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The reigning Tour de France champion soloed to victory atop the Col de la Croix de Fer on the penultimate stage of the Dauphine, bringing his lead in the general classification out to 2:11 ahead of Sunday's (AEST) finale.
The victory was Vingegaard's second of the eight-day stage race. He took the yellow jersey on Stage 5 after placing second in the Stage 3 time trial. His strong performances have helped underpin his fine form ahead of the July start of the Tour de France.
The second of the race's three mountain stages got off to a fast start, with a flat opening 55 kilometres preceding the three categorised climbs of the Col de la Madeleine (25.1km at 6.2%) and Col du Mollard (18.5km at 5.8%) before the summit finish on the Col de la Croix de Fer (13.1km at 6.2%).
After a tight early battle for the breakaway, a move of four riders finally went clear at 28 kilometres ahead of the intermediate sprint in Grignon.
The quartet, consisting of Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny), Remi Cavagna (Soudal-QuickStep), Anthony Perez (Cofidis), and Madis Mihkels (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), reached the foot of the first climb 90 seconds ahead of a chasing group of four and five minutes and 30 seconds ahead of the peloton.
However, the group broke apart on the second part of the climb, with Campenaerts dropping first but later hitting a solo lead over the summit. Jumbo-Visma and Ineos Grenadiers were in hot pursuit, thinning out the bunch and closing the gap to two minutes and 30 seconds as they reached the summit.
Campenaerts maintained his advantage on the Col du Mollard and later over the top of the Mollard - the Belgian 15 seconds ahead of the bunch with 20 kilometres to go.
Campenaerts survived the descent but was caught as the Croix de Fer began, with Jumbo-Visma using Dylan van Baarle on the gentler lower slopes.
With riders scrambling everywhere with six kilometres to go, Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën Team) was forced to swing off as Yates momentarily stayed in contact with Vingegaard, only for the race leader to drop the Briton and his rivals early at the base of the steep section of Col de la Croix de Fer never be seen again.
Yates rode at his own pace to finish only 43 seconds behind the Dane, while Aussies O'Connor and Jai Hindley (Bora–Hansgrohe) found themselves frustrated in a larger chase group, finishing 53 seconds and one minute and four seconds shy of the race leader respectively.
The result meant that O'Connor slipped to third in the GC standings two minutes and 24 seconds behind Vingegaard, with Hindley closely behind a further 12 seconds off the leading pace.
Fellow Aussie Jack Haig (Bahrain - Victorious) finished safely in a trailing group of seven one minute and 10 seconds behind the stage winner, moving up to fifth in the overall standings. The Aussie trio now occupy the final three spots in the top five of the general classification with one stage remaining.
The eighth and final stage saves the Dauphine’s best for last with six categorised climbs scattered along a 152.8-kilometre course from Le Pont-de-Claix to La Bastille. Watch all the action from 9:10pm AEST on SBS On Demand and 9:15pm AEST on SBS VICELAND.
