Richie Porte wins the Critérium du Dauphiné

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After two previous runner-up spots at the Critérium du Dauphiné, Richie Porte (Ineos Grenadiers) sealed his first victory at the race with a controlled display on the final stage through the Haute-Savoie Alps to Les Gets.

The Australian was barely put in trouble during a stage which concluded with the HC-rated cliimb of the Col de Joux Plane before dropping into Morzine and then climbing to the finish. He fended off numerous attacks in the final kilometres, but finished safely alongside teammate Geraint Thomas in an elite GC group to take the overall title by 17 seconds from Astana-Premier Tech's Alexey Lutsenko, with Thomas taking third.

Two minutes up the road, Mark Padun (Bahrain Victorious) rounded off a phenomenal weekend with his second stage win in two days, the 24-year-old also taking the mountain classification after making the day's early break.

The Ukrainian dropped his breakaway companions on the early slopes of the Joux Plane with just under 30 kilometers to go, and he was never troubled from that point on, easily extending his advantage to over a minute at the top. All that remained was to stay safe on the descent before celebrating another mountain victory to round off the best week of his career.

"This race, having been second here twice and once year losing second in the last kilometre, to finally win it I'm just over the moon," said Porte after the stage. "All the sacrifices, time away from my wife and two kids, is worth it. This team Ineos Grenadiers were just absolutely brilliant today.

"I know the descent of the Joux Plane well and we've done it many, many times, so decided to do it at my own pace. When I saw Geraint crash it wasn't ideal for the last six kilometres. He has some pretty bad road rash, but he'll be tip top for the Tour."

While Porte took home the yellow jersey for the first time in his career, Padun enjoyed a last-day overhaul to take the blue and white polka dot jersey. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) took home the white young rider's jersey, while Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) won the green points jersey.

How it unfolded

Unlike almost every other stage this week, the break on the final stage of the race formed relatively quickly.

Julien Bernard (Trek-Segafredo) and Franck Bonnamour (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) triggered the move and were quickly soon by a large group of riders: Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), Jorge Arcas, Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Patrick Konrad, Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe), Dorian Godon (AG2R Citroën), Warren Barguil (Arkéa Samsic), Harry Sweeny (Lotto Soudal), Mark Padun (Bahrain Victorious), Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo), Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) and Sander Armée (Qhubeka Assos).

Their lead soon stretched to five minutes over the peloton, with a smaller group comprising Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), Michael Valgren (EF Education-Nippo), Martijn Tusveld (Team DSM), Jan Bakelants (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) in between trying to bridge up to the front. Although Wellens dropped away, this second group joined the break midway up the Aravis, with the peloton now 3-45 back.

As he had done previously on the previous second-category climb, Padun took maximum points at the summit of the Aravis, putting the Ukrainian eight behind mountains leader Lawson Craddock (EF Education-Nippo). When he then led over the first-category Col de la Colombière, the Bahrain rider took the lead in the KoM competition, Valgren, Politt and Barguil following over the top, with the peloton now within three minutes.

As soon as the break reached the first slopes of the super-category Joux Plane, Padun accelerated, Martin and Konrad tracking him briefly. Led by Ineos Grenadiers, the peloton started up the climb three minutes later. Ben Hermans (Israel Start-Up Nation) and Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) attempted to go clear of the yellow jersey group, but both were inexorably reeled back in by the Ineos train.

Jumbo-Visma's Steven Kruijswijk was the next to try his luck, his teammate Sepp Kuss slipping out of the back of the group at almost the same time. Meanwhile, Movistar's tactic of putting two riders in the break paid off as Erviti and Arcas dropped back to the yellow jersey group and started setting the pace, their pace reeling in Kruijswijk and slimming down the group.

When Erviti, Arcas and then Carlos Verona pulled aside, Ineos took over once again, no doubt expecting an attack from one of the Movistar leaders. It came from Miguel Ángel López, but the Colombian too was brought to heel by the Tao Geoghegan Hart-led yellow jersey group. Bahrain's Jack Haig then chose that moment to attack and was the first of the GC contenders over the Joux Plane, his rivals just a handful of seconds behind.

Although Padun lost time on the descent to Morzine and the 5km climb up to Les Gets, his victory was never in doubt. He had enough of a gap to devote most of the last kilometer to his celebrations.

All of the key action was now taking place in the much-reduced yellow jersey group. Haig was caught on the descent off the Joux Plane, then Thomas lost his front wheel on a hairpin and slid to the deck. Though his shorts were ripped, he regained contact with the group on the climb to Les Gets.

While the Welshman recouped that lost ground, there were several attacks on Porte, Astana duo Ion Izagirre and Lutsenko the source of most of them. Just as Thomas rejoined, Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën) jumped away, the Australian seeking, vainly as it turned out, to gain a place or two on the overall classification. Thomas, meanwhile, powered through to the front of the yellow jersey group, his tempo preventing further attempts to unseat Porte right at the last.

Hitherto elusive, 36-year-old Richie Porte had won the Critérium du Dauphiné 36 years after the only previous Australian victor, Phil Anderson.