel Martin (Ire/Etixx-Quick-Step) +1:04"

4. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +1:07"

5. Louis Meintjes (SA/Lampre) +1:15"

6. Alberto Contador (Spa/Tinkoff) same time

7. Diego Rosa (Ita/Astana) +1:17"

8. Adam Yates (GB/ Orica) same time

9. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Etixx-Quick-Step) +1:21"

10. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC Racing) same time

General classification:

1. Chris Froome (GB /Team Sky) 25hrs 50mins 22secs

2. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC Racing) +21"

3. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R) same time

4. Daniel Martin (Ire/Etixx - Quick-Step) +30"

5. Alberto Contador (Spa/Tinkoff) +35"

6. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Etixx-Quick-Step) +56"

7. Adam Yates (GB/Orica) +1:02"

8. Diego Rosa (Ita/Astana) +1:18"

9. Louis Meintjes (SA/Lampre) +1:35"

10. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/FDJ) +2:12"