We enter the final 3 stages of the race - and these 3 stages are likely to be the most decisive. Paolo Scarponi leads the race from Carlos Betancourt, while French hope Thibaut Pinot is 4th. The favourite for all 3 remaining stages though is Ryan Eastman and he will be tough to beat. 15 riders start the day a minute or less away from the lead - it is likely to be less than that by the end of the stage with two big mountains to climb.
Early attackers include Hayakawa, Albourdainy, Land, Antunes, Scully, Atkins, Arabuli, Viennet, Balloni, Caminiti, Vink, Schiewer, Lowenstein and Jungels.
14 was too many, but instead a 10 man breakaway was to go clear - including many of those named above.
Jungels is at the front as they pass the intermediate sprint. Balloni 2nd, Antunes 3rd.
And so they hit the 1st big climb. Immediately 10 becomes 6 - farwell to Viennet, Balloni, Scully and Caminiti.
Durbridge (29 points) is not in the break to defend his King of the Mountains lead - nor is former leader La Lavandier (22).
But Albourdainy (20 points) is in the group, and he attacks to take the points at the top. This should give him the lead in the competition - as neither Durbridge nor La Lavandier are likely to lead over the top of the 2nd climb today.
Schiewer was 2nd over the top, Antunes 3rd.
The peloton reached the summit 6 and a half minutes later, in a group of 39. 90 seconds later came 15 more - surprisingly including Curfs and Scheit who were amongst the Top 20 on the first mountain stage of the race.
Luckily for Scheit and Curfs, their group were able to close the gap and regain contact.
Once the descent ends, its time for climb 2. The break are working well together but with 41km to go their gap is now down to 4 minutes, it will be hard work for them to stay away.
Talansky is quickly onto the front of the peloton to further close the gap - and inflict some pain on many riders.
But hello, with 32km to go race leader Scarponi is now relaying! Needlessly using energy or trying to remove some of his rivals domestiques? Eastman keeps close, on his wheel and we are down to 16 riders.
They catch the breakaway, but in doing so, allow some of those dropped to regain contact. 29km to go - 6 to the summit, and we have some attacks though!
Betancourt first, but Scarponi is right on his wheel
Sagan, Pinot and stage winner Bennett also attack
But Scarponi is a class above and rides into a solo lead, while Reis is the next to attack the peloton.
And finally Eastman also attacks. It has taken him 1.4km to respond to Scarponi - in which time the San Marino rider has built up a whopping 2 minutes advantage on him!
But Scarponi can't seem to maintain his fluency. Pinot drops Betancourt and rides across to join him.
There is still a sizeable gap to Eastman though, but the American is not giving up. He has ridden up to Sagan and Bennett and is now just 1'05 behind.
Reis gets company in Talansky just ahead of 14 others: Curfs Kennaugh Landa Ablenado Antunes
Koch Shikai
Bardet Lowenstein Albourdainy Kwiatkowski Kirsch Quintana Elissonde
Pinot is not helping Scarponi, and Betancourt is now closing in slightly to 17 seconds.
It seems having gone hard early on the climb, Scarponi is now on his limit. Good news for Eastman as he closes the gap that was once 2 minutes. He has shed Sagan and Bennett and now reaches Betancourt. 24 seconds now is the gap to Scarponi with a kilometre to the summit.
Under pressure from the advancing Eastman, Scarponi has been able to up his game a little towards the top to take the summit 1st. This takes him to 30 KoM points versus Albourdainy's 40. So the Qatari rider takes the jersey for today at least.
Gaps on the summit:
Eastman
Pinot
+ 13
Scarponi
+ 33
Betancourt
+ 1'20
Sagan
+ 1'31
Bennett
+ 2'19
Reis
Talansky
+ 2'42
Ablenado
Curfs
Kennaugh
+ 3'10
Shikai
+ 3'20
Quintana
Kwiatkowski
Elissonde
Kirsch
Landa
Antunes
Koch
Bardet
Albourdainy
+ 3'59
Dieteren
Rowsell
Lowenstein
Delaplace
Scheit
Simon
Battaglin
Bad days for Grmay and Koep then. Top 15 going into today, but further behind still than those mentioned.
Unsurprisingly, Eastman is able to descend across to Scarponi and the relucant to relay Pinot. Betancourt does so aswell.
We have a descending stalemate upfront and Sagan takes advantage to also get across - having now dropped Bennett by 40 seconds. But the tentativly descending Kiwi also makes his way across to the front group, followed soon after by Talansky and Reis. With 10km more to go, who else will get across?
The next on the road is Curfs, who has recovered from his bad first climb and comfortably left behind Ablenado and Kennaugh, with whom he summited the 2nd climb with. But he is still a minute back with 10km to go, and while able to half that gap he can't quite make it back to stage win contention.
1.5km to go and the only time gaps amongst the leaders are going to be the time bonuses. Its crucial for Scarponi, Betancourt and Pinot to gain time on Eastman with the tt in mind, and sure enough, Scarponi is looking to slip away from the front.
Into the final kilometre, it is Talansky who is challenging him.
But Scarponi has enough acceleration to hold off the American and win his 2nd stage! Talansky fades to 3rd as teammate Pinot comes through for 2nd.
So it is a 20 second gain today for Scarponi on Eastman. It's not quite 2 minutes, but it is something. Eastman slips below Pinot to 4th overall, but that won't worry him at this stage. Sagan, Reis and Talansky are sure to move up in GC having started the day 16th, 18th and 29th. 5th place also moves Peter Sagan up to just 7 points away from Luke Rowe in the Points competition.
Taking a creditable 9th on the stage is Ben Curfs, 36 seconds behind, and gaining on many who were previously above him in the battle for a Top 10 GC spot.
Left behind by Curfs by almost a minute, Ablenado and Kennaugh finish at 1'33.
They only just hold off the next group of 10 - Elissonde leading them home at 1'52.
Delaplace and Dieteren led in the next group at 2'18 but the group containing Grmay and Koep don't finish until 5'14. They will remain in the Top 20 of GC, but have lost any hopes of Top 10 today.
