Paris-Nice stage 7 Live - GC contenders nearing last summit finish of the race

It's raining again, just as the race is about to get hard.

15KM TO GO

2-30 now is the gap. Just 8km until the official start of the climb. 

And another - Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda. Drop-outs are understandable in such foul weather. 

Another DNF to report - Anthony Turgis. 

Storer is currently pushing for a podium finish on the virtual GC.

Interestingly, Storer rolls through to take the bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint from the break. He has more on his mind than just the stage win.

20KM TO GO

The gap's down a little more, to 2-40. This is going to be a tight one. 

UAE Team Emirates are helpind Red Bull and XDS-Astana again. There's some real firepower in this chase now.

The peloton is thinning out under the pace. More riders are dropping back and forming an autobus. 

The work from these teams is beginning to have an effect. The gap is starting to come down, to 2-50.

Other teams are joining the case in the peloton. Astana and Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe are taking over from Visma and UAE.

Merlier is dropped out the back of the peloton. The gradient is already a little too hard for a sprinter like him.

30KM TO GO

Still over three minutes for the break. This is still looking good for them.

Lidl-Trek have an update on Skjelmose. He's being taken to hospital in an ambulance.

The weather is ok out on the road for now with the rain having relented. But not at the finish at the top of the climb - up there, it’s currently snowing. This is going to be another grim finale for the riders.

For all their work though, the gap is holding steady, and remains at about 3-10.

UAE's Almeida does have a real shot at the podium, now just 1-20 off it following Skjelmose's abandon. But their work seems to be as much about targeting the stage win as it is GC, as the pace they're setting suggests they want to bring the break back.

40KM TO GO

The gap remains at about 3 minutes, but UAE Team Emirates are lending men to the chase in the peloton, and the pace is high. 

The man second on GC, Florian Lipowitz, is back with his Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team car. He doesn’t seem to have a significant problem though.

The break's lead is up to 3 minutes. For the stronger climbers in it, there's a real chance for a stage win developing. 

SKJELMOSE DNF

Skjelmose has abandoned the race. He was so well-poised on GC, in third overall.

Visma-Lease a Bike leading the peloton earlier.

Mechanical for Affini of Visma-Lease a Bike, who's out the back of the peloton getting it sorted. 

50KM TO GO

50km to go, the gap between the peloton and the break is 2-40.

He's still on the floor, and looks likely to abandon.

The Dane has fallen heavily after trying to avoid a traffic island.

CRASH

Skjelmose has gone down.

Yesterday's winner Mads Pedersen is dropped out of the peloton.

Back in the peloton, UAE Team Emirates are leading the peloton, along with Visma-Lease a Bike. They clearly still fancy the chances of Almeida, despite the time he lost yesterday.

Küng is still having to chase back from his crash earlier. 

The weather continues to have an adverse effect. The rain is heavier now.

60M TO GO

The gap has grown again, as they start the long drag to the foot of the final climb. It’s up to aout 2-30 now.

We have our first DNF of the day - Alexander Kristoff.

It seems Stefan Küng went down in a crash. He's having to make his way back into the lead group.

Here's a look at the breakaway at the front of the race.

The weather might be milder, but it's still grim. It's started to rain.

70KM TO GO

1-30 is the gap as they reach the bottom of the descent. Lidl aren't letting them grow much of a lead.

Lidl-Trek is the team leading the peloton. Are they going to try to challenge the yellow jersey with leader Mattias Skjelmose? He’s currently 3rd overall, at 59 seconds. 

After taking on a false flat after the previous climb, the riders are now descending for the first - and only - time today.

The gap’s getting bigger. It’s grown to over 1-30.

The other top climbs who’d challenge Storer and Alaphilippe for the stage in would likely be Romeo, Steinhauser and Powless.

Romeo’s been in great form this year, having finished fourth overall at the UAE Tour; Steinhauser proved his climbing credentials with a stage win in the Dolomites at the Giro last year; and Powless has long been established as a quality climber.

This is a very good group for Tudor Pro Cycling. They have both their best riders, Michael Storer and Julian Alaphilippe, present in it. If they manage to stay clear and contest for the stage win, Storer would arguably be the favourite to take the victory on the final climb.

Over a minute now for the breakaway, who looks well established. 

Here are the new KOM standings, with Delettre now just four points away from the top:

1 Thomas Gachignard 21

2 João Almeida 20

3 Alexandre Delettre 17

4 Lenny Martinez 14

At the top of the climb, Delettre took the maximum 5 points on offer. He has his eye on Thomas Gachignard's KOM jersey. 

The peloton on the road. It's milder today, with temperatures up to over 10 degrees.

90KM TO GO

As they crest the climb, the break has a lead of 40 seconds over the peloton.

