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Tour de France 2023 stage 14 AS IT HAPPENED: Carlos Rodriguez wins as Pogačar and Vingegaard duel on the Joux Plane

Live coverage as the Tour de France tackles a tough mountain stage in the Alps

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Carlos Rodriguez wins stage 14 of the Tour de France. 

Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar duel on the Col de Joux Plane but finish together in Morzine. Vingegaard extends his lead in the GC by one second. 

Stage neutralised at 8km after early crash brought down much of the peloton. 

Race resumed after 25 minutes; Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost), Antonio Pedrero (Movistar) abandon. 

James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost) and Romain Bardet (DSM - Firmenich) also abandon after subsequent crash. 

Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage 14 of the 2023 Tour de France . 

There will be plenty of sore heads today across France after last night's Bastille Day festivities, and plenty of sore legs in the Tour de France peloton as they face a second mountainous stage in succession. 

Today sees the Tour peloton wiggle its way around the Alps of Haute-Savoie, finishing the stage with a devilishly hard ascent of the Col de Joux Plane before tackling the fast and highly technical descent into Morzine. 

Another day for the breakaway, or will the stage honours go to the riders of the general classification? Get in touch with your questions and comments on Twitter @rabrahamcycling

Here's what's on the menu today - a real classic Tour mountain stage sawtooth profile with five categorised climbs. 

A day for the climbers, then, with plenty of points in the King of the Mountains classification up for grabs. 

Of course we'll likely see some GC fireworks on that final climb, with those bonus seconds on offer on the Col de Joux Plane a mouthwatering proposition for Tadej Pogačar, just 9 seconds down on Jonas Vingegaard in the battle for the yellow jersey. 

And here is the general classification going into the stage:

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma, in 53-48-50 2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 9 seconds 3. Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 2-51 4. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, at 4-48 5. Adam Yates (Gbr) UAE Team Emirates, at 5-03 6. Simon Yates (Gbr) Jayco-AIUla, at 5-04 7. Pello Bilbao (Esp) Bahrain Victorious, at 05-25 8. Tom Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 5-35 9. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at 6-52 10. Sepp Kuss (Usa) Jumbo-Visma, at 07-11

While stage 13 was notable for Pogačar's brutal acceleration to claw back eight seconds from Vingegaard, it was a fine victory for one of the world's best riders: Michał Kwiatkowski. 

Winner of he World Championships, Milan-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, Amstel Gold Race, and now two Tour stages; the Polish rider also gives a great interview, as he did after the stage. 

"It was euphoria when I heard we [the break] had an advantage, and when I caught the guys. It was intense, to start to realise 'shit I can win this stage’. In half an hour I had completely different emotions, it’s crazy. I had the worst day on the bike yesterday at this Tour, I was really suffering on the bike, and today I had the best legs. It’s all upside down. It’s completely strange, and different emotions."

You can read CW's analysis here . 

More than 4,000m of elevation with Col de Joux Plane as the main challenge of the day ⛰️Stage 14 is a gruelling one and fatigue is growing. Once they reach Morzine, the riders will have overcome 40,000m of elevation since the start from Bilbao 🥵#TDFdata #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/g7UAqWhFx3 July 15, 2023

4,000m of elevation on stage 14, making 40,000m in total since the Tour began two weeks ago in Bilbao. 

Yikes! 

One thing to note about today's stage, however, is that very little of it takes place above 1,500m. In fact, most of it is below 1,000m. 

The high point of the stage, the Col de Joux Plane, is 'only' 1691m above sea level. That's plenty high enough for us mortals, but in Tour de France terms altitude will not be a significant factor in today's race. 

A little more on the Joux Plane. It doesn't have the superstar status of Alpe d'Huez or Mont Ventoux but it's a serious climb nonetheless. 

I went to visit the mountain ahead of the 2016 Tour, the last time it featured as the final climb (and descent) on a Tour stage. That year, the stage was won by Ion Izagirre (who won stage 12 of this year's race , as it happens). 

What I found was a small climb with a big story, and one which has put paid to many a Tour de France bid in its history. 

You can read all about it here . 

Who would I fancy for today's stage? Well, how about the man who must be the best descender in the peloton: Tom Pidcock. 

Who can forget that jaw-dropping descent en route to stage victory in last year's Tour. The guy goes downhill in another dimension. 

Any excuse to have another watch of those highlights... 

