Stephen Cummings won the final stage of the Criterium du Dauphine, but it was Chris Froome who retained his lead to finish as the overall winner of the event.
REPORT: FROOME WINS CRITERIUM DU DAUPHINE
It’s the final stage of the 2016 Criterium du Dauphine, and with plenty more climbs on the menu the final challenge for Chris Froome’s yellow jersey will be thrown down. Join The Roar for live coverage of Stage 7 from 8:15pm (AEST).
With two days down in the mountains, it is absolutely clear that Chris Froome and his Team Sky are the strongest in the race, and the chances of anyone else to catch him or go past him on the general classification are not high at all.
When the mountains first hit on Stage 5, it was Froome who put in a ridiculously powerful attack after looking a little bit out of it, being dropped when the first flurry of attacks teed off.
He stayed calm though and turned it around to get on the attack, with only Richie Porte able to go with him to the finish line.
Yesterday, it was more of a team effort from Sky after early attacks from Romain Bardet, Fabio Aru, Thibaut Pinot and Alberto Contador. Sky got the engine going, decimated the group of chasers and after a fantastic turn of pace from both Mikel Landa and Sergio Henao they kept Froome in yellow, as Porte and Contador lost valuable seconds.
Coming into the final day of the race, it is Froome with a 21-second lead over both Porte and Bardet, with Contador and Daniel Martin a little further back.
The stage, 151 kilometres in length from Le Pont-de-Claix to Superdevoluy carries no less than six categorised climbs, and it is uphill right from the get go meaning only the strongest will fight their way into a breakaway. Once again, look out for a big group to go away with a lot of passengers.
The big two climbs of the day, both Category 1 come inside the final 50 kilometres with the Col de Moissiere (8.3km and 8.2 per cent) summitted after 102.5 kilometres, and the Col du Noyer (7.5km at 8.4 per cent) summitted after 139.5 kilometres, just 11.5 kilometres from the finish line.
With both climbs having some very steep sections, any attempt to unseat Froome and Sky must be started here with long range attacks.
Following the summit of the Noyer, there are only about 6 kilometres of descending, albeit very fast descending before the final ramp into Superdevoluy, which is only 3.9 kilometres at 5.8 per cent, but with so much climbing already in the legs and a steep first kilometre of the climb, there could quite easily be some time gaps on the Category 3 race to the line.
Prediction
There is enough valley road in this stage to safely assume a breakaway will once again be allowed to go clear and get to the finish line alone. Back in the bunch, it’s hard to see Team Sky losing control, although the procession of climb and their efforts yesterday will hurt them.
There will be early attacks from the peloton, but ultimately Chris Froome will hold yellow.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the final day at the Dauphine from 8:15pm (AEST) and don’t forget that you can get involved by dropping your own comments in the section below.
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Scott Pryde
Expert
Click here for the full report from this stage
Scott Pryde
Expert
Full report and results to follow. Thanks for joining me this evening for The Roar's live coverage of the 2016 Criterium du Dauphine as Stephen Cummings took the final stage with a brilliant solo breakaway, and Chris Froome held yellow. Hopefully you have enjoyed the coverage. That brings to an end the Dauphine for 2016, again a dominant performance by Froome. Thanks to Brendon Vella, James McKern and Connor Bennett for chipping in with our coverage of the race. Next on the cycling menu is Le Tour de France, kicking off in just a few weeks! The Roar will be live with every single stage for the biggest cycling race in the world, so be sure to join us then. Until next time, It's bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Doesn't matter what Sky did in the last 500 metres - it wasn't going to matter, poorly ridden by everyone bar Contador today who attacked on the Category 1 climb. Landa, Henao and Poels coming back was really the end of the chances for everyone else though.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Provisionally the gap between Martin and Porte was 5 seconds, so Porte drops to 4th overall... That is not confirmed.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well, Porte getting moved into the barriers with a complete loss of momentum has allowed Martin to go clear who put in a great sprint. Bardet in third and then one of the Sky riders. Porte will be off the podium here I fear. Martin was 9 seconds down, needing three seconds on top of the time bonus. He definitely got that. Bardet took the four second bonus so he will finish second overall.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Porte launching from the back of the group, but here goes Dan Martin. Froome looked to push Porte into the barriers there a bit. Martin with a big attack and he is trying to get second place away from Porte. Martin takes the second on the stage ahead of Bardet. Porte comes in ahead of Froome, but they have lost time to Martin. Jeez, looked like Froome and Sky purposely closed off Porte there. Boxed him in.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well, there might be a sprint for second place but this has been a bit of a dud with 500 metres to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Rolland caught by the Sky train.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Rolland holding them off into the final kilometre and Froome just looks to be struggling to hang onto the group at the moment.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Ever the opportunist, Pierre Rolland with an attack and he gets about 20 metres, but will probably be brought back pretty quickly. 1km to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
With a 10 second time bonus, Porte would only need 11 seconds if Froome doesn't take second or third. Surely there will be an attack in the last kilometre? Porte is a long way down the group though.
Scott Pryde
Expert
The attacks simply won't come here. The peloton are now within 4 minutes of the finishing line, and Sky continue to lead the group. This is over.
Scott Pryde
Expert
STEPHEN CUMMINGS wins Stage 7
Scott Pryde
Expert
Back at the front - no one is catching Steven Cummings. He is just a few hundred metres from the line and still holding over 4 minutes.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Surely Yates will try to attack Alaphilippe at the very least here? Will be a real shame if this just goes out to nothing.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Cummings through a kilometre to go now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
3km to go now for the peloton, Cummings meanwhile has 1.2km to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
3km to go now for the peloton, Cummings meanwhile has 1.2km to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Very slow pace now being set in this chase group, and here comes Coppel, Rolland and maybe Gallopin - a Lotto Soudal rider either way.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Chris Froome a fair way back down this group here. The attack has to come early, and it has to be sustained all the way to the top.