Dauphiné D-Day: who will succeed Tadej Pogacar in a relentless final stage?

Isaac del Toro put himself firmly in contention for the overall title with an impressive victory on stage 7. The Mexican UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider attacked with 4.2 kilometres remaining on the Grand Colombier, caught former teammate Juan Ayuso inside the final two kilometres and continued alone to claim the stage by 24 seconds.

Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) finished second, while Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) took third at 38 seconds, just ahead of Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike).

The day had begun badly for Paul Seixas, who crashed heavily during the opening hour and found himself almost four minutes behind the main group. Decathlon CMA CGM responded by sending Stefan Bissegger, Daan Hoole, Aurélien Paret Peintre and Nicolas Prodhomme back to assist their leader.

Their efforts allowed Seixas to regain contact with his general classification rivals before the final climb, but the Frenchman eventually conceded 1 minute and 21 seconds to Del Toro.

Yellow jersey Luke Tuckwell also struggled on the Grand Colombier. The Red Bull- Bora-Hansgrohe rider lost 2 minutes and 33 seconds to the stage winner, but did just enough to retain the overall lead.

Tuckwell will start the final stage with a 42-second advantage over Jorgenson. Del Toro is third at 49 seconds, with Ayuso fourth at 1 minute and 6 seconds. Seixas sits sixth overall at 1 minute and 54 seconds.

The organisers have saved the toughest stage for last. Stage 8 covers just 120.1 kilometres, but features two category 1 climbs and two hors catégorie ascents.

There will be no gentle introduction. The riders begin at the foot of the Col du Pré, a punishing 6.9-kilometre climb at an average gradient of 10.1 percent, which featured on stage 19 of the 2025 Tour de France. Its position at the very start of the stage makes it an ideal launchpad for riders hoping to join the breakaway, while the general classification teams will need to remain alert from the opening kilometre.

The second climb is the hors catégorie Montée de Bisanne, which measures 11.4 kilometres at 7.7 percent. It is the longest ascent of the day and is crested after only 43.1 kilometres of racing.

A long descent then takes the peloton past the intermediate sprint in Les Glières and towards the category 1 Col des Aravis. The summit comes with just under 50 kilometres remaining, followed by the longest descent of the stage.

Everything will then be decided on the Plateau de Solaison. The final climb, which will also feature in this year's Tour de France, is 11.3 kilometres long at an average gradient of 9.1 percent. After such a demanding stage, its steep slopes will expose any lingering fatigue and provide the final opportunity to overturn the overall standings.

Tuckwell still holds the yellow jersey, but his difficulties on the Grand Colombier suggest that his lead is far from secure. With four major climbs and almost no flat terrain, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe will face a major challenge in controlling the race.

Jorgenson is only 42 seconds behind and is the highest placed rider among those considered genuine GC contenders before the race. The American returned to competition at the Dauphiné after breaking his collarbone at the Amstel Gold Race. Earlier this week, he admitted that he had not yet regained the form he had before the injury.

Nevertheless, Jorgenson has looked consistent and was among the strongest riders on the Grand Colombier, climbing at his own pace.

“On the final climb, I rode at my own pace and tried to get to the top as quickly as possible. I’m pleased to be second in the general classification now, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It’s a stage that should suit me well.”

The favourite after his performance on the Grand Colombier is arguably Isaac del Toro. His acceleration was the strongest of the day, and a deficit of 49 seconds is small enough to overturn on the Plateau de Solaison.

It was also striking that the Mexican suggested there may be even more to come. “I think today was not my best performance, but I was up there,” Del Toro said after the finish.

Could that be a warning of what is to come on Sunday?

Based on what we saw on the Grand Colombier, Del Toro’s biggest rival may well be his former teammate Juan Ayuso. The Spaniard is 1 minute and 6 seconds behind Tuckwell and just 17 seconds behind Del Toro, a gap that may force him to attack from further out.

His move on stage 7 showed that he is willing to race aggressively, although he was highly critical of his own tactics afterwards. When asked why he had attacked with so much of the hors catégorie climb still remaining, Ayuso responded with a touch of gallows humour.

“Because I’m stupid,” he smiled. “No, I mean, the pace there was not super hard and then it was the hardest part, so I thought, ‘Okay, on the wheel I’m not going to save much.’ But in the end, you do, and I think I just threw away a victory today.”

And then, of course, there is Paul Seixas. At 1 minute and 54 seconds, the 19-year-old Frenchman faces a far more difficult task. However, the way he recovered after his crash demonstrated both his resilience and the strength of the support around him.

The main question is how he will feel the day after the crash. Seixas played down the extent of his injuries after the stage.

“I’ve got a few grazes, but nothing serious, so that’s the main thing,” he said. “Of course, I was in pain throughout the stage, but the hardest part was really my hands. It was very difficult to grip the handlebars, and I couldn’t brake as late as the others on the descents.”

Post-stage footage suggested that the crash had taken a greater toll than Seixas was willing to admit, with his injuries clearly affecting the way he moved. And with three fully fit general classification contenders ahead of him, an overall victory would now amount to a minor miracle.