🗣️ "Les jambes sont lourdes, mais le moral est là ! Je vais tout donner pour garder le maillot aujourd'hui" - 🇺🇸 @NPowless #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/WEDOLautoS July 15, 2023

Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) is the current leader in the polka dot jersey competition, as he has been since the end of stage one . 

The American has 46 points, however Tadej Pogačar is rapidly coming up behind him on 31.  

Points mean prizes, and Powless really MUST get in the break today if he is to stand a chance of holding that famous jersey all the way to Paris.

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 151.8km to go

The flag has dropped in Annemasse and the riders are rolling out for the neutralised section, which lasts around 15 minutes. 

Talking of polka-dots, why stop at the jersey? I'm with Pierre Rolland; if you can make it white with red spots, do it. 

(Powless is in black shorts today, by the way. Boo.)

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 151km to go

Race director Christian Prudhomme pops his head out of his red Skoda, the flag drops, and the attacks start... gently. Simon Geschke and Neilson Powless, among others, make an effort to break free. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 147km to go

Lotto-Dstny are looking lively, along with breakaway stalwarts Matteo Jorgensen, James Shaw and Krists Neilands. 

It's an uphill start and the front of the bunch is stretching and snapping like raw pizza dough. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 146km to go

BIG crash brings down a big chunk of the peloton, with riders all over the place. Riders from a lot of teams are down and requiring attention. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 145km to go

RACE NEUTRALISED

The race has been paused while the riders who have come down in that large crash are assessed by the medical staff on the race. 

Dani Martinez (Ineos), Louis Meintjes (Intermarche), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) among some of the riders to require attention. 

Sensible decision by the organisers there. 

Not sure what exactly caused that crash but it happened as the peloton was flexing under the pressure of moves off the front. Wet roads, as well, out there in the Alps. 

Antonio Pedrero (Movistar) is out of the race. 

Dani Martinez undergoing a concussion check, it appears. Tom Pidcock is receiving a few dressings to his shin. 

The peloton is currently waiting by a road bridge. Tadej Pogačar is sat on the side of the road, lost in his own thoughts. Matteo Trentin is perched on the bridge railings. 

Some slow-mo images from the crash have appeared and it looks like Frederik Frisson (Lotto-Dstny) slipped out on the greasy roads, bringing down much of the peloton behind him. 

Some nasty wounds being bandaged up. Poor old Frederik has a large cut at the top of his thigh but will try to continue the race. 

The team mechanics and sports directors have taken the opportunity to hop out of the team cars and attend to their riders. 

We're still waiting to hear when the race will restart...

And after a 20 minute wait, the race has resumed with a 2km neutralised zone before the flag drops again. 

The hold up was for replacement ambulances to make it to the race. 

Louis Meintjes (Intermarche) has also abandoned the race.  

We are absolutely devastated to report that Louis Meintjes fractured his collarbone following a crash early in stage 14 and leaves the Tour de France. #TDF2023 July 15, 2023

Confirmation from Intermarché-Circus-Wanty that Meintjes fractured his collarbone in that crash

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 140km to go

The attacks began immediately after the restart but so far, nothing has managed to break the elastic tying it to the front of the peloton. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 136km to go

The whole peloton is virtually in single-file as EF Education force the pace and try to bring back a small move that they have failed to get a rider in. 

Lars van den Berg (Groupama-FDJ) is now the sole leader a few seconds up the road. 

They're on the first climb of the day: the Col de Saxel (4.2km at 4.6%). It's been uphill since the gun though, to be fair. 

Poor old Adrien Petit, who came down in that crash, is hanging out the back of the peloton already. 

There's never a good amount of skin to be on show through torn lycra, but that is a lot of bare skin on display. Allez Adrien, hang in there. 

Another sad sight as Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost), who came off worse for wear in that crash, climbs off the bike and into the open boot of a team vehicle on the side of the road. That will surely be that for his Tour - and another blow for EF. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 133km to go

Somehow, after looking pretty dazed in that crash, Dani Martinez has made it up the road and into the break. He led a quintet of riders over the first climb of the day. 

Alongside the Colombian are Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-Qazaqstan), Lars van den Berg (Groupama-FDJ) and Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech). 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 124km to go

Romain Bardet is down! The Frenchman crashed on the descent of the Col de Saxel and is getting attention from medical staff. He is on his feet but it doesn't look good for DSM's team leader. 

So too is James Shaw! A nightmare day for EF gets worse. 

