Frenchman Pinot, who came third in the Tour de France back in 2014, caught then-leader Ion Izaguirre of Cofidis with two kilometres to go of the 196-kilometre ride from Ambri to Malbun, and immediately attacked.

The 32-year-old then pulled away to win the seventh stage by a comfortable margin, in a final time of 5 hours 6mins 39secs. 

Around the same time, Higuita attacked Israel–Premier Tech's Jakob Fuglsang and Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers, who had broken away from the chasing peloton. 

He too was successful in his late charge and after finishing the stage above the duo in fourth place, some 80 seconds behind Pinot, the Colombian took the yellow jersey heading into the tour's climax with an overall time of 32 hours 38mins 38secs. 

Brit Thomas mustered a reply before the line, still leaving him in second place overall just two seconds off Higuita, while Fuglsang of Denmark could not match the sprint and now lies 19 seconds behind the lead in third.

"This is a great victory for me," Pinot said after the win.

"I have recorded the stage in my diary in capitals."

In the team classifications, Groupama-FDJ overtook Bora-Hansgrohe courtesy of Pinot's fine victory and now hold a 33-second advantage.

The Tour de Suisse will draw to a close tomorrow with the final stage, a short 26km circuit that begins and finishes in Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein.