Live coverage of stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse. It's the queen stage of the race - 224.3km with a high-altitude summit finish at the Rettenbach Glacier above Sölden.
Hello there and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the queen stage of the Tour de Suisse. After two days in the mountains, the trend continues today as we have a repeat of last-year's finale up at the Rettenbach Glacier. A massive day in terms of the GC.
This is what's in store
As you can see, there's an early hors-catégorie mountain pass but it almost pales into insignificance when you glance across to the final climb. It's brutally steep, with an average gradient of over 10%, it's long, and it's high up - 2669 metres above sea level. To compound matters, it comes as the final chapter in a stage that's a whopping 224km in length.
As we pick up the action, the riders have covered the flat opening section of the race. We have a two-man breakaway of Mathias Brandle (IAM) and Iljo Keisse (Etixx-QuickStep), who was in the break yesterday.
184km remaining from 224km
Three non-starters to report today:
Before things get serious on this stage, why not catch up on yesterday's action-packed stage 6?
Tolhoek has finally made the bridge, so we now have a trio out front with a lead of over 9 minutes.
Tolhoek, the 22-year-old neo-pro, has been a mainstay of the breakaways at this year's Tour de Suisse.
169km remaining from 224km
The breakaway trio are about to make their way onto the first climb of the day, and they do so with a lead of over 12 minutes.
There's more fall-out from Operación Puerto this morning, as debate rages over WADA's 10-year statute of limitations and the (in)ability to sanction riders who might be paired to one or more of the 211 blood bags.
So, well over 12 minutes for the break as they take on the steepest ramps of the HC Hochtannbergpass. Is that enough for the stage win?
After this climb the road descends before a bit of false flat, but then it kicks up once more - quite viciously actually - to the Arlbergpass. It's not a categorised climb, but it will definitely be felt in the legs.
And here's a nice shot from the Katusha team taken from the top of the Arlbergpass where there are actually blue skies! After two days of miserable rain, the weather gods have taken mercy...
The leading trio are on the upper slopes of this first mountain pass and we can expect Tolhoek to soon skip away in search of the KOM points.
Feed zone bantz from IAM Cycling, who have collected snowballs from the mountain
As expected, Tolhoek goes for it at the summit and takes maximum KOM points ahead of Brandle and then Keisse. He has now reached triple figures and has nearly double the tally of his nearest rival - teammate Pieter Weening.
The peloton have made some inroads into the breakaway's advantage on the climb and the gap has come down to 10 minutes.
No real urgency or attacks yet in the bunch. The fireworks will be saved for the bumper final climb.
Kamil Gradek of Verva ActiveJet has abandoned the race.
Away from the Tour de Suisse, we have a special feature today on Cyclingnews with the last in our 'Dream Team' series.
The breakaway riders are out of the saddle once again as they make their way up the Arlbergpass.
We're hearing that Pierre Latour has abandoned the race. The young Frenchman was wearing the leader's jersey yesterday before struggling on the final climb and losing the overall lead to Wilco Kelderman.
104km remaining from 224km
Oscar Gatto (Tinkoff) has also abandoned the race.
Confirmation there from AG2R-La Mondiale that Latour has abandoned due to bronchitis.
The peloton shave another minute off the breakaway's lead and it's now down to 9:30
Before the pros take their turn, sportive riders are out in force on the final climb to the Rettenbach Glacier, where cows are currently lining the road!
We have a fairly lengthy preamble now ahead of the final climb. The bunch is slowly but surely reducing the breakaway's advantage and so far, so formulaic today.
The Rettenbach Glacier provided the one of most memorable moments of last year's race - exactly one year ago today.
The riders pass through the feed zone and get themselves well fuelled for the monstrous mountain that is soon to rise up before them.
The gap still stands at nine minutes but the breakaway riders are about to emerge onto the flat, which is where we should see their lead diminish considerably.
Tolhoek has dropped back from the breakaway.
Tolhoek's teammates, Raymond Kreder and Berden de Vries, have just abandoned the race.
Plenty of snow up at the finish. It's cold and crisp up there, but the riders will just be thankful it's not wet...
One person who'll be glad of the improved conditions is Tejay Van Garderen, who put his travails yesterday down to the weather.
We have a new time check and it appears the two leaders have managed to reverse the trend and grow the gap back out. It currently stands at 11 minutes 30.
10:30 now for our two brave breakaway men, who have had just each other for company for most of this long, long day. Keisse leading it at the moment, with arms tucked over his bars as he continues to plough on along these flat valley roads.
