Richie Porte wins queen stage as Sergio Henao captures the lead of Paris-Nice

BMC Racing's Richie Porte claimed a conciliatory stage victory as Quick-Step Floors' Julian Alaphilippe cracked on the Col de la Couillole to lose the overall lead of Paris-Nice to Team Sky's Sergio Henao.

Credit: cyclingnews.com
Porte had had absolutely nothing to play for in general classification since stage one, but clearly didn't want to have a wasted week and showed that he's still one of the best climbers in the world as he rode away from Alberto Contador (Trek Segafredo) and Sergio Henao (Team Sky) on the biggest climb in Paris-Nice history.

Porte said of his victory: "It was a really tough climb. It’s really a great victory for me after my misfortune earlier this week. I tried to show that I had character. My teammates really did a great job today. I love Paris-Nice, it’s important for me to win here."

Six got into the day's break; Axel Domont (AG2R), Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates), Omar Fraile (Dimension Data), Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie), Delio Fernandez (Delko-Marseille Provence) and Pierre-Luc Perichon (Foruneo-Vital Concept). 

Domont - in the polka dot jersey at the start of the day - fought with compatriot Calmejane over the first three categorised climbs and it was the latter who gained enough points to receive said jersey at the podium presentation.

Calmejane was the sole rider left over the Col de Saint Martin but was swept up at the foot of the Col de la Couillole. 

With ten kilometres remaining, Jarlinson Pantano (Trek Segafredo) was driving the front of the race for team mate Contador and the pace was too much for the yellow jersey wearer, Alaphilippe, who, with an extreme grimace, dropped out the back of the group, desperately trying to keep the wheel of his team mate David de la Cruz.

Pantano blew up with 4.5km to go and it was all down to Contador to extend the gap to Alaphilippe as much as he could. Contador, Porte, Henao, Jon Izaguirre (Bahrain-Merida), Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) and Dan Martin (Quick-Step) now made up the elite group at the front, all of which capable of taking the stage win.

Porte, who lives around this area of south east France and knows the climb well, placed many attacks and eventually whittled the group down to three, with just Contador and Henao on his wheel.

Contador and Henao were satisfied with their now massive time gap to Alaphilippe, and so let up in their pursuit of Porte who pulled away.

Henao now takes over in the yellow jersey, with Martin and Contador 30 seconds behind. Alaphilippe, after finishing two minutes 40 seconds behind on Porte on the stage, drops down to fifth behind Gorka Izaguirre (Movistar), with his brother Jon Izaguirre and Ilnur Zakarin the only other riders within two minutes. The time gaps then open massively to those very unlikely to have any say on the top five with just one stage remaining; Tony Gallopin (Lotto Fix ALL) at three minutes 22 seconds back, Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) drops to tenth at four minutes 39 seconds and Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) exactly halfway between the two. 

The mountains covered on the final stage of Paris-Nice 2017 have history for attacks and solo wins - Gallopin most recently in 2015. A short stage at 115km, the Cote de Peille and Col d'Eze in the last 60km will almost certainly produce some excitement and nerves for Team Sky as they try to keep their man Henao in yellow.

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