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Critérium du Dauphiné 2014: Stage 7

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Live coverage of stage 7 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, 160 kilometres from Ville-la-Grand to Finhaut-Emosson.

There are no fewer than five climbs on the agenda on stage 7, the first instalment of a doubleheader in the high mountains that will decide the outcome of this year’s Critérium du Dauphiné. After feeling their way into the day with the category 2 Côte des Gets (10.3km at 4.9%), the peloton faces the Col du Corbier, a category 1 climb 7.5km in length with an average gradient, and the shorter Pas de Morgins (6km at 5.7%) before two successive hors catégorie ascents round off proceedings – the Col de la Forclaz (12.6km at 8.2%) and the haul to the finish at Finhaut-Émosson (10.2km at 8%).

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The 14 leaders are: Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), Blel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Tony Gallopin (Lotto Belisol), Matthias Brändle (IAM Cycling), Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Egor Silin, Yuriy Trofimov (Katusha), Julian Alaphilippe (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Lars Boom (Belkin), Daniel Schorn (NetApp) and Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp). Westra is the highest-placed member of the break on general classification, just shy of six minutes down on maillot jaune Chris Froome.

Westra, of course, finished second to Jan Bakelants (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) yesterday, and the Astana man responded to that near miss by sparking this move on the Cote des Gets. He jumped clear after 30 kilometres and was initially joined by Silin, Alaphilippe and Hesjedal. Tony Gallopin and Yuriy Trofimov were among those to bridge across before the summit - indeed, Trofimov claimed the mountain points at the top - and the group then swelled to 14 riders on the way down the other side as the chasers bridged across.

Chris Froome endured a late crash yesterday but recovered quickly enough to maintain his lead of 12 seconds over Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Wilco Kelderman (Belkin). The top ten on GC was as follows as the stage kicked off this morning:

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The break's lead is up to 5:40 over the top of the Col du Corbier, as Westra inches closer to becoming overall leader on the road.

The holder of the yellow and blue jersey, Chris Froome, was involved in a crash in the closing kilometres yesterday and while he recovered to finish the stage with the other overall contenders, he picked up some cuts and bruises in the incident and it will be interesting to see if it affects him this afternoon. After the stage, Froome thanked Contador, Kelderman et al for not taking advantage of his accident.

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Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) abandoned today's stage early on, and we also had four non-starters: Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Jack Bobridge (Belkin) and Damiano Caruso (Cannondale) and Yoann Offredo.

Kwiatkowski was one of the stand-out performers in the early part of the season, a spell of form capped by victory at Strade Bianche and podium finishes at Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. This was his first race since the Tour de Romandie in late April, and he was never in the thick of the action, but it will be intriguing to see what he manages to conjure up at the Tour de France next month.

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The average speed after the opening two hours of racing was a brisk 39.1kph. Team Sky continue to set the pace in the main peloton, and the break's lead remains stable at around 5:30.

De Marchi duly sweeps up the maximum ten points on offer atop the Pas de Morgins, crossing the summit ahead of Matthias Brandle (IAM Cycling) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC).

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On the evidence of the Col du Beal on Monday, Alberto Contador is the man most likely to put Froome under pressure this afternoon, but the Spaniard was coy about his prospects of landing overall victory yesterday afternoon. Although he said he would "try" to attack, Contador

Meanwhile, fresh from the Giro d'Italia and with a free July ahead of him, third-placed Wilco Kelderman (Belkin) is at the Dauphine to land a major result. The Dutch youngster was hugely impressive on the Col du Beal and showed invention to slip away in the finale on Thursday. Kelderman announced himself at WorldTour level with a fine showing in the Bourg-en-Bresse time trial at the Dauphine two years ago. His stock is continuing to rise after his 7th place finish at the Giro, and Orica-GreenEdge is among the teams interested in securing his services for 2015.

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The pace in the peloton drops significantly either side of the feed zone at Massongex and the break's lead shoots out to 7:45.

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Tinkoff-Saxo's forcing has strung the peloton out into one long line on the approach to the foot of the Col de la Forclaz. There are two hors categorie climbs shoehorned into the final 30 kilometres of this stage, and it promises to be an explosive finale.

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The break has lost much of its cohesion on the Forclaz. 9 of the 14 riders are still together at the front, but they are beginning to attack one another. Giovanni Visconti tries to force the issue but pays immediately for his effort, before Yuriy Trofimov slips away alone. They are still some five kilometres from the summit of the Forclaz.

Tony Gallopin and Ryder Hesjedal are steadily forging their way across to Trofimov. Each injection of pace like this sees another rider shaken lose from this front group.

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Froome still has five Sky teammates for company at the head of the peloton, although Alberto Contador and a phalanx of Tinkoff-Saxo riders are lined up just behind the maillot jaune.

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Vincenzo Nibali has Tanel Kangert for company towards the front of the yellow jersey group. The Estonian was hugely impressive in support of Nibali at last year's Giro and will aim to repeat that feat at the Tour de France.

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The dwindling peloton is still two kilometres from the summit of the Forclaz. Kiryienka is still the man banging the drum for Team Sky, although he is not keeping time with the rhythm laid down by Trofimov out in front. The gap is back out to six minutes.