Hard to say what is behind these crashes but the damp weather has been replaced by hot sunshine, and that horrid combination of wet and dry can make roads extremely treacherous, even for the best bike handlers. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 120km to go

We now have a large group of 20 or so riders at the front as the race heads up the next climb, the Col de Cou (7km at 7.4%). 

They have a gap of around 20 seconds on the peloton. Many teams represented in there, so this could be the move... 

Jumbo-Visma begin to marshal the front of the main pack as the front runners begin to splinter. Thibaut Pinot, Giulio Ciccone and Neilson Powless are all up there and looking good. 

Confirmation on race radio that Romain Bardet and James Shaw have abandoned the race. That's desperately sad for the race and especially so for Shaw, who looked to have much more to give in his debut Tour. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 117km to go

Yesterday's stage winner Michał Kwiatkowski is also up there trying to make this move stick. Jumbo are holding it at 20 seconds. 

Adrien Petit update: he battles on, accompanied by his team car at the very back of the race. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 114km to go

Maximum 10 points for Giulio Ciccone at the top of the Col de Cou but that man Neilson Powless bags 8 more to his total. 

Could be a real shake-up in the KoM competition today: Tobias Johannesson (Uno-X) was third at the start of the day and he's a notable presence at the front of the race. Forty seconds is their gap now. 

Keep fighting Adrien ❤️❤️❤️ #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/oVn3pN1F1P July 15, 2023

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 105km to go

The breakaway is still in something of an embryonic stage as it hits the foot of the Col du Feu (translation: Pass of Fire). It's just waiting for someone to light it up as the riders start to feel the burn on this climb. 

Gorka Izagirre, Alex Aranburu (Astana) and Tobias Johannesson (Uno-X) are dangling 10 seconds out front. 

The peloton comprises around 60 riders with Jumbo-Visma firmly in control. The green jersey, Jasper Philipsen, is feeling the heat. He and the bigger riders have called gruppetto. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 102km to go

Now then, could this be the day that Thibaut Pinot fans have been waiting for? 

Riding his final Tour, the French fan favourite is forcing the pace at the front along with Giulio Ciccone, Mike Woods and Juanpe Lopez. 

Neilson Powless moving across... 

A well known goat enthusiast, Thibaut Pinot. He keeps a flock of goats (is flock the right collective noun for goats?) at home. Seem to remember you used to be able to purchase goat-themed Pinot merchandise from somewhere or other, too. 

Another fun goat fact - there is a 'goat village' a few kilometres away from today's stage finish town of Morzine. The curious animals roam wild in the little mountainside hamlet of Les Lindarets. Great for selfies and all other kinds of goat related fun. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 99km to go

The front of the race is in bits. Mike Woods and Giulio Ciccone are determined to force this move clear over the Col du Feu. Pinot dangles a few seconds back with Mikel Landa. 

Ciccone sprints for 10 more points at the top. 

Julian Alaphilippe is caught by the peloton. The Frenchman was one of the early instigators of the breakaway but couldn't keep with the pace on the early climbs. 

It's not for want of trying, but the former world champion really hasn't been at his effervescent best at this year's race. Soudal-QuickStep really haven't had the best of Tours either. Just two top tens for the Belgian squad, their best result coming from Fabio Jakobsen who got fourth on stage three. 

⚪️🔴 Classement provisoire après le col du Feu ⚪️🔴🥇 🇺🇸@NPowless, 54 pts🥈 🇮🇹@giuliocicco1, 42 pts🥉 🇸🇮@TamauPogi, 31 pts4️⃣ 🇵🇱@kwiato, 30 pts5️⃣ 🇳🇴@TobiasJohannes1, 30 pts#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/tUO3BKqp32 July 15, 2023

The current KoM standings - Giulio Ciccone shooting up the leaderboard early on today

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 88km to go

Despite the pedigree of the riders that were up the road, the Jumbo-Visma led peloton look like they are about to bring things back together.

There are a few choice words and a bit of head shaking between the members of the wannabe échappé, but little cohesion. Perhaps their dwindling 20 second lead will sharpen minds... 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 86km to go

Ciccone leads the race uncontested through the day's intermediate sprint. Which is also on a climb, the Col de Jambaz (it's one of those days). 

The points mean little but that's a cheeky 1500€ for the Italian and Lidl-Trek, there. Not to be sniffed at. 

Cycling can be such a cruel sport. 

