Key moments

17:37 - Top five placings

Top five placings in the 219.5-kms 7th stage of Paris-Nice between Sisteron and Nice:
1. Thomas De Gendt (Belgium, VCD)
2. Rein Taaramae (Estonia, COF) 6:18 behind
3. John Degenkolb (Germany, PRO) 9:24
4. Greg Henderson (New Zealand, LTB)
5. Thor Hushovd (Norway, BMC) same time

17:36 - Degenkolb takes third place

Germany’s John Degenkolb (PRO) took third place, 9:25 adrift.

17:34 - Leipheimer more than 16 minutes behind

A dejected Levi Leipheimer looked like he was about to call it quits but he now tries to limit the damage, 16:25 behind De Gendt.

17:31 - Taaramae finishes second

Rein Taaramae (COF) takes second place, 6:17 behind De Gendt.

17:27 - Team Sky lead the way into Nice

Bradley Wiggins’s Sky team-mates are leading the peloton into Nice.

17:26 - Thomas De Gendt wins the 7th stage

Belgian Thomas De Gendt (VCD) won the 219.5-kms 7th stage in Nice.

17:24 - Latest gap

With two kilometres to go, De Gendt leads Taaramae by 5:35 and the peloton by 11:00.

17:21 - Three kilometres left for De Gendt

De Gendt is three kilometres away from his second stage victory in Paris-Nice after the first stage in Houdan a year ago.

17:19 - Holm: "It’s over now"

Omega Pharma Quick Step team director Brian Holm admitted it was now over for Leipheimer: "It’s over now. We set a record for crashes on the Col de Vence. It’s sad," he told France Televisions.

17:18 - 15 kms to go

and the gap between De Gendt and the peloton is 10:40.

17:14 - 20 kms to go

and De Gendt leads Taaramae by 3:30. The main bunch are 10:50 behind.

17:12 - Movistar still lead the peloton

Movistar led the peloton for all the descent as much to reduce the gap on the escapees as to drop Leipheimer.

17:11 - Leipheimer back on his bike

The American is back on his bike but Paris-Nice is lost for the Omega Pharma Quick Step team leader.

17:03 - Third crash for Leipheimer!

km 187 - Leipheimer crashes again with Dries Devenyns into a motorcycle.

17:02 - 20 kms to go

and Thomas De Gendt leads Rein Taaramae by 2:50. The peloton 11:10 adrift.

16:59 - Leipheimer 50 seconds behind the bunch

Leipheimer could lose his third place overall. He is currently 50 seconds behind the peloton and chasing hard.

16:58 - Leipheimer still chasing

Leipheimer, helped by four team-mates, is still chasing behind the bunch.

16:56 - Peloton splits

The peloton splits in the descent. Veuchelen is among those dropped.

16:52 - 25 kms to go

and De Gendt leads Taaramae by 2:35 and the peloton by 11:15.

16:47 - Movistar lead the chase

Alejandro Valverde’s Movistar team-mates lead the chase in the descent to Nice.

16:35 - Another crash for Leipheimer

Km 182 - Levi Leipheimer (OPQ) is against caught in a crash, with France’s Pierrick Fedrigo among others. All the riders in the crash are back on their bikes. 

16:32 - Results on the Col de Vence (km 165, 1st cat):

1. De Gendt 10 points
2. Taaramae 8 pts 12 seconds behind 
3. Mate    6 pts  11:35 behind     
4. Veuchelen 4 pts
5. Sivtsov (SKY) 3 pts
6. Lagutin 5VCD) 2 pts
7. Thomas (SKY) 1 pt all same time

16:27 - De Gendt increases lead

Km 175 - De Gendt now leads Taaramae by 1:15.

16:22 - De Gendt increases lead

Thomas De Gendt (VCD) is increasing his lead on Rein Taaramae (COF): 25 seconds.

16:20 - De Gendt first on Col de Vence

Thomas De Gendt (VCD) is first at the top, followed by Rein Taaramae, 12 seconds behind.

16:18 - Col de Vence, a bad memory for Stephen Roche

Stephen Roche has bad memories of the Col de Vence in the 1987 race: "It was not the difficulty of the climb but a puncture just before the summit. I was forced to stop going down and to wait for the car. I went down like a madman trying to catch the peloton but there had been a break in the meantime. Upfront, Sean Kelly, Charly Mottet and Jean-Francois Bernard had gone. I found myself alone trying to bridge the gap but they did not falter. They knew the race was turning round. I lost the overall lead but I reacted with panache by winning the time trial in the afternoon."

16:16 - Average speed in the fourth hour of the stage

The average speed in the fourth hour of the stage was 37.9 kph. The overall average speed was 40.9 kph.

16:12 - Latest gap

De Gendt leads the peloton by 11:20 in Col de Vence.

16:11 - De Gendt drops Taaramae

Taaramae twice tried to drop De Gent but the Belgian reacted swiftly and has now parted with the Estonian.

