Four riders went clear in the day’s break, which stuck at the first attempt – intermediate sprints leader Jasper Bovenhuis (An Post Chain Reaction), Miguel Benito Diez (Caja Rural), Tom Stewart (Madison-Genesis) and Giovanni Visconti (Movistar).

In dull conditions, the four leaders were led up Chineway Hill by Benito Diez, while Xandro Meurisse (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) again increased his mountains lead as he led the peloton over the climb three minutes later.

Etixx-QuickStep led the bunch, for race leader Julien Vermote, and the gap held as Bovenhuis collected more intermediate sprint points.

Benito Diez also led the way up Cadbury Hill, and Etixx-QuickStep continued to chase with both Visconti and Stewart within five minutes overall of Vermote and therefore potential threats overall.

Bovenhuis continued to sweep up the intermediate sprint points, but as Dimension Data and Lotto-Soudal shared in the pace-setting duties in the bunch, the Belgian was the man caught out when the break responded.

With his job for the day done, he was happy to sit up and return to the peloton as Visconti tested the legs of the two remaining escapees.

They were still together, with a three-minute lead, as they approached Haytor though – the gap holding steady despite some nasty uncategorised pitches.

Benito was next to crack, however, leaving just Stewart and Visconti up the road, and despite the Spaniard fighting back, the Movistar man eventually went clear on the Dunchideock climb.

Cummings dragged Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal) across with him to the four leaders, and their advantage over the yellow jersey – with Dennis and Dumoulin doing much of the pulling – stretched out towards one minute.

A second chasing group, with Nicolas Roche and King of the Mountains leader Meurisse in tow also looked to come across, but Dumoulin, Dennis and Poels kicked again at the front.

It left Cummings, the virtual leader on the road, with a defensive job to do and it worked to his advantage when Poels – not a threat overall – attacked the other two leaders.

Poels pressed on alone as the road opened out, and the cover from the wind provided by the trees disappeared – pushing on through the crowds and into the final, barriered part of the climb.

Dumoulin and Dennis closed in on the Dutchman, who battled against the gusts but he had enough of an advantage, and enough in the tank, to take the stage.

Dennis and Dumoulin followed six seconds later, both picking up handy bonus seconds, while Cummings came across 20 seconds down – enough to take over the race lead.

Meurisse beat Roche on the line, meanwhile to stretch his mountains lead further and ensure he’ll wear the jersey all the way to the London finale.

Vermote crossed the finish line 1’50” back – his stint in the yellow jersey now over – leaving Cummings in the yellow jersey ahead of the split time trial and circuit race stage in Bristol on stage seven.

Tour of Britain 2016: stage six – result

1) Wout Poels (NED) – Team Sky – 4.56.15hrs
2) Rohan Dennis (AUS) – BMC Racing +6”
3) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Giant-Alpecin +8”
4) Dylan van Baarle (NED) – Cannondale-Drapac +12”
5) Xandro Meurisse (BEL) – Wanty-Groupe Gobert +16”
6) Nicolas Roche (IRL) – Team Sky – ST
7) Tony Gallopin (FRA) – Lotto-Soudal
8) Steve Cummings (GBR) – Dimension Data +20”
9) Erick Rowsell (GBR) – Madison-Genesis +30”
10) Gorka Izaguirre (ESP) – Movistar – ST

General classification

1) Steve Cummings (GBR) – Dimension Data – 27.04.11hrs
2) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Giant-Alpecin +49”
3) Rohan Dennis (AUS) – BMC Racing +51”
4) Tony Gallopin (FRA) – Lotto-Soudal +53”
5) Dylan van Baarle (NED) – Cannondale-Drapac +57”
6) Xandro Meurisse (BEL) – Wanty-Groupe Gobert +58”
7) Nicolas Roche (IRL) – Team Sky +1.06
8) Ben Swift (GBR) – Team Sky +1.14
9) Jacopo Mosca (ITA) – Trek-Segafredo +1.20
10) Guillaume Martin (FRA) – Wanty-Groupe Gobert +1.24