The stage unfolded around Ho Chi Minh Square in Nghe An, covering a distance of 52km. With a relatively short route and the Đồng Nai team already holding the yellow, green and orange jerseys as well as the team title, their riders closely marked key rivals, keeping the race tightly controlled.

That strategy, however, opened opportunities for others to break away.

The attacking efforts paid off in the intermediate sprints.

Nguyen Van Hieu claimed victory at Sprint 1, while Phung Quoc Ha crossed the line first at Sprint 2.

As the race entered its closing laps, strong teams such as Vinh Long and An Giang Plant Protection Group took control at the front, pushing the pace higher to set up a sprint finish for their key riders.

Despite the presence of top contenders like Marchuk Dzianis, who currently holds both the yellow and green jerseys, and Patrick Patterson, it was Anton Popov who delivered the defining moment.

With a powerful acceleration in the final meters, the Russian rider surged ahead, clocking a remarkable top speed of 69km/h to take the stage win.

The result did not alter the overall classifications after six stages.

Marchuk Dzianis successfully retained both the yellow jersey for overall leader and the green jersey for points leader. Nguyen Van Nha continued to hold the orange jersey awarded to the best Vietnamese rider, while Lam Gia Hao kept the white jersey for the best young rider.

Stage 7, scheduled for the morning of April 9, will take riders from Nghe An to Dong Hoi in Quang Tri over a demanding 197.5km distance.

The route includes the challenging Ngang Pass, where the first King of the Mountains title - marked by the polka-dot jersey - will be decided, promising a far more grueling test for the peloton.

 
Duy Nguyen