The pair are expected to keep each other close tomorrow, but did so today too, with the duo launching a two-man assault with 130 kilometres to go on the 167.6km route from Costa Daurada in Salou to Cambrils.

They made their break on the descent of Col de les Llebres and the gap moved out to more than three minutes before chasers started to come for them.

With a kilometre to go, Higuita and Carapaz were still a minute in front of the peloton and were able to hold on to their position - with Carapaz crossing the line first in 4 hours 09min 19sec.

Australian Kaden Groves of Team BikeExchange-Jayco led the chasing pack 48 seconds behind, followed by Italy's Simone Velasco of Astana Qazaqstan and France's Quentin Pacher of Groupama-FDJ.

Higuita now leads the general classification with a combined time of 26 hours 35min 24sec, 16 seconds in front of Carapaz.

Portuguese rider João Almeida of UAE Team Emirates, who took the lead after stage five, dropped down to third overall and is now 52 seconds off the lead having finished in the chasing pack.

Colombian Nairo Quintana of Arkéa–Samsic, who was second overall before today, is in fourth with a gap of 53 seconds to his compatriot Higuita.

Tomorrow's final stage is scheduled to start and finish in Barcelona on a medium mountain stage covering 138.6km.

The Gent-Wevelgem is scheduled to get underway in Belgium tomorrow, with 2021 winner and home favourite Wout van Aert of Jumbo-Visma set to return.

Other contenders include Dutch cyclist Fabio Jakobsen of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Eritrea's Biniam Girmay of Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux, Ireland's Sam Bennett of Bora-Hansgrohe and Denmark's Mads Pedersen of Trek Segafredo.