16:10 - Two years ago

In the last passage of Paris-Nice on Col de Vence two years ago, Xavier Tondo had used the climb to break from a group of 23 escapees. He had reached the top in the front and gone all the way to snatch stage victory in Tourrettes.

16:09 - Battle starts on Col de Vence

The battle starts on Col de Vence and several riders are dropped by the peloton.

15:45 - Result of the sprint in Tourrettes-sur-Loup (Km 150)

1. De Gendt 3 points, 3 seconds
2. Taaramae 2 points, 2 seconds
3. Tom Boonen (OPQ) 1 point, 1 sec 11:50 behind
The peloton in the same time as Boonen

15:39 - A thought for Xavier Tondo

Km 150 - The race is nearing Tourrettes-sur-Loup, finish of a Paris-Nice stage won by Xavier Tondo two years ago.

15:33 - Petrov reined in

Km 134 - Evgeni Petrov (AST), who was chasing behind the two escapees, was caught by the peloton.

15:27 - Leipheimer back

Levi Leipheimer is back in the peloton, helped by two team-mates.

15:19 - Leipheimer crashes

Levi Leipheimer (RNT) was involved in a crash with Spain’s Adrian Saez (EUS) but is quickly back on his bike.

15:05 - Average speed

The average speed in the third hour was 37.5 kph. The overall average speed was 41.9 kph.

14:59 - Latest gap

Km 108 - Taaramae and De Gendt lead the peloton, led by seven Team Sky riders, by 12:35.

14:56 - Taaramae and De Gendt in Paris-Nice

Two years ago, while his team-mate Amael Moinard won the final stage in Nice, Rein Taaramae had finished fourth in the stage, his best result on the race, and 7th overall. Thomas De Gendt last year won the first stage.

14:50 - Latest gap

At the top of Cote de Peyroules (km 99), the peloton, led by Team Sky riders, trails the escapees by 12:40.

14:45 - Result on Cote de Peyroules (Km 99, 3rd cat):

1. De Gendt 7
2. Taaramae 5
3. Evgeni Petrov (AST) 3 10:45 behind

14:38 - Latest gap

Km 95 - The two now lead the peloton by 12:10.

14:34 - Result on Col de Luens (Km 91, 2nd cat):

1. De Gendt 7
2. Taaramae 5
3. Evgeni Petrov (AST) 3 10:50 behind
4. Veuchelen 2 12:00 behind
5. Mate 1

14:33 - Bilbao out as well

Spain’s Peio Bilbao (EUS) also called it quits.

14:29 - Menchov gives up

Denis Menchov (KAT) just gave up.

14:28 - Petrov chases

Evgeni Petrov (AST) broke from the peloton to chase behind the two escapees.

14:18 - Latest gap

Km 87.5 - Taaramae and De Gendt lead the bunch by 12 minutes.

14:17 - Latest gap

Km 88 - The two lead the peloton by 10:20.

14:17 - Average speed

The average speed in the second hour was 37.9 kph. The overall average speed was 44 kph.

14:06 - Veuchelen secures polka-dot jersey

Frederik Veuchelen (VCD) now has a 37 points lead in the mountain classification while only 31 points are on offer until the finish on Col d’Eze.

14:00 - Result on Col des Leques (Km 73.5, 2nd cat):

1. De Gendt 7
2. Taaramae 5
3. Frederik Veuchelen (VCD) 3 8:25 behind
4. Bjorn Leukemans (VCD) 2
5. Luis Angel Mate (COF) 1

13:37 - Latest gap

One kilometre from the top of the Col des Leques (Km 72.5), Taaramae and De Gendt lead the peloton by 8:15.

13:29 - Latest gap

Km 63 - Taaramae and De Gendt lead the main bunch by 2:40.

13:25 - Latest gap

Km 59 - Taaramae and De Gendt lead the bunch by 1:05.

13:24 - Latest gap

Km 56 - Thomas De Gendt (VCD) and Rein Taaramae (COF) lead the peloton by 20 seconds.

13:23 - Avearage speed

The average speed in the first hour of the race was 50.3 kph.

13:15 - Taaramae and De Gendt break away

Km 48 - Rein Taamarae (COF), Thomas De Gendt (VCD) parted with the peloton.

13:13 - 149 riders left

149 riders are stil in the race from the 176 at the start. Team Lotto-Belisol, affected by a virus, is the hardest hit with only four riders left while six teams are still complete: Omega Pharma Quick Step,
Movistar, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Team Europcar, Garmin-Barracuda,
Lampre-ISD.

13:02 - Kittel among the riders dropped

Several riders have been dropped, including ace sprinter Marcel Kittel (PRO). 

13:02 - Taaramae crashed

Rein Taaramae (COF) crashed but is back on his bike and chasing behind the peloton.

12:53 - Europcar at the front

Km 36 - Several attempts involve Europcar riders. Thomas Voeckler probably has thoughts about this stage.

