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Criterium du Dauphine 2019: Stage 7

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Bonjour and welcome to our live coverage. 

The weather is still unsettled in the French Alps, with storms expected in the mountains but race organiser ASO have confirmed the stage. 

Five riders did not this morning: Davide Ballerini (Astana), Jens Debusschere and Mads Würtz Schmidt (Katusha-Alpecin), André Greipel (Arkea-Samsic) and Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb).

To read more about Tom Dumoulin's decision to quit the Dauphine, click here. 

The flag drops and they're off! 

Despite going on the attack and winning yesterday, Julian Alaphilippe is one the most active riders in the opening kilometres.

Alaphilippe has a opened gap with  Alexis Gougeard (Ag2r La Mondiale).

Gruppo compatto. Alaphilippe has been brought to heel.

Jan Tratnik (Bahrain-Merida) and Florian Stork (Team Sunweb) are on the attack now.

118km remaining from 133km

The riders left Saint-Genix-les-Villages, north of Grenoble under blue skies but storms are forecast for later in the stage. 

113km remaining from 133km

Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) leads the general classification for the third consecutive day and so wears the yellow jersey.

We spoke to Richie Porte on what he expects this weekend.

"It was still pretty fast up the last climb, I think no day is easy. It was flat out rain at the start and then it became hot there in the final," he said of Friday's stage.

Porte confirmed that without Chris Froome, the Dauphine is very different.   

Riders in the 22 attack group include Woods, Theuns, Gilbert, Ledanois, Moscon, Power, Fernandez, Cherel, Rosskopf, Cort Nielsen, Hansen, Padun, Hofstede, Eg, Howson, Van Baarle, Haig, Mertz, Grossschartner, Alaphilippe, Lutsenko and Pacher.

103km remaining from 133km

The 22 attackers are Gianni Moscon and Dylan van Baarle (Ineos), Jack Haigh and Damian Howson (Mitchelton-Scott), Mikaël Chérel (AG2R-La Mondiale), Julian Alaphilippe and Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Felix Grossschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe), Alexey Lutsenko and Magnus Cort (Astana), Jesper Hansen (Cofidis), Ruben Fernandez (Movistar), Lennard Hofstede (Jumbo-Visma), Niklas Eg and Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo), Michael Woods (EF Education First), Rémy Mertz (Lotto-Soudal), Mark Padun (Bahrain-Merida), Joey Rosskopf (CCC), Quentin Pacher (Vital Concept), Kevin Ledanois (Arkea-Samsic) and Rob Power (Team Sunweb).

Alaphilippe is there and so too is Lutsenko. He is only 30 down on Yates and so Mitchelton-Scott is leading the chase. 

97km remaining from 133km

90km remaining from 133km

There are 27 riders on the attacks, with the peloton refusing to let them go.

The riders are on the 7.6km Col de l’Épine, which is likely to shake out the attack and test the peloton.

The riders covered 39.7km in the first hour of racing and that includes the 7.6km Col de l’Épine!

89km remaining from 133km

81km remaining from 133km

After a super fast and aggressive 50km, the 27 riders have come together, behind Alaphilippe and Hofstede, who lead by 30 seconds.

The race soon hits the 12km Col du Granier, where can expect a further shake-up. 

72km remaining from 133km

69km remaining from 133km

66km remaining from 133km

64km remaining from 133km

This is a race shot of Alaphilippe on the attack. 

58km remaining from 133km

Hofstede crashes! He got a corner wrong and went into a ditch. He was fortunate to avoid injury and is chasing Alaphilippe. 

52km remaining from 133km

Indeed, from the CN blimp we can so chasers on the move. 

46km remaining from 133km

39km remaining from 133km

The peloton is 2:30 back as the final of the stage looms.

The race is starting the 10km Col de Marcieu. 

37km remaining from 133km

The rain is coming down, with forecasts for it to get a lot, lot worse.

There is thick fog at the mountain finish of Les Sept Laux-Pipay. 

Woods and Lutsenko are now on the attack up front, as Alaphilippe eases up. 

32km remaining from 133km

Riders in the storm. 

It is also pouring with rain at the finish, stopping the live television broadcast. We've also landed the CN blimp. 

Oh no! Flat for Woods. He needs a front wheel change. 

25km remaining from 133km

The chasers and the peloton are spread out on the descent of the Col de Marcieu.

Lutsenko is solo on the descent but he's taking it carefully on the wet roads.

21km remaining from 133km

The GC contenders are 1:45 back. In the valley road they take off their capes but may need them later, even  on the 19km climb up to the finish. 

There are several groups between them and Lutsenko.  

19km remaining from 133km

Behind them at 35 seconds are Haig, Grossschartner, Cort, Rosskopf, Ledanois, Power.

17km remaining from 133km

Movistar is now leading the peloton to protect and perhaps set-up Nairo Quintana.

17km remaining from 133km

Meanwhile, this is the situation at the finish, where the heavy rain has created a large puddle just 50m from the finish.

15km remaining from 133km

Magnus Cort Nielsen is setting the pace up front to help Astana teammate Lutsenko. 

14km remaining from 133km

12km remaining from 133km

11km remaining from 133km

11km remaining from 133km

Kwiatkowski and Howson are onto him.

Here we go! It's time for the GC showdown.

Quintana pushes on.

Kwiatkowski is glued on Quintana's wheel, protecting his Ineos team leader Poels.

The rain is heavy again, soaking the riders. 

10km remaining from 133km

9km remaining from 133km

Behind Pinot attacks. He knows it is the moment to go and test Yates. 

Dan Martin goes after Pinot.

8km remaining from 133km

8km remaining from 133km

For now Adam Yates is staying on the wheels. Is he suffering or waiting?

7km remaining from 133km

6km remaining from 133km

The climb is about to steepen with 2km at 8%. 

5km remaining from 133km

Van Garderen is riding with Yates, just behind Bardet.

4km remaining from 133km

Here we go! Fuglsang accelerates hard!!

Porte is struggling behind. This is the shake out.

Bardet now attacks alone. 

He's not a GC threat but wants the stage victory.

Buchmann surges after Poels is caught. Quintana is suffering behind.

Fuglsang goes across to Buchmann. He looks strong.

2km remaining from 133km

Now Yates accelerates, with Pinot and Martin on  his wheel. 

1km remaining from 133km

1km remaining from 133km

0km remaining from 133km

Poels surges across! 

He passes them. 

Wout Poels wins the stage! 

Fuglsang and Buchmann finish just behind.

Yates and other chasers lose 10 seconds or so. 

Poels lets out a huge roar as he crosses the line. That win was perhaps for teammate Chris Froome as much for himself. 

Fuglsang missed out on the stage victory but the time bonus for second place helped him take the leader’s yellow jersey from Yates with just Sunday’s final mountain stage to race.

This is a screen grab image of Poels celebrating his win.

This is the top ten for the stage.

This is the new GC: 

This shot of Dan Martin by his UAE Team Emirates team shows the terrible weather conditions. 

This is the first shot of Poels celebrating his win.

Wout Poels confirmed that his stage win was for Chris Froome after his terrible crash on Wednesday.

On Friday Froome was diagnosed with further minor fractures in his sternum and vertebrae. 

As the stage at the Dauphine was underway, Froome issued his first personal message, thanking everyone for the help and messages of support.

Thanks for joining us for our full live coverage of stage 7. 

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