Critérium du Dauphiné stage 7 – Live coverage

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 7 of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

It's an early start today and the peloton have already set off to start the 171-kilometre stage. Attacks are flying early on as riders try to make the breakaway.

Andrey Zeits (BikeExchange) is the only man to not take the start today. 135 riders remain in the race.

A look back at yesterday's stage 6, which saw Alejandro Valverde take victory as Alexey Lutsenko moved into the leader's yellow jersey.

Critérium du Dauphiné: Alejandro Valverde wins stage 6

With two HC-rated climbs on the menu today, there's no doubt that this is the queen stage of the race. We should see some major GC action on the climb to La Plagne at the finish today.

Sylvain Moniquet and his Lotto Soudal teammates have been active in the peloton early on today. No breakaway established just yet, though.

159km to go

After 12km of racing we still don't have a move established at the front. Largely flat roads early on so it might take a while.

It's cloudy out on the course. There are light rain showers forecast at La Plagne today.

147km to go

Stage 1 winner Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal) and Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) have been among the latest wave of attackers. The peloton is still all together, though.

A high average speed to start the day – the riders are pushing 48kph so far.

Still more attacks flow but still no breakaway success.

There's still some way to go until the riders hit the first climb of the day, the HC Col du Pré. That starts in around 60km.

Jersey holders Matt Holmes, Alexey Lutsenko and Sonny Colbrelli at the start today.

129km to go

After almost an hour of racing, there has still been no breakaway. Riders are still trying.

49.6 kilometres covered in the first hour. That's a fast pace.

The peloton will be approaching the intermediate sprint at Albertville and the fourth-cat Côte de Venthon soon.

106km to go

Marco Haller (Bahrain Victorious), Alexis Renard (Israel Start-Up Nation), Martin Salmon (Team DSM), and the B&B p/b KTM duo of Pierre Rolland and Franck Bonnamour are on the move currently.

15 seconds is the gap.

Greg Van Avermaet (AG2R Citroën) has hit the deck in the peloton but he's back up and running.

The gap to the attackers is edging up slightly. This could be the break of the day, finally – after almost 80 kilometres of racing.

The peloton race through the French countryside during stage 7.

93km to go / 78km done

Polka dot jersey Matt Holmes attacks now. The attackers have over a minute, though.

Colin Strickland: My chances are as good as anybody to win Unbound Gravel 200

Defending champion makes decision on Allied bike choice and aero hydration experiment day before race

The riders pass through Albertville as the break leads the way through the intermediate sprint. They're 1:40 up as they start the fourth-cat climb of the Côte de Venthon (2.5km at 4.8 per cent).

Haller led Bonnamour and Renard through the sprint point.

Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) and Martijn Tusveld (Team DSM) are with Holmes in the chase. They are closer to the peloton than the break, though.

Bonnamour grabs the point over the top of the Venthon. It's uphill to the base of the Col du Pré now.

Holmes is being joined by more and more riders now. Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo), Martijn Tusveld (Team DSM), Michael Valgren, Lawson Craddock (EF Education-Nippo), Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic), Steff Cras, Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) are all trying to get across.

Lachlan Morton (EF Education-Nippo) has abandoned the race.

A shame for him that he had to miss Unbound Gravel to race here – he finished fourth there in 2019 as part of his EF alternative calendar. This year's 200-mile race kicks off in just over an hour.

80km to go / 91km done

1:20 between the break and large chase group. The peloton is 2:10 back.

A shot of today's break with Haller leading the way.

Astana-Premier Tech leads the peloton for race leader Alexey Lutsenko.

Here's a reminder of the GC top 10...

1 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 20:52:16

2 Ion Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech 0:00:08

3 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:12

4 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:13

5 Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Team DSM

6 Richie Porte (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:15

7 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:27

8 Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:34

9 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:39

10 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:42

Here's what the riders have just started – the Col du Pré. The Cormet de Roselend follows after the HC climb (12.km at 7.7%).

30 seconds between break and chasers. The peloton are over three minutes down.

William Bonnnet (Groupama-FDJ) has abandoned the race.

69km to go / 102km done

Renard has been dropped from the break.

Mikkel Bjerg leading the chase group on the Col du Pré.