LottoNL-Jumbo are amassed at the front of the bunch keeping things under control for the race leader Wilco Kelderman. If the Dutchman can deliver again today it'd be another statement of intent ahead of the Tour de France.
Astana also have representatives up there, with Miguel Angel Lopez still clearly feeling good. The Colombian put in a really impressive display on the Rettenbachferner last year in his neo-pro season and has been racing really confidently this week, currently finding himself fifth overall.
Giant-Alpcin are also prominent at the front of the bunch, as are Cannondale. The former have Warren Barguil, who was second on stage 5, in second overall, while the American squad had a really good day yesterday with Joe Dombrowski putting in a really strong shift to pave the way for Andrew Talansky to move up into third overall.
27km remaining from 224km
The duo pass through the first intermediate sprint point in Langenfeld and it's Keisse who takes maximum points, though it's not really contested.
The peloton will soon pass through that sprint point and we might see Max Richeze, leader of the points classification, reach out to mop up the remaining points to extend his lead.
A big shout-out to Richeze, who has finished 2nd, 4th, 1st, 138th, and 2nd on the road stages so far.
And on cue, Richeze eases off the front of the bunch at the intermediate sprint. Sagan doesn't offer a challenge.
Giant-Alpecin are really pushing on here. The gap is falling fairly quickly now and currently stands at 8:39. Not the best news for our leaders.
17km remaining from 224km
We have one more intermediate sprint point before the climbing begins.
Another minute has been shaved off the breakaway duo's lead on the flat. 7:30 is the gap now.
Keisse and Brandle switch from big ring to inner ring and from drops to hoods as they hit the lower slopes of the climb.
11km remaining from 224km
Brandle is just tapping away at it at his own rhythm as he opens up a substantial lead on Keisse.
The peloton now hit Sölden and Richeze once again comes to the fore to mop up those sprint points.
The peloton start the climb 6:30 in arrears. It may be close, but it's still likely that today's winner will come from this bunch.
Yesterday's efforts take their toll in Weening, who is immediately out the back as the road heads uphill. The same goes for Sagan.
The peloton hit this steep early section and it's LottoNL who are forcing the pace.
10km remaining from 224km
Kelderman is losing teammates here as Barguil has Ten Dam and Geschke leading the bunch for him. Where is the Team Sky chokehold we saw on stage 5?
Geraint Thomas does have Kiryienka and a couple of teammates with him but they're content to let Giant take it up for now.
Brandle ploughs on but he's now just 5 minutes ahead.
Michele Scarponi comes to the front now - probably the standout mountain domestique of this year's Giro, where he played a big role in Vincenzo Nibali's dramatic victory.
The road winds its way up through the pine trees - an average gradient, remember, of over 10% - and Brandle loses another minute.
Gorka Izagirre is dropped as Matvey Makykin (Katusha) attacks.
And now Sky hit the front and it's the metronome Kiryienka who grinds his way up with that low cadence.
8km remaining from 224km
The riders are yet to come up above the snow line but at the finish it's closing in and the snow is starting to come down.
7km remaining from 224km
Kelderman in trouble!
Kiryienka's pace setting is putting lots of riders in difficulty, and our race leader has been dropped. He tries to fight but he's not closing the gap here.
It's raining on the riders now but it won't be long before that will be felt as snowflakes.
This GC group is ever-thinning.
Brandle gets out of the saddle in a vain attempt is get some power through the pedals but nothing is doing. He has less than a minute now on the rapidly-advancing GC group.
It's all over for Brandle. He's caught with 5.4km to go.
He's been suffering like a dog all the way up this climb but the Austrian finds the strength to pull a wheelie for the cameras as he is caught.
5km remaining from 224km
12 riders in this front group now as the gradients begin to ramp up once more after a slight respite. You can see the members of the group in the situation bar on the right of your screen.
Van Garderen attacks!
The American really suffered yesterday and lost nearly a minute to the rest of these guys, but he's fighting back here and immediately opens up a gap.
As the weather conditions deteriorate there are problems with the TV transmission and we lose pictures of this main group as they make their way up the mountain.
Talanksy in trouble after that Van Garderen attack.
3.5km to go and Barguil goes now in pursuit of Van Garderen.
Van Garderen has a lead of 20 seconds. Kelderman is 1:30 back.
Barguil looks good here but Kiryienka is trying to close it down. Yes, the Sky domestique is still up there shepherding Thomas.
