00:00After an appetizer on Crévolant yesterday, it's time to get properly stuck into the mountains on Stage 7.
00:07Today features a double ascent of the Grand Colombier,
00:10but the prospect doesn't frighten French teenager Paul Sexass,
00:13who has more than three minutes to make up on the race leader, Luke Tuckwell.
00:18As I often say, there is no fear. Fear can't exist.
00:23But obviously Isaac is very strong, and he is going to be a great opponent, like other guys.
00:30Yesterday was one thing, today is different. We'll fight to get the best possible results.
00:38Oscar Onley was a non-starter this morning after falling into a ravine yesterday,
00:42and it could have been a lot worse for the Scottish climber.
00:45His net company INEOS teammate Kevin Vaucala will try to recover some time today, but he knows it won't be
00:51easy.
00:53It's a very, very hard stage. Quite short, but almost 4,000 meters of climbing.
00:58We'll have to take our opportunities and see how things go.
01:02A lot of riders and even leaders are frightened by the prospect of the final climb, me included.
01:07We're going to have to be smart in the way that we ride today.
01:13Today will be a real test of Tuckwell's GC credentials.
01:16Second at the Giro Next Gen last year, and sixth at the recent Tour de Romandie.
01:21The young Aussie is determined to defend yellow and blue.
01:24In comparison, I was really happy with my performance yesterday,
01:27and that gives me a lot of confidence with the net today and hopefully tomorrow.
01:32So yeah, I'll do what I can to hold onto the jersey today and see what the time difference is.
01:38Today is all about the Grand Colombier, which the riders will climb from two different sides.
01:43First the laces with about 60km to go, and then the incredibly tough final hike of 8.4km at 10
01:49.2%.
01:50There'll be nowhere to hide.
01:55Well, after a fast and furious start, the breakaway was only just about forming
01:59as the riders wound their way up the laces of the Grand Colombier,
02:03around ten riders just ahead of the peloton.
02:05Vauquelin had already been dropped, but the big news concerned Sexass.
02:09The young Frenchman had crashed earlier in the stage,
02:12and was more than two minutes behind the bunch, chasing hard.
02:15The 19-year-old looking a little worse for Ware, but still going with support from his teammates.
02:22Up at the front were Laurence Duplus, Carlos Rodriguez, Quinn Simmons, Clément Berthet and George Bennett,
02:28soon joined by Valentin Parépintre.
02:30The King of the Mountains, Clément Brazafonto, had been with them,
02:33but the Frenchman was dropped, and he wasn't the only one struggling.
02:37The riders fighting their way to the summit of this Cap 1 climb,
02:41with Parépintre back at the front,
02:42and Berthet then taking maximum points to help to defend his teammate Brazafonto's polka dot jersey.
02:52Well, slowly but surely, Sexass was closing the gap on the peloton.
02:56So Lidltrek asked Simmons to drop back from the breakaway,
02:59to try to help them keep the young Frenchman at bay.
03:03The riders now in the valley, leading to the penultimate climb,
03:06the Col de Richemont.
03:08UAE and Visma Lisa bike at the front of the peloton, as they caught up to Simmons.
03:13Matteo Jorgensen lost two teammates to illness this morning,
03:17Jürgen Nordhagen and Per Strandhagenes.
03:19The break now just 45 seconds clear.
03:25And despite the efforts of the peloton,
03:28Sexass did finally catch up again after a chase of about an hour and a half.
03:3236 kilometres to go,
03:35with Simmons now pacing the peloton for Lidltrek.
03:40Berthet, Bennett, De Plus, Rodriguez and Paris Pintre are still plugging away at the front,
03:45but their gap was soon down to just 30 seconds on the Col de Richemont.
03:49Lidltrek still working hard for Ayuso and Skielmoza.
03:53Five became four in the break as Rodriguez,
03:55a stage winner on this race two years ago, was distanced.
03:59In the peloton, Sexass just tucked in behind Isaac Del Toro and the race leader Luke Tuckwell,
04:04but how much did he have left in the tank?
04:07Berthet continuing to defend the polka-dot jersey for Braz Afonso,
04:11taking another five points at the summits.
04:14And then it was onto the descent that would lead them to the foot of the Grand Colombier.
04:18The gap was now down to just a handful of seconds,
04:21so we would indeed get the GC fireworks on the final climb.
04:26Other teams giving Lidltrek a hand at the front of the peloton as they approached the Grand Colombier.
04:32And on the early slopes, Sexass and Tuckwell weren't looking in the best shape.
04:37The pre-race favourite and the race leader sliding towards the back of the group
04:41as Vaucolin and Guillaume-Martin Guionet, third overall this morning, were dropped.
04:45No big attacks for the time being, with Ben Thulette pacing for Visma,
04:49but after all the work done by his Lidltrek team, Juan Ayuso made his move.
04:54And here goes Ayuso.
04:57Ayuso starts to stamp.
05:00And Jorgensen can't respond to Ayuso.
05:05Ayuso going solo at the front, followed by a small group containing Jorgensen, Del Toro, Johanesson and Utterbrooks.
05:12Sexass and Tuckwell were further back, with the Frenchman paying for his earlier efforts.
05:17He was named the day's most aggressive rider, but he was still losing time.
05:22There was then another attack in the first chase group, just over 4k from the summit, with the Mexican champion
05:27on the move.
05:28Del Toro setting off in pursuit of Ayuso and potentially the state victory.
05:33And Del Toro catches Ayuso. Now it's going to be interesting. The Spaniard against the Mexican.
05:41And it was the Mexican who proved the strongest. Del Toro soaring away to victory, the first of his career
05:48on French soil.
05:51Isak Del Toro is in sight of the finish line on the Gran Colombia.
05:59He sits up now. He's back. Isak Del Toro.
06:06A rampaging performance on the Gran Colombia. It's a win for Mexico and UAE Team Emirates XRG.
06:15Isak Del Toro timed it to perfection today, overhauling Ayuso to conquer the Gran Colombia.
06:21The 22-year-old taking his sixth win of the season. And after the UAE Tour and Torreno-Adriatico, he
06:27is very much in the frame for another GC victory.
06:32Ah, I don't know. I think today was not my best performance, but I was up there.
06:37So I'm super happy to still arrive in shape and keep going. And yeah, going in this direction for sure.
06:44I'm still hungry. So it's something that keeps me alive for the next races.
06:49The goal now is the win. The GC. Clearly not.
06:52It was always the goal.
06:55Del Toro beating Ayuso by 24 seconds, followed by Johanesson, Jorgensen and Otebrecht.
07:01Sexas lost a minute and 21 seconds with Tuchwell at 2.33.
07:07The Aussie remains on top, but his lead has been cut to 42 seconds over Jorgensen and 49 over Del
07:13Toro.
07:14Ayuso, Johanesson, Sexas and Schielmoza are all within two minutes.
07:19Things looking good for Nadav Reisberg in green.
07:21He still has a decent lead with one stage to go and it won't be easy for his rivals to
07:26pick up points tomorrow.
07:27Raul Garcia-Pierna is still the best of the rest.
07:31The team game working well for Groupama FDJ United.
07:34Brazzafonto still has a 19-point lead in polka dots, thanks to Berte, who's now fourth, taking 20 points today.
07:43Am Tuchwell is still our best young rider, but Del Toro, Ayuso and Sexas are all ready to pounce on
07:50the final day.
07:52Stage 8 promises to be an absolute cracker as we head over four big climbs, finishing on the Plateau de
07:58Solaison.
07:58Don't miss it, do join us again on Sunday and thanks for watching.
