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Critérium du Dauphiné 2014: Stage 8

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Live coverage of the final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, 131.5 kilometres from Megève to Courchevel.

The margins are tight on the final day of the Critérium du Dauphiné, with just eight seconds separating yellow jersey Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) from Chris Froome (Sky) at the head of the overall standings. Today’s stage to Courchevel is a short one, but it promises to be explosive.

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Indeed, there are a number of danger men in this breakaway move. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (5th at 1:14), Romain Bardet (7th at 2:11) and Adam Yates (10th at 2:52) are all in there, along with Richie Porte (Sky), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) and Tejay van Garderen (BMC).

The break had its genesis on the Côte de Domancy, where Tejay van Garderen led Bardet over the summit, and the group swelled to 23 riders over the other side. After 25km, their lead was 1:45 on a peloton led by Tinkoff-Saxo and IAM Cycling.

The 23 riders in the break are: David Lopez, Mikel Nieve, Richie Porte (Sky), Tanel Kangert, Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Dani Navarro, Yoann Bagot (Cofidis), Adam Yates (Orica GreenEdge), Igor Anton, John Gadret (Movistar), Romain Bardet, Alexis Gougeard, Jean-Christoph Péraud (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Jurgen Van den Broeck, Tony Gallopin, Pim Ligthart (Lotto Belisol), Kristjan Koren (Cannondale), Tejay van Garderen (BMC), Yuriy Trofimov (Katusha), Ryder Hesjedal, Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) and Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp-Endura).

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Talansky has been particularly prominent in setting the pace in the break on the Col des Saisies. It's remarkable that Contador and Froome allowed the American out of their sight in the first place.

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The Froome/Contador group has swollen to 17 riders, but the yellow jersey remains completely isolated in a group with three Sky riders, three Astana riders (including Vincenzo Nibali) and Wilco Kelderman (Belkin).

The yellow jersey group is as follows: Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Chris Froome, Vassil Kiryienka, Danny Pate, Geraint Thomas (Sky), Vincenzo Nibali, Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Luis Maté (Cofidis), Mikaël Chérel, Ben Gastauer (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Sébastien Reichenbach (IAM), Darwin Atapuma (BMC), Dani Moreno (Katusha), Jan Bakelants (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Wilco Kelderman, Martijn Keizer (Belkin) and Leo König (NetApp-Endura).

Meanwhile, Richie Porte (Sky) and Lieuwe Westra (Astana) have sat up from the break on the Col des Saisies and are waiting for the Froome/Contador/Nibali group behind.

Froome, of course, was in the news before a pedal was turned this morning. Le Journal du Dimanche reported today that the UCI fast-tracked a request from Froome for a TUE during the Tour de Romandie without following the correct protocol. Froome used the oral corticosteroid prednisolone to treat a chest infection during the race, which he went on to win. It's a treatment that requires a therapeutic use exemption, which Froome received, but Le Journal du Dimanche reports that it was authorised by UCI medical supervisor Michele Zorzoli without referring the case to a TUE committee, as required by the WADA code.

Speaking at the start in Megève this morning, Sky manager Dave Brailsford insisted that the team "acted in good faith." "We followed the rules, we respected the procedures," Brailsford said, according to L'Equipe. "We asked the UCI for an urgent TUE and Zorzoli told us what could or couldn't be done."

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Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) and Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol) attack on the descent of the Saisies and briefly open a lead of 20 seconds over the rest of the breakaway group, but they are swallowed up again as the road flattens out at the base.

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As it stands, Talansky is in the provisional overall lead, with Jurgen Van Den Broeck in second place.

The general classification picture at the start this morning was as follows, with the riders in the break in bold:

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As rain begins to cascade down on the break along the valley floor, their lead has been pinned back slightly more. The gap is now down to 1:25.

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) surges to the front in a bid to inject a bit more urgency into the break's efforts. The Canadian has put in a huge shift in support of Talansky today.

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Alberto Contador is completely isolated in the this chasing group although for now at least, Team Sky's chasing is bringing Talansky's move under control.

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There's a degree of brinksmanship from Contador here but it's wholly understandable in the circumstances. He has no Tinkoff-Saxo teammates for company in a 17-man chase group dominated by Sky riders. He's happy to let the men in black do all the work for now, confident, perhaps, that he can pin back Talansky's lead himself once the climbing begins in earnest in a few kilometres' time.