3km remaining from 224km
Pantano goes now, just over a minute back at the start of the day.
2km remaining from 224km
Kiryienka's work is finally done. Talansky leads that group now, Spilak second wheel, then Thomas.
As Van Garderen suffered yesterday, his hopes of winning the race for Tour de France leadership at BMC took a knock. A stage win here would be a good way of reaffirming his intent.
Pantano reaches Barguil as the riders come up above the snow line.
Miguel Angel Lopez now attacks.
1km remaining from 224km
Talanksy and Spilak set off now and they're just behind Lopez. Thomas leads the rest of this struggling group.
Lopez makes his way up to Barguil and Pantano. Great ride from the young Colombian.
Barguil sugres as he sees Lopez coming up but the Colombian comes through and puts in a dig of his own. Pantano falls away.
Van Garderen comes into the barriers with a few hundred metres to go. I think he has enough.
200m to go. Van Garderen can soon sit up...
Tejay Van Garderen wins stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse
Lopez comes through now and takes second ahead of Barguil
Yellow jersey for Barguil
Pantano comes through now ahead of Talansky.
Next it's Spilak, Izaguirre, and the CCC duo. Where's Thomas?
Thomas, whose teammate did such a huge amount of work on that climb, comes home 1:10 behind Van Garderen.
And now Wilco Kelderman comes home, but he's 2:07 behind and he'll slip well down the GC.
Barguil now leads the Tour de Suisse by 21 seconds over Miguel Angel Lopez. Andrew Talansky is third at 24 seconds. Results on the way shortly.
Top 10
General classification after stage 7
"Today is kind of mixed emotions, because I know I had the form here to win overall but I made a big error yesterday. But at least we're coming away from this race with something," says Van Garderen, whose error was in dealing with yesterday's sodden conditions.
Breaking: Simon Yates has received a four-month ban after his positive test for Terbutaline.
How about a brief stage report?
Van Garderen emerges onto the podium to soak up his victory - his first road stage win in well over a year.
And now Barguil pulls on the yellow jersey. What a race he's having, and how French expectations must be rising ahead of Le Tour... Thibaut Pinot won the queen stage at the Dauphine last week, where Romain Bardet was second overall, and now this from Barguil in Switzerland.
Max Richeze is understandably a little late to the podium proceedings after making his way up that climb in one of the many little gruppetti... But here he his pulling on the points classification jersey, which is almost certainly is to keep for good.
A first finish line shot of Van Garderen
Tomorrow signals a brief respite from the mountain fest, but it's far from a day off for the GC men. No, the rolling 16km time trial in Davos is definitely another day for the overall.
That's all from us today, thanks for joining us for the queen stage of the Tour de Suisse and make sure you tune in again tomorrow when we'll bring you full live coverage of the time trial. Bye!
-
Lauren De Crescenzo: Team Amani women gravel riders 'redefine what’s possible' in Africa
Lauren De Crescenzo shares photos and lessons shared and learned after spending 12 days with Black Mamba Development women -
Tadej Pogačar's training: What sessions does the three-time Tour de France champion do?
Calculating the world champion's training zones -
'I've reached another level' - Adam Yates eyes Giro d'Italia GC fight in 2025
UAE Team Emirates leader to return to Italian Grand Tour after eight-year absence
-
Remco Evenepoel targets return on bike in February following training crash
'We're aiming for mid-April to really start competing again' says Belgian as he recovers from multiple fractures following dooring incident -
Where are they now? Team Sky's 2012 Tour de France-winning team
The key figures of the history-making British squad, over a decade on from their era-dawning victory -
The end of an era - What Patrick Lefevere's retirement means for pro cycling
'These are big shoes to fill' - admits new Soudal-QuickStep CEO Jurgen Foré
-
'I think that he can still improve a little bit' - Tadej Pogačar's coach to increase Slovenian's strength and intensity training for 2025
UAE Team Emirates coaches Javier Sola and Jeroen Swart on how they power and nutrition have changed the sport and Pogačar's preparation -
'Full of the joy of cycling' - How Victor Campenaerts sealed his career in 2024
'Saturated' with personal success after Tour de France stage win, team goals now rule for Belgian rider as he shifts to Visma-Lease a Bike -
Grace Brown, Saya Sakakibara awarded Australian cyclists of the year
The Olympic gold medallists in the time trial and BMX racing share Sir Hubert Opperman Trophy as Ben O'Connor wins men's road cyclist of the year
