Stage 7

The road

At the start

Molard holds red, into the Jaén hills

Rudy Molard came through the crosswinds at La Unión with red intact, 41 seconds up on Michał Kwiatkowski and 51 on Simon Yates. Wilco Kelderman punctured into the echelons and lost 1:45 along with Thibaut Pinot. Today climbs inland — 185 kilometres from Puerto Lumbreras over the Collado de Laude and the Alto de Ceal, with only twelve kilometres of twisting descent from that last summit to Pozo Alcón.

How it was won

1. 112 km to go

   Attacks off the Alto de Ceal

   On the descent off the Alto de Ceal the attacks fly, shredding the peloton and dropping most of the sprinters as the GC men test each other.

2. 210 km to go

   Kwiatkowski crashes again

   On the twisting, narrow run-in Michał Kwiatkowski, who wore red until Roquetas de Mar, slides out on a corner inside the final 10km and has to fight to limit his losses.

3. 33 km to go

   Gallopin bridges and goes

   Three kilometres out Tony Gallopin bridges to Herrada, drops him at once and drives on alone into Pozo Alcón.

4. 4At the line

   Gallopin holds on

   Gallopin crosses five seconds clear, arms aloft, with Sagan winning the sprint for second behind.

The result