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Kiryienka leads the peloton over the top of the Forclaz, but as soon as they crest the summit, Contador moves up into second position to attack the descent.

Silin has caught up to Trofimov on the descent, and the Katusha pairing have six minutes in hand on the peloton.

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) comes to the front of the yellow jersey on the way down and gains a couple of lengths. The Sicilian is looking to put Froome under pressure on this descent, and Contador, wise to the danger, is trying to come across.

It's not an especially technical descent, mind, and it will be hard to make a difference. Froome does not seem overly perturbed, and follows in the slipstream of five Sky teammates.

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Sky have regained control of the yellow jersey group on the descent, meanwhile. Froome, Contador, Kelderman, Nibali et al seem set to begin the final climb together.

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Gallopin, Hesjedal and Westra are reportedly 35 seconds behind the Katusha tandem, caught in the no-man's land between the front of the race and the main peloton.

Froome still has five teammates for company in the peloton as he begins the final climb. Contador, by contrast, appears to have just one teammate alongside him, Jesus Hernandez.

Kiryienka has put in an enormous shift in support of Froome today and he finally swings off a kilometre into the final climb. Geraint Thomas takes over as the gradient stiffens through the village of Finhaut.

The gradient reaches 17% at this point, and Thomas' forcing has divested the yellow jersey group of a number of riders, including Tanel Kangert and Kenny Elissonde. There are five Sky riders at the front of the race, with Contador dancing in the slipstream of Froome.

The yellow jersey group is down to 20 riders or so. Vincenzo Nibali is still there and looks relatively comfortable on the wheel of Contador. Andrew Talansky, Wilco Kelderman and Jurgen Van Den Broeck are also all present and correct.

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Thomas and David Lopez are on the front for Sky, then Richie Porte and Mikel Nieve. Their forcing is whittling down this yellow jersey group, but Nibali, Contador, Talansky, Van Den Broeck, Kelderman and Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge) are among thise still in touch.

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Every bend sees another rider dislodged from the yellow jersey group under Sky's impetus. John Gadret (Movistar) is the next man to be shaken loose from the group, but Contador, Kelderman and Nibali remain implacable.

David Lopez swings over, his job done for the day. Thomas takes over once again, with Nieve, Porte and Froome lined up on his wheel. The other GC contenders are happy simply to follow Sky's pace-setting for now.

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Inside the final five kilometres for the Froome group. He has just two teammates left with him now - Nieve and Porte. Contador is lined up with intent on Froome's wheel.

There's been an injection from pace from Nieve and Tejay van Garderen (BMC) slips out the back of the group of favourites.

Jakob Fuglsang, Adam Yates and Daniel Navarro have  also been jettisoned out the pace of a group that is down to just ten riders or so thanks to Nieve's pressing.

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Romain Bardet and Leopold Konig are still in this elite group of favourites, along with Contador, Froome, Nibali, Porte, Kelderman, Talansky, Van Den Broeck and Nieve, who continues to force the pace.

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Leopold Konig is the next man burnt off by Nieve's startling pace-setting. The Spaniard's pace is such that nobody has deigned to attack Froome's yellow jersey.

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Nieve finally swings over and now it's Richie Porte who takes over the pace-setting at the head of his elite yellow jersey group with a shade over 2 kilometres remaining.

Kelderman is beginning to struggle at the rear of the Froome group and looks set to lose contact.

Alberto Contador attacks with 1.7km remaining and opens a small gap over the rest of the group.

Contador opens a lead of 50 metres. Porte climbs out of the saddle but he can't make any inroads into the gap.

Contador is just 12 seconds down overall, of course, and he has already taken a fair chunk of that time back. Porte can't match his pace but for now, Froome is happy to let the Tasmanian continue setting the pace.

Contador is 18 seconds clear of the Froome group as he approaches the final kilometre. He is in the provisional overall lead.

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Nibali is dropped instantly, and only Talansky and Hesjedal - who was only recently caught by the Froome group - can match Froome's pace.

Trofimov and Silin enter the final 300 metres and turn out around. A figure is emerging from the gloom behind. It's Westra, it's Lieuwe Westra...

Westra - remarkably - catches and passes Silin and Trofimov within sight of the finish line.

Lieuwe Westra (Astana) wins the stage and puts his foot to the ground exhausted immediately on crossing the line.

Contador crosses the finish line in fourth place on the stage and he looks set to move into the overall lead.

Froome enters the finishing straight but he's not going to limit his losses sufficiently.

Froome suffers in the finishing straight, and Talansky jumps around him to take fifth on the stage.

Froome loses 20 seconds to Contador, who is the new overall leader of the Dauphine. We believe the Spaniard will carry an 8-second lead over Froome into the final stage.

Andrew Talansky, meanwhile, moves up to third place overall, 39 seconds down on Contador. Kelderman slips to 4th place, 59 seconds down.

Result:

General classification:

“Everybody went to the limit but you don't know what you've got until the end,” Contador said before  mounting the podium. “It was an incredible battle but it's not over yet. Still, it’s great to be able to measure myself against those around me.”

Thanks for joining us for our live coverage of the Dauphine this afternoon. The race is poised on a knife edge ahead of tomorrow's finale at Courchevel, and you can follow the action as it happens on Cyclingnews.

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