Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) has won the queen stage of the Criterium du Dauphine, beating Ben Swift (UAE Team Emirates) into second place after they were part of an early break.
The Brit distanced breakaway companion and former team-mate on the early slopes of the final climb up to the finish and never looked back, taking the win by 13 seconds.
The pair had formed part of the day’s large 17-man breakaway on a brutal day of climbing in France, and later found themselves in a group of six on the penultimate Col de Sarenne. But the pair distanced the rest of the break and went head-to-head in the battle for the stage win, with Kennaugh coming out on top.
Richie Porte crossed the line with Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang at 1’56”, eight seconds ahead of Andrew Talansky and Alberto Contador. Chris Froome lost about 24 seconds to the race leader.
“Being on Alpe d’Huez makes it all the more special”, said Kennaugh. “Plus, I didn’t even know I was coming to this race a week before. I was at altitude training in preparation for the Tour de Suisse and then three days before the race they said I had to come here because of injury and illness. Now, here I am. It’s funny how the world works sometimes!”
Victoire pour @Petekennaugh, écarts entre favoris, revivez le final / Win for Kennaugh, gaps between favorites, relive the finish!#Dauphine pic.twitter.com/iJ2Q3P3O8k
— Critérium Dauphiné (@dauphine) 10 iunie 2017
Criterium du Dauphine 2017 – stage 7 results (Aoste – Alpe d’Huez):
| 1 | Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) | 4:43:59 |
| 2 | Ben Swift (UAE Team Emirates) | +13” |
| 3 | Jesus Herrada (Movistar) | +01’11” |
| 4 | Jelle Vanendert (Lotto Soudal) | +01’13” |
| 5 | Romain Bardet (AG2R) | +01’14” |
| 6 | Richie Porte (BMC) | +01’56” |
| 7 | Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) | ,, |
| 8 | Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac) | +02’04” |
| 9 | Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) | ,, |
| 10 | Fabio Aru (Astana) | +02’13” |
General classification after stage 7:
| 1 | Richie Porte (BMC) | 25:38:29 |
| 2 | Christopher Froome (Team Sky) | +01’02” |
| 3 | Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) | +01’15” |
| 4 | Fabio Aru (Astana) | +01’41” |
| 5 | Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) | +01’43” |
| 6 | Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) | +01’55” |
| 7 | Romain Bardet (AG2R) | +02’07” |
| 8 | Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) | +02’31” |
| 9 | Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe) | +02’53” |
| 10 | Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac) | +03’43” |
