An enthralling stage six of the Criterium du Dauphine saw the race leader crash and the new breed of hard men prove themselves on a tough circuit.

Chris Froome (Team Sky), in the yellow jersey, hit the deck hard – carrying the scars of the impact as he finished safely in the bunch to keep his race lead.

The stage’s decisive action happened up the road, however, where Jan Bakelants earned his first Omega Pharma-Quickstep victory in a two-up sprint with Lieuwe Westra.

The Belgian’s win is further proof of his growing ability as a breakaway specialist.

And UCI WorldTour photographer Stefano Sirotti was on hand to capture all of the action. Relive it in the full-screen gallery below.