Richie Porte claimed the overall leader’s yellow jersey on the Critérium du Dauphiné after finishing second in a gruelling sixth stage won by Denmark’s Jakob Fuglsang on Friday .

Astana’s Fuglsang outsprinted the Australian Porte (BMC) and Chris Froome (Sky) at the end of the 147.5km mountain trek from Villars les Dombes to La Motte Servolex. The Italian Fabio Aru, who was first to the top of the demanding ascent up the Mont du Chat (8.7km at an average 10.3% gradient) after attacking 4km from the top, was caught on the descent by the Tour de France champion Froome, Porte and his team-mate Fuglsang, and the Dane narrowly beat Porte in a tight sprint.

Overall, Porte leads his former Sky team-mate Froome – who paced himself in the climb – by 39 seconds with Fuglsang in third place, 1min 15sec off the pace.

Spain’s Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), whose early attack in the Mont du Chat backfired, is fourth, 1min 20sec behind, after conceding 50 seconds. His compatriot Alberto Contador lost 1min 06sec and is now sixth overall at 1min 47sec behind Porte as the Tour de France’s warm-up race reaches its climax on Saturday in the penultimate stage, a brutal effort featuring the ascent of the Col de Porte and the Col de Sarenne with a finish up l’Alpe d’Huez.

In the Women’s Tour of Britain, the Australian Chloe Hosking beat Britain’s Alice Barnes in a sprint finish on stage three in Royal Leamington Spa, with Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma doing enough to retain her overall lead.

Uttrup Ludwig (Cervelo-Bigla Pro) and Grace Elvin (OricaScott) led a breakaway group of five, which also included Amy Pieters, the Dutch Boels Dolmans rider who had claimed victory on stage two in Stoke-on-Trent, along with Martina Ritter (Drops), but were eventually chased down with 5km left.

There was, though, a crash as the peloton closed in, which saw Pieters caught up along with Marianne Vos (WM3), who had been in second place overall, and Dani King (Cylance Pro). Hosking, however, got her positioning right heading into the narrow rising finish, where she edged ahead of Barnes and Ellen van Dijk (Team Sunweb) with Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle High 5) in fourth place.

WM3 Pro Cycling Team’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma continues to lead the Women’s Tour folllowing her victory on stage three. Photograph: SWpix.com/Rex Shutterstock

Niewiadoma (WM3) managed to stay clear of any trouble to keep the overall lead in the general classifications, although her advantage dropped to 1min 31sec as van Dijk moved up to second. Barnes is joint-third alongside fellow British rider Hannah Barnes (Canyon-SRAM), who had finished Wednesday’s stage in second place, and Vos on the same time, all 1min 46sec off the pace.

Friday’s fourth stage runs over 123.1km around Chesterfield, which includes the most climbing with more than 2,000m of ascent.