There's just over half an hour until the riders over in Kansas, USA set off for the 200-mile challenge that is Unbound Gravel. We have extensive coverage and news from the race over on the race home page. 

We also have a number of pro bike rundowns from the race, too. Click the links to check out what Laurens ten Dam, Peter Stetina, Alison Tetrick, and Eddie Anderson are riding.

Haller, Bonnamour and Rolland remain up front as now Salmon drops from the break.

The riders are still 6km from the top of the climb. The steepest gradients are ahead...

Movistar take it up in the peloton.

The chase group has split now – Valgren, Craddock, Arcas, Cras, Holmes, Elissonde and Tusveld remain.

64km to go / 107km done

Warren Barguil isn't there, which is a surprise..

The break is 2km from the top now. Still three minutes back to the peloton.

The chasing seven are 10-15 seconds back.

Valgren, Craddock, Arcas, Haller, Bjerg, Elissonde, Tusveld catch Rolland and Bonnamour just before the summit. Holmes is dropped, meanwhile..

Bonnamour also drops after his work for Rolland.

A short descent and a flatter section around the Lac de Roselend now and then the riders head back uphill for the Cormet de Roselend.

Craddock (15pts) led Valgren (12pts), Tusveld (10pts) and Rolland (8pts) over the top of the Pré.

The American is on 28 points now and is in the virtual lead of the KOM classification.

A shot of Astana and Ineos leading the peloton earlier on.

Now for the Cormet de Roselend (5.7km at 6.5%) and the break has a 3:45 gap.

Anthony Delplace (Arkéa-Samsic) has abandoned the race.

The break are nearing the top of the climb now.

48km to go / 123km done

And Craddock leads the way over the top to bolster his KOM lead with another five points. Valgren, Tusveld and Elissonde take three, two and one point.

Movistar and Ineos lead the peloton across the top 2:45 down.

Daily Froome update as he just loses contact with the rear of the peloton near the top.

A long descent into the valley now.

Valgren and Brenner have pushed on down the descent. They're ahead of their breakmates.

Lots of hairpins on the way down. It looks great from the air.

32km to go / 139km done

Valgren and Haller continue to lead as they near the bottom of the descent. Three minutes back to the peloton.

Arcas and Tusveld are coming across to Valgren and Haller now as the riders reach Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

26km to go / 145km done

Now Bjerg is back at the front, too.

The gap is still three minutes. The remainder of the break are 30-40 seconds down.

Porte, Geoghegan Hart, Thomas and Valverde in the peloton.

Valgren pushes on alone as the break approaches the final climb to La Plagne.

A look at the final climb today. 2:20 back to the peloton as Valgren starts the ascent.

17km to go / 154km done

Valgren has 15 seconds on the next group on the road and 30 on the rest of the break.

Movistar push in the peloton.

Now Ineos take charge of the peloton.

The pace has really upped in the peloton. The gap is down to 1:40 now and riders from the break – Haller the latest – are brought back. 

A look at Valgren's attack a few kilometres ago.

La Plagne is a fairly steady climb all the way, averaging around the seven percent mark for the most part. It is very long though, at 17 kilometres.

The climb hasn't been in a major race for 19 years, with Michael Boogerd's stage 16 win at the 2002 Tour de France the last time it featured.

14km to go

A minute left for Valgren now. White jersey and fifth-placed man Ilan Van Wilder has been dropped from the peloton.

Kwiatkowski and Van Baarle control the peloton for Ineos. Movistar and Lutsenko up there too.

Pierre Rolland is back at the front with Valgren! Hadn't seen him for a while. 45 seconds back to the peloton as Kwiatkowski pulls off.

Dylan Teuns and Guillaume Martin among those at the rear of the peloton at the moment.

12km to go / 159km done

Now Elissonde is back up with Rolland as Valgren drops away.

Movistar back on the front with four men now. Lutsenko next wheel ahead of Ineos. 25 seconds to the leaders.

Guillaume Martin is dropped.

A fist bump for Elissonde and Rolland and their day is over at just under 11km to go.

The peloton is maybe 20 riders strong now. Lutsenko alone at the front but Izagirre is a bit further back.

Patrick Konrad and Ben Hermans at the back of the peloton now.

10km to go / 161km done

And now they're dropping back.

