Australian Richie Porte will be out to defend his yellow jersey in Stage 7 of the Criterium du Dauphine, as the peloton take on the famous Alpe d’Huez. Join The Roar for live coverage and updates from 9:20pm (AEST).
Porte rose to the top of the pile of general classification riders during an individual time trial on Stage 4, then finished in the front group yesterday on the first big mountains stage of the race to formally take the race lead ahead of Thomas De Gendt as the race blew apart.
Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang won the stage and moved into third on GC, with Chris Froome also in the front group at second, 39 seconds behind Porte, but it wasn’t such a good day for most of the other contenders.
Alejandro Valverde, Fabio Aru and Alberto Contador are all now well over a minute behind, while Daniel Martin, Romain Bardet and Orica-Scott duo Simon Yates and Esteban Chavez are all going to need to attack big if they want to finish on the podium.
Stage 7 sets out in Aoste and could be a perfect day for the breakaway, with the Alpe d’Huez being climbed from the opposite side.
After 25 kilometres of more or less flat roads, they will start off light with the Category 4 Cote de Berland, but then it’s onto the Col du Cucheron and the Category 1 Col de Porte (not a spelling mistake) which is 7.5 kilometres at 6.7 per cent.
If they are able to establish early, the breakaway should build a heavy lead and continue to increase it as the race then goes across about 80 kilometres of mainly flat valley roads.
The Category 2 Cote de Garcin will kick off the next procession of climbs, before the main feast of the day – the 15.3-kilometre, 6.9 per cent, hors categorie Col de Sarene – greets the riders.
The narrow and windy climb was used as a descent in the 100th edition of the Tour de France. Instead of turning onto the descent though, the peloton will go a short way down, then onto the final climb up to the top of d’Huez, which only clocks in at 3.7 kilometres – a short but brutal climb given the average gradient of 7.2 per cent.
Prediction
There are likely to be two races tonight. The breakaway should get a big gap and may run away with the stage win – watch out for Warren Barguil who has dropped 18 minutes, Jelle Vanendert and Thomas Voeckler.
As for the general classification, Porte will stick like glue to the wheel of Froome, attacks will go early on the Sarene, but none will be able to make too much of an indent.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Stage 7 from 9:20pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add a comment below.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Note 'key riders'... Chavez is, for mine at least, a favourite for the Tour de France this year and that's quite an ordinary result to see him down at number 20. I mean, I could type out the whole field, but then we would be here till Christmas. Tiesj Benoot, Guillaume Martin, Jack Haig and Sam Oomen for mine, are not favourites for either this race or the Tour. Is that a fair assumption Donny?
Donny
Guest
Why is numbers 16, 17, 18 19 not mentioned , but Chavez at number twenty...
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well, that'll just about do it this evening on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2017 Criterium du Dauphine as Peter Kennaugh claimed a famous victory and Richie Porte did a superb job at the front of the bunch to extend his overall lead. I hope you enjoyed the call. Stage 8 will decide the race tomorrow, and it will be Brendon Vella in the chair to take you through all the action. Right now, it's time to flick over to the French Open women's final with Tim Miller on the call as Jelena Ostapenko takes on Simona Halep. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION 1. Richie Porte (BMC) @ 25:38:29 2. Chris Froome (Sky) + 1:02 3. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) + 1:15 4. Fabio Aru (Astana) + 1:41 5. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) + 1:43 6. Alberto Contador (Trek) + 1:55 7. Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) + 2:07 8. Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) + 2:31 9. Emanuel Buchamnn (Bora) + 2:53 10. Andrew Talansky (Cannondale) + 3:43 __________ 16. Simon Yates (Orica) + 5:24 17. Esteban Chavez (Orica) + 5:25
Scott Pryde
Expert
TOP 10 + KEY RIDERS 1. Peter Kennaugh (Sky) @ 4:43:59 2. Ben Swift (UAE) + 0:13 3. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Movistar) + 1:11 4. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Soudal) + 1:13 5. Romain Bardet (AG2R) + 1:14 6. Richie Porte (BMC) + 1:56 7. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) + 1:56 8. Andrew Talansky (Cannondale) + 2:04 9. Alberto Contador (Trek) + 2:04 10. Fabio Aru (Astana) + 2:13 11. Daniel Martin (Quick-Step) + 2:13 12. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) + 2:19 15. Chris Froome (Sky) + 2:19 20. Esteban Chavez (Orica) + 2:42
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the stage Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
Right, we will get the results as soon as we have them, but Porte now leads the race by 1:02 to Froome with Fuglsang about 1:15 back. Aru and Valverde round out the top five, with Contador in sixth.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well, the GC battle cracked wide open, but the day belongs to Peter Kennaugh. Not known for his mountain skills, but he hung on up the Sarenne and then rode away from Ben Swift (who amazingly got second) to take the win.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Porte and Fuglsang being times at eight seconds ahead of Talansky and a further nine to Aru. Bardet has picked up 42 seconds on Porte.
Scott Pryde
Expert
This is awesome from Porte. It's actually Fuglsang, not Aru. Porte has ditched everyone aprt from the Astana rider and now the clock starts. Talansky and Contador about 6 or 7 seconds behind, and then it's Aru and Martin another 8 seconds later. Valverde, Buchmann and Froome come across another ten or so seconds later. Porte is just in awesome form, but some big questions about Froome.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Herrada in third ahead of Vanendert and then Bardet in fifth. He has picked up some good time here.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Contador has lost the wheels of Porte, and it's Aru with him. So Porte and Aru improving their standing on GC.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Porte inside a kilometre to go and Froome has been shelled here. Contador and Fuglsang I think it is hanging in the wheels.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Peter Kennaugh wins Stage 7 What a brilliant ride from the Sky rider. Ben Swift will cross not too far behind in 7th, then a three rider sprint shortly for third. Back to the bunch though and Porte is flying.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Bardet catches Herrada and Vanendert, but they are 800 metres behind Kennaugh.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Porte! Porte has put the hammer down and Froome has missed it! missed it big time. Valverde has missed it as well. Aru and Fuglsang in the group, along with Contador. Daniel Martin also jumping across.
Scott Pryde
Expert
800 metres to go for Kennaugh and Swift is being listed at just 10 metres behind.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Kennaugh still going along as he comes under a kilometre to go. Back in the bunch, Aru has left Buchmann behind and is trying to pick up some time here.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Kennaugh now with just 1500 metres to go and it looks like Ben Swift might be starting to come back. Buchmann and Aru trying to push away from the peloton now, but struggling to gain more than a handful of metres. I've lost sight of Chavez, but he may be back in the bunch.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Aru and Buchmann just off the front of the peloton. Richie Porte has no more teammates - looks like Hermans has just dropped out of the main group.