The final stage will likely have no implications for the general classification. The 180-kilometer stage to Genève is one for the sprinters and provides little opportunity to attack. There are three mountain sprints ready to pick up for the breakaway, but Dall'Oste has to overcome a twelve-point deficit to Hardy with eighteen on the table. All other classifications also seem locked, so the only thing to look forward to today is the final kilometer.
The start is uphill, but that doesn't deter Neuman from attacking immediately. Goldstein, Maccagli and Thill follow, Hardy also on the front row as insurance in case Dall'Oste makes a move.
The final breakaway is these four plus Jung. No threat to Hardy's polka dot jersey ( Neuman and Thill 44 points behind), nor to Monsalve's yellow jersey ( Neuman + 19'53). They can go in peace.
The mountain sprint at Mont-La-Ville goes uncontested as its importance is gone. Thill six, Neuman four and Jung two for what it's worth. The gap is five minutes with 150 kilometer to go.
Thill wins another mountain sprint and as such ties Monsalve for seventh. Jung second, Maccagli third, but it is also the guarantee Hardy has won the classification provided he finishes. The champagne is being popped in the Trans team car as we speak.
The trilogy is completed at Thierrens and Thill takes another six points to give him tied-fourth in the final classification. Jung and Maccagli did not make it difficult for him.
MOL, Centovalli, Azteca, Polar, Bakkafrost, Xero and Mapei are the teams doing a piece of the work in the peloton. Exactly 100 kilometer to go now, the gap down to three minutes and a bit.
Jung, Maccagli and Neuman is the order at the intermediate sprint in Bottens. With the bonus seconds, Jung moves ahead of Thill in the GC, the battle for 76th is lit.
Thill wants to get his GC position back and attacks with 35 kilometer to go, six kilometer to the final intermediate sprint of the race. The lead over the peloton is a small 1'10.
And the Luxembourgian indeed takes the sprint in Gingins with a lead of 20 seconds. However, Jung takes third behind Maccagli and the final bonus seconds, thus stays ahead of him by two seconds. They both passed Sipos in the GC so Thill is 76th and Jung 75th, assuming the breakaway is caught and not dropped towards the end.
Thill was caught but then immediately attacks again, with Maccagli following this time. Less than twenty kilometer to go, the peloton within a minute.
At the banner for ten kilometer, Thill drops back but Maccagli still holds a small lead. The peloton is closing but has not made the catch yet. Centovalli even using Manfredi (GC 9th) in the chase.
Three kilometer and this is the lead of the breakaway, which has been reunited. It's almost nothing, but the peloton is really leaving this late. On the left, Centovalli builds a train containing Lienhard, Cisse and Reinhardt. On the right we have MOL with Pomoshnikov, Bille and Maksimov, followed by Drapac, Guardini, Sobota and Boivin. Stage two winner Mezgec looking for a wheel to follow.
A split occurs in the middle of the peloton. White jersey Bernal is behind, but so is nearest rival Schleck. All rider between GC position 16 and 25 excluding Stancu are in the second group, so we might see some minor changes after all.
At two kilometer the catch is finally made. The MOL train going strong while Centovalli has derailed, as Lienhard suddenly has nobody behind him. Sobota taking Maksimov's wheel in front of Boivin and Mezgec. Mapei is the new challenging train with Guldhammer, Favilli and Guardini. Reinhardt and Drapac searching for a wheel.
At one kilometer the situation looks like this:
Pomoshnikov
Bille
Favilli
Cisse
Maksimov
Sobota
Lienhard
Reinhardt
Boivin
Drapac
Guardini
Mezgec
Cisse with a nice move to bring Reinhardt back in contention. Pomoshnikov leading for too long, compromising Bille's leadout for Maksimov. All other sprinters hoped to benefit from this train. Favilli perhaps going for his own shot, Silvestre too far back once again, as well as stage two podium finisher Novardianto.
The leaders wait long, 600 meters to go and Cisse still in front of Reinhardt, though Maksimov has now been released by Bille. Favilli leading the way, Boivin, Sobota, Mezgec, Drapac and Guardini also in contention. The GC riders at the front backed off resulting in a small gap.
All seven main contenders still with a chance to win at 250 meters. Maksimov, Boivin and Reinhardt on row one but Drapac squeezing between them. Sobota going left, Mezgec could go right and Guardini is blocked in. Favilli didn't have it in him.
Get your rulers out, did Reinhardt, Drapac or Maksimov win? Impossible to tell with the naked eye! What is clear is Boivin's fourth place, Sobota's fifth, Guardini's sixth and Mezgec's seventh.
Favilli eighth, Bille ninth and Cisse completing the top ten. There is no gap awarded to those in front of them, and neither will there be one for those behind them.
Silvestre wins the sprint for eleventh ahead of Novardianto and Guldhammer. Monsalve rolls over the line in nineteenth and confirms his overall victory. Like stage two, while some small gaps occurred in the peloton, there are no time differences awarded at all, so everyone stays in their GC position except for bonus seconds.
The jury has carefully deliberated and awards the victory to Damion Drapac! Reinhardt is awarded second place, and Maksimov third. It really came down to millimeters.
After the Australian, Yonathan Monsalve gets to ascend the podium twice, first for the yellow jersey and then for the green jersey. In the GC, he is joined on the podium by Bennett and Latour. Guldhammer leaves Switzerland with a fourth place, ahead of Preidler who takes a decent fifth. Eastman sixth, Slagter seventh and Pomoshnikov eighth. The unexpected name in the top ten is Manfredi but he thoroughly deserved it after his stage win two days ago. Henao Montoya completes the top ten just ahead of first yellow jersey Barbio.
In the points classification, Maksimov picks up second place and Drapac third behind the Venezuelan due to consistency on the sprinting stages. Stage winners Eastman and Mezgec tie for fourth while sixth is a three-way tie between Bennett, Latour and Manfredi.
While the mountains classification received some action, Romain Hardy was quickly confirmed as winner when Dall'Oste threw the towel at the beginning of the stage. Shapira completes the podium there, ahead of joint-fourth Atapuma, Manfredi and today's gainer Thill. The remaining ranking points are taken by Stancu and Monsalve.
The best rider under 25 is Egan Bernal. Schleck is second at 1'42, Habtemichael third at 5'48. The teams classification is won by Bakkafrost, by 1'06 over Nordstrom and 2'38 over Mapei.