Here are the 15 leaders, as the near the top of the climb:

Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor)

Michael Storer (Tudor)

Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)

Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

Kelland O’Brien (Jayco AlUla)

Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla)

Clément Izquierdo (Cofidis)

Anthony Perez (Cofidis)

Alexandre Delettre (Total Energies) 

Jordan Jegat (Total Energies) 

Josh Tarling (Ineos)

Ivan Romeo (Movistar)

Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ)

Alfred Wright (Bahrain Victorious)

Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)

So we now have a lead group of 15 riders,  of high quality. We'll have a full run-down soon.

The chase group featuring Alaphilippe and Tarling has joined the leaders.

The highest place GC rider up the road is Michael Storer, who is 13th at 3-55. As the only rider within 10 minutes of Jorgenson, the other breakaway riders might be annoyed at his presence, as he gives the peloton a reason to chase that none of them do.

Romeo, Tarling, Kung and Alaphilippe are among those also trying to bridge over. It's all action!

Armirail has made it into the lead group.

More attacks from the peloton, and by strong climbers - Armirail and Steinhauser are on the move.

The make up of that group is chaning on the climb. Powless has joined them, while Otruba and Thierry have been dropped.

It seems it’s Anthony Perez rather than Johan Jacobs who is one of the twelve riders. Here’s the full list again:

Kelland O’Brien, Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), Alfred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) Marco Haller, Michael Storer (Tudor),  Pierre Thierry (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility), Clément Izquierdo,  Anthony Perez (Cofidis), Alexandre Démettre, Jordan Jegat (Total Energies) and Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA).

That appears to be what Neilson Powless has in mind, as he attacks out of the peloton. The American is way down on GC at 15-53, having lost more time yesterday in the wind.

CÔTE D’ASPREMONT

The riders are climbing the Côte d'Aspremont, a 9.3km that rises at 4.9%. This could provide a spingboard for strong climbers to establish themselves in a break.

100KM TO GO

That group has a lead of about 30 seconds, but the attacks aren't over yet. Julian Alaphilippe is involved in a move trying to bridge over to them.

Here were the riders at the start.

Those twelve riders are: Kelland O’Brien, Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), Alfred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) Marco Haller, Michael Storer (Tudor),  Pierre Thierry (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility), Clément Izquierdo, Johan Jacobs (Movistar), Alexandre Démettre, Jordan Jegat (Total Energies) and Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA).

As expected, there’s lots of interest in getting into the break. 12 riders are up the road already.

Mauro Schmid attacks right away and is being joined by others.

109KM TO GO

And they're off!

As for those who were dumped out of GC contention in those echelons, today could represent an opportunity for redemption via getting into the day’s break and targeting the stage win. We know the great form Lenny Martinez is in based on his victory two days ago, and now he’s way down in 23rd on GC at 9-58, he might have the freedom to get into the day’s break.

Yesterday’s crosswind action upended the GC, as Visma-Lease a Bike dealt a serious blow to many of Matteo Jorgenson’s rivals for yellow. Now, only three riders are within 2-40 of him - Florian Lipowitz (at 0-40), Mattias Skjelmose (0-59) and Thymen Arensman (1-20). Jorgenson’s therefore in pole position, but those three riders are close enough to put him under pressure today.

More riders are being reported as DNS: Max Walscheid (Jayco AlUla), Robin Froidevaux (Tudor), Cees Bol (XDS Astana), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Hugo Page (Intermarché-Wanty).

Although short, this stage is still set to be hard, with much of it spent riding uphill. The riders will climb the 9.3km Côte d'Aspremont after just 10km, and will spend about 60km towards the foot of the final climb to Aurin going gradually but unrelentingly uphill. By the time they reach the official start of the climb, they will already be at around 1,000m above sea level.

Molano, De Gendt and Aniołkowski are also said to be ill. Given the conditions this week, you'd imagine some riders must have come down with something. 

There are several non-starters who have not signed on today - sprinters Juan Sebastián Molano and Arnaud Démare, aware that they have no more chances for stage wins, plus Aimé De Gendt and Stanisław Aniołkowski.

The riders are making their way through the neutralised zone as we speak, ahead of what could, on account of this being such a short stage, be an intense start in terms of riders trying to get into the breakaway.

Thankfully, the stage is still going ahead, and still ends with a summit finish - and a hard one, too. The final 7.3km to the finish at Auron climb at an average of 6.9%, and is alone enough to instigate some exciting GC racing that could turn the race on its head.

The penultimate day of Paris-Nice was supposed to be a feast of climbing Queen Stage, but the bad weather that has affected the race this week prompted the organisers to drop two climbs and reduced the length to just 109.3km.

Hello and welcome to stage 7 of Paris-Nice.