12:52 - In the press today (2)

Local paper Nice-Matin interviewed Amael Moinard (BMC) about today’s stage. The Frenchman won on the Promenade des Anglais in 2010 and trains often on the roads on the day’s course: "I don’t see a mass sprint. In the same time, Col de Vence is too far from the finish to be decisive. For a rider to have a chance, he will have to reach the top with a two minutes lead at least, because it’s very fast afterwards, in the Var valley or in the finale to Nice, and it will be easy for the peloton to regroup. "

12:45 - The peloton still together

Km 24 - Several unsuccessful attempts took place and the peloton is still together.

12:34 - Knees calls it quits

Germany’s Christian Knees (SKY) has given up.

12:28 - Auge: "Our last chance"

Cofidis team director Stephane Auge said he hoped for his riders to animate the race today: "We have the feeling a break can go all the way today, like yesterday. It’s the last chance. We have a couple of riders weakened by a virus and Di Gregorio did not start. Rein Taaramae and Samuel Dumoulin were affected too, but Samuel feels better now. We tried to work for him in case of a sprint but it didn’t work. All our riders are hoping to join a break today. As for the polka-dot jersey, we saw that Vacansoleil count on it and they will do everything to stop us get us so we gave up." 

12:24 - Nicholas Roche: "Extra motivated"

Nicholas Roche (ALM) said on his Twitter profile he was especially motivated by today’s stage: "Extra motivated for today. My family will be at the finish. Only a couple of times a year races finish in places I have lived."

12:23 - Bak did not start

Denmark’s Lars Bak (LTB) is one of the five riders who did not start while Eros Capecchi (LIQ) actually remains in the race. 

12:23 - Curvers gives up

Roy Curvers (PRO), involved in one of the long breaks of this Paris-Nice, has given up.

12:19 - The Race to the Sun deserves its name

The sun is shining in Nice and the temperature is 18 degrees.

12:17 - Bingen Fernandez: "We took this Paris-Nice the wrong way"

Asked about Garmin-Barracuda’s ambitions in this last weekend of Paris-Nice, team director Bingen Fernandez admitted his team’s chances were slim, notably after Christophe Le Mevel’s crash in stage 3: "We were very unlucky on this Paris-Nice. I can say we started it the wrong way. We were the ones who launched the echelon in stage 2 but we couldn’t take advantage of it. Then Christophe Le Mevel crashed. He was very motivated, he lives nearby, he had trained especially on Col d’Eze. He will try his best but his back is very sore. We really thought about retiring him from the race because we feared something was broken. We’re glad that he’s just finishing the race. "
Even though Heinrich Haussler won the bunch sprint in Sisteron, Fernandez said he was not too optimistic about his chances today in Nice: "The stage is harder than yesterday. To me it suits more a sprinter who climbs well like Jose Joaquin Rojas."

12:17 - Start given

The start was given at 12:15 to 151 riders.

12:16 - In the press today

In l’Equipe stage 6 winner Luis Leon Sanchez explained how he had struggled a bit last season to settle into his new Rabobank team: "Settling in last season was not easy. It was the first time I was riding abroad and the language barrier was a problem. But since the start of this season, I know what I want and everything’s different."

12:06 - Jersey holders

Bradley Wiggins (SKY) retained his yellow jersey and his six seconds lead over Ducthman Lueuwe Westra (VCD), while Levi Leipheimer (RNT) lies 10 seconds adrift.
The green jersey remained on the shoulders of Alejandro Valverde (MOV), who limited the damage after being trapped in an echelon early in stage 6. The Spaniard leads Wiggins by seven points and Westra by 11.
Frederik Veuchelen (VCD) increased his lead in the mountain classification by joining the break of the day on the road to Sisteron and collecting 19 points. Thirty eight points are up for grabs in the last weekend of the race and the Belgian leads Luis Angel Mate (COF) and David Le Lay (SAU) by 35 points so the polka-dot jersey is not virtually secured.
The young rider’s white jersey still belongs to Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) ahead of Team Sky’s Rigoberto Uran. 
Omega Pharma Quick Step still lead the teams classification.

12:06 - Climbs of the day

Km 73.5 - Col des Leques (2nd cat)
Km 91 - Col de Luens (2nd cat)
Km 99 - Cote de Peyroules (3rd cat)
Km 165 - Col de Vence (1st cat)

12:05 - Sprint of the day

Km 150 - Tourrettes-sur-Loup

12:04 - 151 riders at the start

151 riders started. The real start will be given after a 7.5-kms ride through Sisteron.

12:03 - Stomach bug for Di Gregorio

Remy Di Gregorio (COF), winner of a stage in Biot last year, will not start. He suffers from the stomach bug ravaging the peloton.

12:02 - Five riders do not start

Leigh Howard (GEC), Remy Di Gregorio (COF), Marcus Burghardt (BMC), Lars Bak (LTB) and Jimmy Engoulvent (SAU).

11:57 - Welcome on the 7th stage

Welcome on the 219.5-kms 7th stage of Paris-Nice between Sisteron and Nice. 

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