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The yellow jersey group has fragmented completely, and Froome has shown no sign of being able to follow Contador. The Briton is sitting on the wheel of Geraint Thomas and Richie Porte, and is losing ground on Contador, who is bounding through the rain in pursuit of the leaders.

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The dancing figure of Contador is picking off the remnants of the early break and is now a minute behind Nibali and Kelderman. Froome, meanwhile, is struggling to hold the wheels as Porte lifts the pace in his group.

As things stand, Contador needs to peg back another 1:30 on Talansky to save his maillot jaune. The Spaniard is beginning to take flight and has picked off Ryder Hesjedal, who has been dropped from the front group.

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News of Contador's progress has sent a frisson through the leading group. Romain Bardet accelerates but Talansky, Van Den Broeck, Navarro, Nieve, Yates and Van Garderen are all able to follow.

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Froome, meanwhile, looks unrelated to the rider who forced the pace on the Col du Beal on Monday. The Sky man is 2:42 down on Talansky and 1:20 down on Contador, wearing a thousand-yard stare as he pedals grimly on Thomas' wheel.

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Contador hasn't managed to make any further inroads into the break's lead on this descent. It's going to come down to one, final time trial for the Spaniard, who must recoup a little over half a minute on Talanksy on the final climb to save his yellow jersey.

Contador has Konig, Darwin Atapuma and Elia Favilli for company as he approaches the final climb, but they'll do well to stick with him once the road pitches up in earnest.

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Contador still has Konig sitting on his wheel as he bobs up the climb. The gap is down to 54 seconds, although there are also time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds on offer for the first three riders across the line.

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Meanwhile, Kelderman has rid himself of Nibali and is moving closer to the break, which is fragmenting once again under the impetus of Talansky.

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The leading group has fragmented in the final kilometre and Talansky is struggling now. Van Garderen, Van Den Broeck, Bardet, Yates et al all drift past him. It's going to be touch and go for the American now, especially as he won't take any bonus seconds.

Mikel Nieve (Sky) is going to win the stage, even though Adam Yates is chasing ferociously in the final kilometre.

Mikel Nieve wins the stage. Talansky crosses the line 7 seconds down in fourth place. Contador must finish within 46 seconds of Nieve to win the Dauphine...

Andrew Talansky wins the Criterium du Dauphine, as Alberto Contador crosses the line 1:14 down.

Talansky bursts into tears on learning the news. It looked as though he had cracked in the final kilometre, but the Garmin-Sharp man buried himself in the finishing straight to come home just 7 seconds down on Nieve. Contador, meanwhile, appeared to pay for his earlier flourish on the final ramps and actually lost time to Talansky in the closing mile or so.

Chris Froome, meanwhile, is still out on the road, slowly making his way towards the summit on the wheel of Geraint Thomas.

Romain Bardet took second on the stage, just ahead of Adam Yates. Talansky crossed the line in the company of Van Den Broeck right behind them.

Result:

General classification:

“You put your whole life into something, the sacrifices, the training and it's the moments like this that make everything worth it,” Talansky says. “This is why we do this for moments like this.

“It was a very hard start and we had Ryder Hesjedal on the front and I rode up to him. He sacrificed himself for me all day. It was the perfect opportunity and we had to try,” Talansky said of his day off the front of the race, but he was careful to point out that he is not a contender for top honours at next month’s Tour de France. “No, I still wouldn't say that. This is the Dauphiné,” he said. He was a fine 10th overall last year, however, so he will surely aim to better that result this time around.

Froome crossed the line with teammate David Lopez in 20th place overall, 5:05 down on Nieve. The Briton closes the Dauphine in 12th place overall, having been dealt a considerable blow by Contador ahead of the Tour de France.

Contador has a broad smile and a handshake for Talansky on the podium. He'll be disappointed to have lost the yellow jersey but he comes away from the week with the knowledge that he is on course for the Tour de France, where he ought to have a stronger supporting team at his disposal, which would certainly have helped his cause this afternoon.

Confirmation of the top ten on the stage:

And the final overall picture:

Thanks for joining our coverage of the Critérium du Dauphiné this afternoon on Cyclingnews. A full report, results and pictures will follow here and we'll have all the news and reaction from a dramatic day of racing. We're back with more action from the Tour de Suisse as it happens tomorrow.

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