After a long and steady descent, another first-category climb of the Col du Corbier – which featured in the 2012 Dauphiné-ending stage – was ascented, a 7.6 km (4.7 mi) test at an average of 7.5%.

This 121 km (75.2 mi) parcours, especially the closing kilometres, was expected to see sprinters being dropped from the peloton,[23] resulting in a select group of riders at the finish.

Veilleux was later joined by Euskaltel–Euskadi's Ricardo García, Argos–Shimano rider Thomas Damuseau and Jean-Marc Bideau of Bretagne–Séché Environnement, and the quartet built up a maximum lead on the road of around ten minutes.

[27] The remaining members of the breakaway were caught, and this allowed Martin's team-mate Gianni Meersman to take second,[24] ahead of Blanco Pro Cycling's Tom-Jelte Slagter, who was the best-placed young rider.

[28] Although categorised as a flat stage by the race organisers,[29] the second half of the 191 km (118.7 mi) parcours was set to test whether the sprinters could with remain with the peloton all the way to the finish in Oyonnax.

[32] For the second day running, Argos–Shimano rider Thomas Damuseau was in the breakaway, with the main aim of taking the mountains classification lead[33] away from overall leader David Veilleux of Team Europcar.

[34] Veilleux's team maintained the pace in the peloton, pulling the group back as Damuseau led the leaders over the top of the first four climbs, but the quartet held a lead of less than a minute at the foot of the Côte du Bugnon.

Cannondale had led the chase,[34] and also led the field into the final kilometre for their sprinter Elia Viviani, and after navigating the hairpin bend with 600 metres (2,000 ft) left, Viviani was the strongest in the sprint and took his first win of 2013 ahead of Omega Pharma–Quick-Step's Gianni Meersman, who finished second for the second day running.

[42] The race's only individual time trial of an extensive length was held as an out-and-back loop around Villars-les-Dombes in the Ain department.

Thus, Larry Warbasse of the BMC Racing Team,[43] who was in 172nd place of the 176 starters, trailing overall leader David Veilleux by thirty-five minutes and fourteen seconds, was the first rider to set off on the stage.

Martin was comfortably quickest at each of the two intermediate time-checks along the route, and crossed the line over a minute clear of Castroviejo; he had recorded a time of 36' 54".

After a period of undulating terrain, the short, sharp fourth-category Col du Frêne was next on the route,[54] at 6% over just under 2 km (1.2 mi) of climbing.

An attack-laden opening to the stage allowed a breakaway of fifteen riders to be formed after around 20 km (12.4 mi) of racing,[58] with mountains classification leader Thomas Damuseau being among the group, to maintain his lead in those standings; the best-placed general classification rider among the group was Francesco Gavazzi (Astana), who trailed overnight leader Rohan Dennis of Garmin–Sharp by just under three-and-a-half minutes.

[61] Behind, Team Sky were leading the main group up the Montée de Valmorel, with the pace dislodging numerous riders.

[62] Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) attempted to chase down Busche, but was brought back with less than 3 km (1.9 mi) remaining.

[68] After points classification leader Gianni Meersman extended his lead at the intermediate sprint for Omega Pharma–Quick-Step, the stage's breakaway took over an hour to form on the road.

[69] A three-rider move built up an advantage of over two minutes, after which Team Europcar took up station on the front of the peloton to get a rider clear.

[69] The Astana pairing of Egor Silin and Kevin Seeldraeyers were next to follow Herrada, with Voeckler and Geniez eventually rejoining, and Tim Wellens (Lotto–Belisol), Mikel Nieve of Euskaltel–Euskadi and Vacansoleil–DCM's Thomas De Gendt losing contact.

[72] Team Sky sprinter Edvald Boasson Hagen won the bunch sprint, 46 seconds later, as team-mate Froome kept the race lead.

[68] A group of twenty-two riders (from seventeen teams) formed the day's breakaway,[77] and were around three minutes clear by the time they reached the foot of the climb to Alpe d'Huez.

The gap rose to around four minutes by the summit of the climb – led over the top by Vacansoleil–DCM's Thomas De Gendt – which allowed Kevin Seeldraeyers (Astana) to become the virtual leader of the general classification.

Alexey Lutsenko led over the climb for Astana, ahead of the mountains classification leader Thomas Damuseau of Argos–Shimano and Seeldraeyers.

[78] De Marchi dropped Chavanel on the climb, but by this time, the lead group had moved within a minute of catching him; they eventually did so with around 14 km (8.7 mi) left to cover on the stage.

[77] The two riders worked well together and managed to build a gap of about twenty seconds prior to the final climb,[79] remaining clear until the finish.

[84] Having passed through the feed zone at Le Lauzet-Ubaye,[83] the road steadily rose towards the foot of the second climb, the first-category Col de Vars.

[86] The group included mountains classification leader Thomas Damuseau (Argos–Shimano), who set about securing an unassailable advantage in the standings.

[87] This quintet held an advantage of approaching three minutes, as they headed towards the final climb in the treacherous conditions that had been prominent throughout the stage.

Froome and team-mate Richie Porte soon gained ground off the front of the peloton, further securing the duo's one-two finish in the overall standings.

They set off in chase of De Marchi,[89] but he ultimately prevailed for his first professional victory,[87] finishing 24 seconds clear of the nearest rider.

For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, the leader received a yellow jersey with a blue bar.