Romain Bardet is consoled by his manager Matt Winston after crashing out of the Tour earlier today. 

Get well soon Romain. See you back at the Tour soon. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 72km to go

The highest GC rider in the break is Thibaut Pinot, 9 minutes off the race lead, but Jumbo gonna Jumbo and the break is still at 30 seconds. 

The break now comprises 11 riders:

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Mikel Landa, Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), Gorka Izagirre, Alex Aranburu (Movistar), Mike Woods, Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Dani Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-Qazaqstan).

Bet you didn’t know @giuliocicco1 was this ripped 😳 pic.twitter.com/wUKf72ctUO July 15, 2023

Nope, Lidl-Trek, I did not. 

Giulio Ciccone (body fat percentage = minus 5) will definitely be one to watch today. He looks like he's on a mission. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 63km to go

On to the Col de la Ramaz (13.9km at 7.1%) now, which the Tour will be crossing for only the fifth time in its history. 

It's a first category climb but there's a nasty kilometre at an average of 12% that comes 4km from the top. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 60km to go

Woods and Ciccone are now alone at the front of the break on the Ramaz. Six riders chasing at 11 seconds and then the peloton close behind at 27 seconds. 

Carlos Rodriguez, fourth overall at the start of the day, is off the back of the GC group with Michał Kwiatkowski for company. Looked like a mechanical issue rather than a matter of bad legs for the young Spaniard. 

Jumbo-Visma are on a mission today. Notable non-climber Nathan Van Hooydonck is tearing up the climb with six teammates on his wheel, massing like angry bees. They have caught all but Woods and Ciccone.

What are their plans today? Why the big effort with over 60km to go? The peloton is down to around 30 riders but UAE Team Emirates and Ineos Grenadiers are all there in numbers. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 59km to go

Ciccone goes alone with 9km to the top as Van Hooydonck peels off and hands over to Tiesj Benoot. Woods is caught. 

Tadej Pogačar is glued to the wheel of Jonas Vingegaard. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 58km to go

Bye bye breakaway. Giulio Ciccone is caught by Jumbo-Visma. 

Now what!? 

I am glad to announce that we had a call with @amaurysport, @AigcpOfficial, @UCI_cycling regarding the downhill finishes on stage 14 and 17 @LeTour. ASO will have warning Audio signs well before corners, new ashfelt(which was a main concern for the riders) and barriers with… pic.twitter.com/Bq5WPi8q4v June 29, 2023

There's been a lot of talk about the downhill finish off the Col de Joux Plane on today's stage. 

Former rider Adam Hansen is president of the CPA, the riders' union. He has worked with organisers to increase safety measures on the descent in light of the crash that claimed the life of Gino Mäder at the Tour de Suisse earlier this year. 

Along with resurfacing the worst parts of the road, organisers have installed signs with audio well before dangerous corners, plus padded barriers next to the large drop-offs. Hansen also went and filmed the descent and uploaded the video for riders to view before the stage. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 55km to go

Dylan van Baarle is leading the Jumbo-Visma juggernaught as Tom Pidcock is struggling at the back of the GC group of 20 riders or so. 

Jumbo are whittling this GC group right down as the gradient of the climb eases across a high alpine plateau. There are 21 riders left at the front here. Wout van Aert hits the front. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 51km to go

Tom Pidcock is fighting with everything he's got in order to stick with this lead group but the gap is starting to open up. Marc Soler (UAE) is also battling to stay in touch for his leader Tadej Pogačar. 

Twenty-six kilometres of descent and flat approach road follow the summit of the Col de la Ramaz before we hit the slopes of the Joux Plane. 

So, there's still time for dropped riders to rejoin the front of the race but it will be hard work with Van Aert pulling on the front. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 50km to go

35 seconds is the gap now, Tom Pidcock fans, over the top of the Ramaz. 

I'd expect him to be able to make that up on this upcoming descent but his weakness on this penultimate climb doesn't bode well for the Joux Plane. 

So here's the situation: 

A select GC group is descending the Col de la Ramaz and approaching the final climb of the Col de Joux Plane. 

Jonas Vingegaard should have Sepp Kuss and Wilco Kelderman with him on the final climb, once Wout van Aert has done his final pull. 

Tadej Pogačar will have Adam Yates, Rafał Majka and Felix Grossschartner. 

Jai Hindley is isolated, as are David Gaudu, Guillaume Martin, Pello Bilbao and Felix Gall. 

Carlos Rodriguez has teammate Jonathan Castroviejo for company but Tom Pidcock is still off the back at 30 seconds. 

Simon Yates and Chris Harper are there for Jayco-AlUla. 

Jumbo-Visma have totally dictated this stage in an impressive show of strength, almost with total contempt for the rest of the race. 

They have set an attritional pace from pretty much the first climb, grinding down the peloton and neutralising any breakaway before it even began. 

The result is that we're left with just 12 riders approaching the final climb. 

The Pidcock group is now 1-11 behind, with Simon Yates also having lost touch on the descent and sitting 13 seconds back from the Wout van Aert led front group. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 30km to go

Wout van Aert is making this look so easy but it's full steam ahead. Riders are pouring bidons of water over themselves in an effort to cool off. 

We're back up to 16 riders at the front as the Simon Yates group of four bridges back up after a big chase effort. 

It's a hot climb, the Joux Plane. Riders will be racing up the south facing slope and there's little in the way of forest cover to shade the riders. It rained earlier today, so heat and humidity will be high. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 28km to go

It's a case of damage limitation for Tom Pidcock now. He is almost two minutes back from the lead group and could see himself slip well down the GC today. 

Choo choo! The Jumbo-Visma mountain train steams through the Alps 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 23km to go

They're onto the Joux Plane now. 

11.6km at 8.5% await. Wilco Kelderman leads the GC group onto the lower slopes with Van Aert, Sepp Kuss and Jonas Vingegaard behind him. 

Rafał Majka now muscles his way to the front and takes it up. Jumbo-Visma are looking at each other and it the first hints of panic start to appear. Van Aert and Kelderman are out of the back and Jumbo have just Sepp Kuss left. 

UAE Team Emirates have been content to sit in the wheels of  Jumbo-Visma all day and they now have the upper hand. Adam Yates is sat alongside Tadej Pogačar as Majka leads on. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 22km to go

Miraculously, somehow, Wout van Aert is riding back up to the front of the bunch! The Belgian was pedalling squares a few minutes ago - dropped and done for the day - but he's now leading the peloton. 

That is quite simply astonishing. 

Van Aert is now turning himself inside out. Majka has been dropped and the tables have turned right back into Jumbo-Visma's favour. 

And now Van Aert is finally done. What a ride that was. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 20km to go

Just seven riders at the head of the race now. Vingegaard and Kuss, Pogačar and Adam Yates, plus Carlos Rodriguez, Jai Hindley and Felix Gall. 

Simon Yates, Guillaume Martin and Pello Bilbao are 30 seconds back. 

A superb ride from the Austrian on Ag2r-Citroen, Felix Gall. He was 14th overall at the start of the day but will shoot up into the top ten by the end of it. 

He was third on the Pyrenean stage to Laruns won by Jai Hindley, if you need reminding. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 18km to go

Sepp Kuss is pacing the leaders up the mountain. Vingegaard and Pogačar locked in the slipstream. 

When will we see the fireworks on this stage? 

This looks primed for an attack from Jonas Vingegaard. Still 5.5km to go on the Joux Plane. Tadej Pogačar grabs a bottle and a bag of ice from the side of the road, drops them both, is then handed a bottle from Adam Yates and pours it over himself. It is definitely hotting up... 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 17km to go

Jai Hindley is starting to crack now. Carlos Rodriguez is clinging on, potentially riding towards third on the GC at the end of the day. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 16km to go

A real poker game going on now. What cards are they all holding? 

Sepp Kuss is done for the day and Adam Yates takes it up. Advantage UAE. 

Just the three are left at the front now: Adam Yates, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. 

Replays showing that Pogačar gave Yates the nod once he sensed Sepp Kuss's pace was slowing. 

Carlos Rodriguez is riding his own pace just behind the leaders. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 15.7km to go

Pogačar goes with 3.7km to the Joux Plane and Vingegaard has let the wheel go! 

The gap went out with another brutal acceleration from the Slovenian but it has stabilised as the Dane digs in. Around three seconds between them. 

Pogačar and Vingegaard are riding at almost exactly the same pace; that fierce attack is all that separates the two men on the road. 

2.5km to the top... 

Vingegaard is riding a smart race here. He couldn't go with Pogačar's acceleration but he has kept himself from blowing up. The two are basically tied on the virtual GC as it stands. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 13.6km to go

And Vingegaard is back on Pogačar's wheel! 

