And now we reach the part of the race the climbers have been waiting for. The last 3 stages feature 3 contrasting mountainous parcours. Today a 126 km mid-mountain jaunt featuring 4 cat 2 climbs, 2 cat 1 climbs and a mid-length climb to the finish on the Côte de Peille (also Cat 1), tomorrow a 12 km TT straight up hill and then, on the last day of the race, a 160 km climbing fest featuring a long final climb to Valdeblore La Colmiane. The three stages will test the varying skills sets of the GC favorites.
Today the favorites list looks like this:
In addition to the GC battle the KOM jersey is up for grabs with up to 88 points available. Malecki and Gazelle will need to be on their toes to defend that jersey
There are 23 kms to the summit of the first climb, these are pretty much the only flat roads during the entire stage. Malecki is in the first attack along with white jersey wearer Budenieks and ISA-Hexacta’s Campero.
There are many others attacking behind, it will take time for the break to settle. Clear skies again for today’s racing so riders can cross the weather off their worry list.
The first attempt is brought back and with 15km ridden, Malecki goes again this time with Penko, and Bugge.
But their gap is small and the peloton is chasing. It has been flat out since the start. The KOM leader already showing some signs of fatigue, if he works too hard to get in the break he won’t be able to contest the points.
6 more riders fight their way out of the peloton and close in on the leading trio. With 19km gone and 5km to the first KOM point the peloton has calmed down and this looks like our break of the day.
The 6 are: Pelikan Vasyliv Foss Budenieks Abreu Brown
All of them except Brown and Vasyliv have been in the break at least once before. But still not a bad selection for Malecki as the closest on the KOM is Budenieks who is 22 points behind. The Latvian is also the best placed on GC of the breakaway riders at 1’27.
Just a few meters after this shot Abreu flats and finds himself back much closer to the peloton.
As they near hm we get another attack out of the peloton so the break may not be settled. The other 8 riders have a lead of 1’42.
Halfway up the climb Pelikan is dropped by the break. Abreu has been swallowed by the peloton, bad luck for him. Nobody else was able to get away.
Malecki may have exhausted himself or maybe he just isn’t a strong enough climber for this company, with 1.4 km to the top he and Penko are gapped.
Vasyliv is the strongest climber in the break and under his forcing the breakaway has come apart.
At the summit he has 45 seconds over Foss and Brown.
The peloton is 3’33 behind Vasyliv and Pelikan has been caught. The remainder of the break is spread out across the climb. Two of the riders who fell back yesterday are prominent at the front of the peloton: Carapaz and Smith.
The rest of the mountain points go to Brown (8), Foss (6), Budenieks (4) and Bugge (2). They cross the summit one-by-one.
It is about 14km to the next KOM point and it isn’t a hard climb so maybe they will come back together.
With 5km to the next KOM four of the riders are back together: Vasyliv, Brown, Foss, and Budenieks.
Bugge is 13 seconds behind, Penko is at 53 seconds, Malecki 1’04 and the peloton 2’32. There are 92 km to ride.
Vasyliv drives the pace again but is for now his companions are sticking with him.
Bugge rejoined the front only to be dropped again almost immediately.
Meanwhile McKenna has attacked out of the pack and bridged across to Malecki and Penko. He needs another 1’25 to reach the front. The peloton is only 27 seconds behind this group.
Up front Brown attacks but Foss counters to take first. This time it is Vasyliv who is dropped.
McKenna catches and passes Bugge to take 5th on the climb. His KOM strategy seems much better than Malecki’s.
The full KOM points are: Foss 10 (16) Brown 8 (16) Budenieks 6 (34) Vasyliv 4 (14) McKenna 2 (40)
Malecki started the day on 46 points so his lead looks tenuous.
The front 3 start the 5km Cat 2 climb to Cote de Calaison, Vasyliv has almost rejoined.
It is 1’24 back to McKenna and 2’44 to the peloton. Penko is back in the pack. Malecki and Bugge are in between. 4 riders have been dropped by the peloton.
With 80km to ride McKenna reaches the front group.
Bennelong doing much of the work in the peloton and they have cut the lead to 1’36.
Budenieks leads the break past the 1km to go banner.
With 200 meters to go McKenna goes past him.
McKenna takes the points ahead of Brown, Foss, Budenieks, and Vasyliv. The latter two are distanced.
About the same time McKenna makes himself the virtual KOM leader Malecki is caught by the peloton.
With 67 km to go the leading trio start the first ascent of the 8.3 km, category one, Côte de Peille. It will also be the finishing climb so the fans are packing the roadsides.
Budenieks is at 32 seconds, Vasyliv is at 52 seconds and the peloton is at 1’53. The peloton has split on the last downhill, with some second tier leaders caught out, but it seems likely they will be able to close the gap.
6km to the top, McKenna has dropped his two companions. The peloton is at 1’30 and the rest of the break has been caught.
The peloton splits this time on the climb and 27 riders are dropped. Galta and Faglum Karlsson are among them. Not clear why they were so far back. Bennelong still driving things at the front.
McKenna still has 3.5 km to go and he might not make it, Abreu driving the peloton behind.
Galta has not rejoined and his team seems unconcerned, they must have another strategy in mind.
McKenna crosses the start/finish line but he still has 800 meters to the KOM. Luckily for him the peloton is not going that hard although it is down to 85 riders.
400 meters to go and his lead is 10 seconds.
McKenna holds on, brave and smart riding by him as the 16 points significantly pad his lead in the KOM.
