Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 7: Samuel Sanchez digs deep to win, Chris Froome keeps race lead

Samuel Sanchez of Euskaltel attacked on the penultimate climb of today's Stage 7 of the 2013 Critérium du Dauphiné and, after being joined by Astana's Jakob Fuglsang on the way down towards the final ascent, outsprinted the Dane to the finish in Superdévoluy.

Team Sky's Richie Porte jumped clear of a select chasing group with the line in sight to finish third, the riders who crossed the line a second behind him including his team leader Chris Froome, who retains the race leader's maillot jaune.

Movistar's Alejandro Valverde and Joaquin Rodriguez of Katusha had tried to get away on that last but one climb, the Category 1 Col du Noyer, as the group containing Froome and his rivals swept up the remnants of what had been a 22-strong breakaway group that had got away early in the stage, which included an ascent of the Alpe d'Huez early on.

By the time the leaders were approaching the summit of the Col du Noyer, it was a select group of no more than ten riders at the head of the race, including Froome, Porte, Rodriguez, Valverde Saxo-Tinkoff’s Alberto Contador - working today for Michael Rogers, fourth on GC this morning - and Sanchez and Fuglsang.

Sanchez got awy towards the top of the climb, with Fuglsang setting off in pursuit of him. Heading towards the finish, Sanchez seemed to be suffering, TV cameras catching him grimacing, but the 2008 Olympic road champion had enough left in the tank for that final burst to the line, with Fuglsang unable to find a response.

The race concludes tomorrow with a 155.5km mountain stage from Sisteron to a summit finish at Risuls, the second of two Category 1 climbs on the day's route.

Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 7 result  
  
1  SANCHEZ Samuel       Euskaltel - Euskadi         05:26:14
2  FUGLSANG Jakob       Astana Pro Team                 ,,
3  PORTE Richie         Sky Procycling                 00:15
4  MORENO Daniel        Katusha Team                   00:16
5  CLEMENT Stef         Blanco Pro Cycling Team         ,,
6  VALVERDE Alejandro   Movistar Team                   ,,
7  FROOME Christopher   Sky Procycling                  ,,
8  NAVARRO Daniel       Cofidis Solutions Crédits       ,,
9  ROGERS Michael       Team Saxo-Tinkoff               ,,
10 CONTADOR Alberto     Team Saxo-Tinkoff              00:23
11 RODRIGUEZ Joaquim    Katusha Team                   00:30
12 TEN DAM Laurens      Blanco Pro Cycling Team        00:53
13 NIEVE Mikel          Euskaltel - Euskadi            01:00
14 VOECKLER Thomas      Team Europcar                  01:45
15 GENIEZ Alexandre     Equipe Cycliste FDJ             ,,
16 TAARAMäE Rein        Cofidis Solutions Crédits       ,,
17 CUNEGO Damiano       Lampre - Merida                01:52
18 THOMAS Geraint       Sky Procycling                 02:06
19 KWIATKOWSKI Michal   Omega Pharma - Quick-Step      02:07
20 DENNIS Rohan         Garmin - Sharp                 02:10
  
Overall standings after Stage 7  
  
1  FROOME Christopher   Sky Procycling              25:00:13
2  PORTE Richie         Sky Procycling                 00:51
3  ROGERS Michael       Team Saxo-Tinkoff              01:37
4  MORENO Daniel        Katusha Team                   01:47
5  NAVARRO Daniel       Cofidis Solutions Crédits      01:49
6  FUGLSANG Jakob       Astana Pro Team                02:04
7  CLEMENT Stef         Blanco Pro Cycling Team        02:32
8  VALVERDE Alejandro   Movistar Team                  02:47
9  DENNIS Rohan         Garmin - Sharp                 02:48
10 CONTADOR Alberto     Team Saxo-Tinkoff              02:56