The two have slowed. Will this be a track sprint for the bonus seconds on the top of the climb!? 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 12.5km to go

These two are shaping up like they're sprinting for the stage finish, but it's for the bonus seconds. Vingegaard just wants to keep Pogačar on his wheel for as long as possible. 

Pogačar attacks with 600m to the summit, but a photographer motorbike is in the way! 

The Slovenian's attack is curtailed and Vingegaard is back on his wheel. 

And now Vingegaard goes! He nabs the bonus seconds over the summit ahead of Pogačar, but Pogačar pushes on over the top. 

That puts another three seconds between first and second in the GC.... 

Meanwhile Carlos Rodriguez has brought back some time and is now 25 seconds behind the lead pair. Jai Hindley crosses the summit 1-30 back. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 9km to go

Adam Yates and Carlos Rodriguez have battled their way through the motorbikes and bridged back to Pogačar and Vingegaard. Advantage Pogačar for the stage win, you have to think.

We're on to the Joux Plane descent now. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 6km to go

Carlos Rodriguez has opened up a small but significant gap on this fast and furious descent. Yates has just lost the wheels of Vingegaard and Pogačar, who are predictably sticking to each other. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 4km to go

Rodriguez is carving up this descent like he's on rails. Ten seconds is his gap and it's hard to see how anybody will catch him. 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 2km to go

Or perhaps not! Pogačar is pushing on at every opportunity and that gap is indeed closing... 

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: 1km to go

Pogačar just overcooked a corner coming into Morzine and that might have handed the advantage to Rodriguez. Yates is back up to the duo and will lead out his team leader. 

Carlos Rodriguez wins stage 14 of the 2023 Tour de France! 

A superb ride from the 22-year-old Spaniard and two in two for Ineos Grenadiers. He looked out of contention when he lost the wheel on the final climb but rode a smart race to bridge back up and push on alone on the descent. 

And Tadej Pogačar leads Jonas Vingegaard across the line, clawing back two seconds on the Dane. 

That means Vingegaard has increased his lead in the GC of the Tour. At the start of the day it was 9 seconds. After a thriller of a day, the gap is now... 10 seconds! 

With that victory, Rodriguez is within a whisker of third place on the GC. Jai Hindley crossed the line almost two minutes down, but the Australian might have just done enough to hold on to the virtual podium. 

What a remarkable day in the mountains. So much to-ing and fro-ing, and in the end only one second gained for Jonas Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma. 

I wonder how much more we'll hear about that unfortunate motorbike incident when Pogačar tried to make his move just before the top of the Joux Plane... 

It's a battle of seconds for first and second in the Tour GC, and it's now a battle of seconds for third and fourth. 

Carlos Rodriguez has leapfrogged Jai Hindley in the GC and leads the Australian by just one second. 

🤫The silence is deafening.🤫Un silence qui en dit long. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/a1EXI1Y73j July 15, 2023

Another chapter in what is shaping up to be a rivalry for the ages. 

Pogačar vs Vingegaard. The battle resumes tomorrow!

Tour de France 2023, stage 14 result

1. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers

2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates  at 5 seconds 

3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma at same time

4. Adam Yates (GBr) UAE Team Emirates at 10 seconds 

5. Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma at 57 seconds 

6. Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe at 1-46

7. Felix Gall (Aut) Ag2r-Citroen at same time 

8. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain Victorious at 3-19

9. Simon Yates (GBr) Jayco-AlUla at 3-21

10. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis at 5-57

Tour de France 2023: GC after stage 14

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma in 57-47-28

2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 10 seconds 

3. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers at 4-43

4. Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe at 4-44

5. Adam Yates (GBr) UAE Team Emirates at 5-20

6. Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma at 8-15

7. Simon Yates (GBr) Jayco-AlUla at 8-32

8. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain Victorious at 8-51

9. Felix Gall (Aut) Ag2r-Citroen at 12-26

10. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ at 12-56

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Stage 14 of the Tour de France -

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Vingegaard gains a second on Pogacar after Rodríguez claims epic stage 14

• Ineos Grenadiers win second stage in as many days
• Defending champion edges further ahead of closest rival

Every second counts in the 2023 Tour de France, as the defending champion, Jonas Vingegaard , and his closest rival, Tadej Pogacar, again demonstrated as they fought their way through the Alps, scrapping over bonus seconds on stage 14, from Annemasse to Morzine.