The rest of the points go to riders who haven’t yet scored except Abreu who picks up 10 points bringing him to 14. Seems like he is better placed than if he had stayed in the breakaway.
With 50 km to go the peloton is 81 riders strong as they ride through Nice.
McKenna is still 29 seconds clear. There is another Cat 1, the legendary Col d’Eze, in 3 km, he is clearly hoping to take the points there as well.
The only leader dropped is Galta, who clearly can’t be bothered, as he is over 3 minutes back and not trying particularly hard to get back. The other team busy sabotaging themselves is King Power, Smith and Teklehaimanot, who were in the front group over the Côte de Peille have dropped back to the Galta group, perhaps to help Azman or a because of a puncture missed by race radio?
Faglum Karlsson is also in that group but Carapaz is making a an effort today and is still in the front group.
The white jersey has been dropped after his breakaway escapades so that jersey seems likely to change hands.
With 1km to go to the top of the McKenna is caught.
Egger bursts out of the pack and takes maximum points, he is now on 42 points which is good enough for 3rd.
But McKenna makes one more effort and takes 2nd.
From here there is about 20km of downhill and flat before the two finishing climbs. There is a sprint point that might interest the GC riders.
It does not and with Egger back in the pack and nobody out front the peloton has slowed. The Galta group has closed the gap to 2’11 mainly due to chasing by King Power although Galta himself is, for the first time, riding near the front of the group.
30km to go and the team of the yellow jersey is contributing although they aren’t going that hard and the Galta group is now at 1’25.
But Bennelong have been the most aggressive team throughout and they don’t like the sedate pace. With 20km to go and penultimate climb starting they have Bayly, Roe, O'Connor, and Canty on the front. The gap to the Galta group is back to 1’40.
Bennelong lead all the way up the climb but no significant damage is done and there are still 84 riders together. The KOM points are not contested.
Behind the Galta group is at 1’48 and has thinned out considerably.
With him are: Sosnitskiy Vosekalns Iturria Smith Teklehaimanot Budenieks Faglum Karlsson
On to the final climb and Paez leads for Air France. There are 7kms of climbing left to the finish. The Galta group got as close as 1’21.
And immediately Hirt and Alarcon attack.
At first the Air France domestiques keep them close but then Lecuisinier bridges across and they get a small gap. 6 km to go.
Sicard has to respond, the other big leaders on his wheel.
Sicard can’t do it and with 5km to go the front 3 have a 20 second gap.
It falls to Morton to try and close the gap, he needs to reward his team for all their work today. The gap is still 20 seconds but he does pull a group of 14 riders clear of the rest.
With him, in order, are: Sicard Dombrowski Amador Quintana Gesink Tolhoek Berhane Keizer Olivier Warchol Min Schelling Meintjes
Biggest name missing other than Galta, is Roglic, who is well back. In addition, Kruijswijk, 2nd on GC and Tvetcov 5th on GC have missed the split and are losing ground.
3.5 km to go, the lead is 16 seconds and Min has been dropped from the chasing group who have 46 seconds on a group of 65.
Soon after Warchol is dropped from the chasers.
2.8 km to go Morton still leading the chase, he looks the strongest in that group. But he is still 15 seconds behind the front 3. Tolhoek has been dropped from the chase group. Only leaders left in that group. The remnants of the peloton is 56 seconds behind the chase group.
Lecuisinier driving on the front, Hirt beginning to struggle.
2km to go the lead is down to 12 seconds but 4 riders have been dropped from the chase group and are 22 seconds behind. They are: Keizer, Olivier, Schelling, and Meintjes.
1 km to go, much the same situation, 14 seconds between the first two groups. Lecuisinier started the day 8 seconds behind Sicard, Hirt 32 seconds, and Alarcon 56 seconds. So, if it stays like this, we will have a new leader. Keizer has been dropped by the third group, he will is going to lose ground on the rest of the GC contenders.
500 meters Alarcon launches the sprint.
Keizer has almost been caught by Anacona, Chiarello, and Kirsch.
200 meters to go and Alarcon is the strongest.
Alarcon wins stage 6 ahead of Lecuisinier. Hirt is fading badly right at the end.
17 seconds later Hirt just hangs on to 3rd ahead of Dombrowski, Morton, Sicard, Berhane and Gesink. Amador takes 9th and Quintana completes the top 10.
Then comes Schelling and Olivier at 46 seconds and Meintjes (1’01).
Chiarello and Anacona complete the top 15 at 1’29.
Kirsch (1’46) gets 16th and then Keizer settles for 17th (1’55) Godoy is 18th and Roglic is 19th (both 1’55) Godoy needs 43 seconds on Novak, who isn’t far behind, to take the young riders jersey. Carapaz is 20th also at 1’55.
And the new yellow jersey is Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier.
He leads Sicard by 20 seconds and Alarcon by 40 seconds. It is his race to lose.
A lot of shuffling around in the GC top 15 but the biggest changes are Keizer who drops 1’55 and falls to 15th. Kruijswijk, and Tvetcov lose 2’27 and now sit 16th and 19th. Also, McKenna drops from 8th to 23rd, but he will be happy with his day.
Galta comes in 3’36 down and is now in 31st.
In the young rider Novak holds on to an 11 second lead on Godoy.
McKenna has a 32 point lead in the KOM competition. He has a real chance to add the KOM jersey to his stage win.
Coquard has a 4-point lead over his teammate Lecuisinier in the green jersey.
Evonik keep the team lead but their lead is only 1’33 over Team UBS and 1’31 over ISA-Hexacta.
Paris - Nice 
