LIVE: Campenaerts alone in front in Dauphiné ride over three Alpine giants | Critérium du Dauphiné 2023

Campenaerts approaches the Col du Mollard. With its more than fifty hairpin bends, it is especially tough in the first part and in the last hectometres. In hard numbers: 18.5 km at 5.8%.

Sitting still, Pierre Latour does not participate in that. He sets up a new counterattack with teammate Alexis Vuillermoz and Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-Samsic).

Wait, Victor Campenaerts is not participating in that. He uses his time trial legs to start the Mollard with as much head start as possible. The stage victory may be a bridge too far, but a shot at the polka dot jersey is possible.

Downhill it goes less smoothly for Latour. The virtual leader in the mountains classification will have to make up ground.

Wondering if Campenaerts will only steam through the valley to the foot of the Col du Mollard. Is being caught up and assisted by the pursuers perhaps a better option?

Campenaerts has a full minute ahead of Perez.

Behind them, Bayer, Charmig, Latour and Thompson clinch together at 1’25”.

The peloton has secretly approached to within 2’30”.

Now follows a long descent to the valley.

Latour just keeps advancing. He has swept up a few pursuers and is catching up with Cavagna and Thompson. Only Perez still drives between that group and Campenaerts. The difference? One and a half minutes.

The time gaps continue to shrink quietly.

Campenaerts, Cavagna and Perez lose some of their lead. Both Latour (now at 2’20”) and the group with Bayer, Charmig and Thompson (at 1’25”) gain seconds.

Latour has burned out his second teammate with Vercher. He sits 2’50” from the head of the race, less than ten kilometers to the top of the Madeleine.

Just when we have outlined the situation, something changes. Typical. Mihkels has to release the role in the leading group.