Tour De France 2016: Results, Highlights and Standings After Friday's Stage 7
British cyclist Steve Cummings won Stage 7 of the Tour De France after a 27-kilometre solo attack destroyed the field on Friday.
Cummings made it four wins out of seven stages for Dimension Data as the the South African team dominate the earliest stages of the competition.
The 35-year-old made the break and avoided taking former Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali and yellow-jersey holder Greg van Avermaet with him, guaranteeing the victory over 162.5 kilometres from L'Isle-Jourdain to La de Payolle.
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BMC Racing Team's Van Avermaet maintained the yellow jersey with over a six-minute lead over the top riders in the general classification.
Sky Sports Cycling confirmed the stage result and latest GC standings:
Stage 7 Recap
The fairytale for Dimension Data gained momentum as Cummings' immense form continued on Friday. The Brit won the team its first stage win last year, and he was dominant against the GC contenders as he pulverised the opposition.
Etixx-Quickstep provided details of the mountain stage:
The expected rugged terrain saw the peloton roll out with caution at the start of the stage in glorious sunshine, with the main contenders exercising caution.
Green jersey-wearer Mark Cavendish of Dimension Data and world champion Peter Sagan of Tinkoff quickly slipped ahead of the field as part of a breakaway as they tried to test the peloton.
The pair initiated a quicker pace for the field to chase as Lotto Soudal took control of the chase. Chris Froome remained in the pack with his Team Sky team-mates, conserving energy and playing the thoughtful game.
Proceedings remained relaxed until the midway point of the race as 22 riders broke from the peloton to close down Cavendish and Sagan, stamping on the pair's time advantage. The group contained yellow jersey Van Avermaet and enticed Team Sky to increase its pace.
The break maintained a two-minute lead over the peloton as the race pushed past the 60-kilometre mark. Ian Stannard set the tempo in the for Team Sky, but the gap was soon five minutes to the breakaway pack.
Eventual winner Cummings looked comfortable at the front of the race, and executed the tactics that suit his riding style. However, Antoine Duchesne of Direct Energie led the break past Luby-Betmont as the field stretched out.
Luke Rowe led the long line of Sky riders at the head of the peloton, with Froome tucked away in seventh position, as BMC rode close to their coattails.
With a categorised climb ahead—with 50 kilometers remaining—Alberto Contador of Tinkoff remained buried deep within the peloton. Astana's Nibali attacked from the front at the summit of the climb, but he failed to damage the chasing pack behind. Van Avermaet responded and took matters into his own hands.
The yellow jersey remained 22 seconds ahead of Nibali, but it was Cummings who grabbed control of the stage.
The Brit shot off with Van Avermaet in pursuit, but his attack at the front was well timed and ruthless. Cofidis' Daniel Navarro remained Cummings' main threat with 25 kilometres to go, but the Data Dimension rider looked in blistering form.
The five kilometres of tough climbing terrain near the end of the stage posed Cummings little trouble as the challengers further behind settled in. Nibali appeared keen to inject pace but ultimately couldn't catch Cummings.
The pain was evident on the leading Brit's face, but his cadence remained sharp and aggressive. Cummings crossed the summit of the Col d'Aspin alone at the head of the race, and the victory was assured.
Daryl Impey of Orica-BikeExchange won the sprint for second place ahead of Navarro, just over a minute-down on the race winner.
The Press Association's Matt Slater commented at the end of the race:
It was a tremendous effort by Cummings, who is irrepressible when allowed to lead a race.
However, Van Avermaet is in fine fettle as he maintained the yellow jersey, with Froome over six minutes behind going into the next stage.
Froome will need to attack in the mountains if he wants to retain his Tour crown, but the Brit will believe time and distance are still on his side at this point.
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