Gaudu, Quintana, Kelderman, Mas, López, Thomas, Geoghegan Hart, Thomas, Porte Lutsenko, Kuss, O'Connor, Haig all up there in the group.

Valverde works on the front as Steven Kruijwsijk is surprisingly dropped.

8.5km to go

Now Valverde drops away and Porte attacks!

No response from Lutsenko. 

Mas, Sepp Kuss and Mark Padun (Bahrain) are with Porte.

Quintana is struggling behind the chase group.

Padun and Kuss push on now as Porte and Mas drop back.

20 seconds from the pair to the peloton. Porte and Mas in between. Izagirre leads the peloton.

7km to go

Still around 12-15 men in the peloton. Izagirre, Thomas, Geoghegan Hart, Lutsenko in line at the front.

12 seconds between Porte and Mas and the leaders. Mas isn't riding at all here.

Exactly 15 men in the Lutsenko group.

5.5km to go

Kruijswijk makes it back to the peloton.

Kuss was 1:17 down at the start of the day. He and Padun (31:55 down) are 20 seconds up on Porte/Mas now, and 40 up on the peloton.

Porte is virtual yellow jersey at the moment.

5km to go

Izagirre isn't pushing too high a pace here. Up front, Padun attacks!

Attack by Movistar in the peloton! O'Connor follows López with Thomas, Gaudu and Lutsenko following.

4km to go

Kuss is nowhere as Padun pushes on.

Now Gaudu attacks!

Kelderman and Thomas the first to react to the Frenchman.

And now O'Connor attacks on the day his three-year contract extension at AG2R was announced.

Padun won the Adriatica Ionica Race two years ago, taking a win atop Tre Cime di Lavaredo. He's a very good climber.

3km to go

O'Connor is almost with Porte and Mas as López goes again.

And now Gaudu goes again.

Mas goes to the front as López catches. O'Connor and Gaudu are up there too.

Padun still alone, Kuss somewhere in the middle.

1:10 between Padun and the peloton.

2km to go

Gaudu just catching the Mas-Lopez-O'Connor-Porte group now.

25 seconds between the Lopez-Porte-O'Connor-Mas group to Lutsenko-Thomas-etc.

1km to go

Padun is under the flamme rouge.

Padun has this. 

O'Connor and Mas are dropped. Porte and Lopez catch Kuss.

Porte is attacking Lopez now!

Padun celebrates as he reaches the finish line! He wins the queen stage!

Porte is riding into yellow and he's about to take second.

Lopez third ahead of Haig, O'Connor, Kuss.

Lutsenko is out of yellow at around a minute behind Padun.

Porte leads the GC by 17 seconds now. Thomas in third at 29 seconds behind Lutsenko.

Here's what stage winner Mark Padun said after his victory today...

"It's incredible. An incredible moment for me. It's my first WT victory in one of the hardest stages of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Also honestly the last six stages I felt so bad it was incredible. Every day I was thinking it was maybe impossible to finish the race. When I crossed the finish line I had the feeling that I'd wake up in my bed, but it's not a dream and thank Jesus for this fact!

"I never thought I would be riding in the top 10. I thought maybe I'd arrive in th efirst 20 guys When Richie Porte attacked I trid to close the gap because my leader Jack Haig was in the group.

"When I saw we were four in front with a small gap, I thought 'why not do something and maybe they'd show me on TV for my mother'. And then Sepp Kuss attacked and I just decided to go. For me it was really unexpected when he dropped and then I just went full gas and hoped nobody would catch me anymore.

"After the last year I was thinking that maybe cycling is not my sport. It's incredible. I want to thank Jesus and thank my team who believed in me and who didn't tell me stop and wait for Jack. They just let me go for the victory and I'm thankful for them for this."

Here's today's other big winner, new yellow jersey Richie Porte.

Here's our brief report and results from the day along with a photo gallery

Porte in yellow on the podium. 

"A great day, Richie in yellow. Can't complain," said teammate Geraint Thomas after the finish. More to come shortly.

Thomas: Critérium du Dauphiné stage 7 'worked out perfectly' for Ineos Grenadiers

Porte rides into race lead with Thomas in third place ahead of Sunday's final stage

The classifications summary after stage 7...