'It already feels like a win this week' - Tuckwell carries yellow into final day of Dauphiné

Tuckwell holds the lead by 42 seconds over Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike), with Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) third at 49 seconds and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) fourth at 1:06. The final stage covers 120.5km and closes with the 11.3km climb at 9% to the Plateau de Solaison that will settle the GC. 

"It will be tough, really tough. It will just be one of those days where the legs speak for themselves basically. So I will basically do whatever I can and ride as fast as I can, and we will see what the result is on Plateau de Solaison," Tuckwell told Cyclingpro.net.

Regarding his condition after before the final stage after seven stages before it, the Australian was frank after a week of high-octane racing.

"I'm definitely feeling the tiredness a little bit, but I'm still feeling really good, I'm still healthy which is important, so I'm hoping I can have another day with some good legs," said Tuckwell.

Tuckwell laid out the Red Bull plan, with the goal still a top-five rather than a specific result in the general classification.

"To do as well as I can and finish with the highest possible GC result in the end, whether that be with the jersey, on the podium, top five, top ten, whatever that is. I think I can already be more than happy with how I've done this week and to have the jersey, it already feels like a win this week. So I'm going to really enjoy today and I've got nothing to lose."

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have been down to a small squad after multiple losses across the week, and Tuckwell started Sunday's stage with just two teammates, Gianni Vermeersch and Maxim Van Gils due to a variety of factors.

"It's not the situation we would like to be in. A lot of teams are down a lot of riders and today because of how the parcours is, I think it's kind of one of those days where even if you have teammates, it's still all about the legs about how the leaders do on the climbs.

"It will take a huge performance to be honest. I then hope I have a really super day in order to do that performance, but yeah I'm looking forward. I just have to stay calm and make sure I'm with those guys until the final climb, and then ride within my limits. But mentally, I just have to stay focused all day and see how it goes."

Tuckwell took the yellow jersey on stage 6 in Crest-Voland after spending the day in the 60-rider breakaway alongside teammate Maxim Van Gils, who took the stage win ahead of Tobias Halland Johannessen. 

The Australian, who finished second in the general classification at the Giro Next Gen in 2025 and was sixth at the Tour de Romandie in May, dedicated the yellow jersey to his sister, who died last year.