They both huffed, puffed and sweated buckets, but there was ultimately little change to the gap between them, although it was a better day for Vingegaard, leader of the Jumbo-Visma team, who reined in his UAE Team Emirates rival’s attack near the top of the steep Col de Joux Plane to take the available bonus himself.

“Tadej had a very strong attack,” Vingegaard said of their race to the top of the Joux Plane, “and I had to do my own tempo. Luckily, it was enough to catch back to him.”

That effort widened the gap again, only for it to close once more on the nerve-racking descent to Morzine, where Pogacar sprinted ahead to snatch the bonus seconds for second place. The net gain after all that effort, however, was Vingegaard’s – a single second after 150km of racing over five mountain passes.

“I gained one second,” the Dane said, deadpan. “Now I’m 10 seconds ahead.” Asked if he viewed himself as the “moral winner” of the latest bout of sparring with Pogacar, Vingegaard retained his sangfroid. “We’re happy with how we’re doing,” he said. “I don’t think about who’s the ‘moral winner’.”

Just ahead of the sparring pair, Ineos Grenadiers took their second Tour de France win in 48 hours as Carlos Rodríguez, riding his debut Tour, followed Michal Kwiatkowski’s success at the summit of the Grand Colombier with a solo victory.

Watched by the team principal, Sir Dave Brailsford, making a rare visit to the Tour, Rodríguez had attacked at the start of the descent from the Joux Plane, sped through the tight bends, and held off Pogacar and Vingegaard to win the stage.

Brailsford, whose arrival at the race coincided with two stage wins for his team, enthused about the 22-year-old’s performance. “It’s his first Tour, and he’s riding a brilliant race,” Brailsford said. “On the descent, he was willing to take more of a risk than they were.”

But as Rodríguez flourished, climbing to third overall in the General Classification, his teammate Tom Pidcock was one of those suffering from the aftermath of a mass crash earlier in the stage. After only 8km, the pile-up forced a neutralisation, when about 50 riders either fell or were held up by the ensuing chaos. With medical teams treating riders in several teams, the peloton paused for almost 25 minutes as replacement ambulances joined the convoy.

Less than half an hour later, Romain Bardet, leader of Team DSM-Firmenich, and the British rider James Shaw, of EF Education-EasyPost, were both forced to abandon after crashes on the descent of the Col de Saxel. The French rider, forced out of the 2020 Tour with concussion, again seemed unsteady on his feet and was unable to continue.

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Pidcock lost contact with the favourites group, containing Pogacar and Vingegaard, 1km from the top of the Col de la Ramaz, the penultimate climb in a brutal stage.

In what was a rude retort to talk of a top-five finish in Paris, Pidcock never saw the front of the race again. He lost almost nine minutes on the stage, dropping to 11th place overall on the Tour’s General Classification.

“Hopefully he keeps on working at it,” Brailsford said. “I think he’s shown enough to show that this is really worth investing in. He can be up there with the best, I’m sure of it.”

Meanwhile, Brailsford, on the Tour for a long weekend, was not inclined to shed any further light on the bid by Ineos’s owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, to take control of Manchester United. “We are bound by pretty stringent NDAs [non-disclosure agreements],” he said, “but the interest is ongoing.”

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Highlights: tour de france, stage 14 finish.

Tour de France Stage 14 Preview: Pogačar Hunting for the Yellow Jersey

We’re expecting a breakaway to go all the way on Stage 14, which means a fast and aggressive start as riders fight to join it.

Stage 14 - Annemasse to Morzine les Portes du Soleil (151.8km) - Saturday, July 15

Sandwiched between summit finishes on Stages 13 and 15, we’re expecting a breakaway to go all the way on Stage 14, which means a fast and aggressive start as riders fight to join it. The Tour’s GC teams will be picky about who they let go up the road, so it could take a while for the right mix of riders to escape.

And the climbing begins right away, with three of the day’s five climbs to be covered in the first 53km of the stage: the Category 3 Col de Saxel (4.2km at 4.6 percent), the Category 1 Col de Cou (7km at 7.4 percent), and the Category 1 Col du Feu (5.8km at 7.8 percent). Even the intermediate sprint comes on a hilltop: after 86.3km atop the Col du Jamboz.

At this point we should have a good idea as to whether or not the breakaway has a chance to go all the way. We think they’ll need at least 6 minutes by the base of the day’s penultimate climb, the Category 1 Col de la Ramaz (13.9km at 7.1 percent) and–after a long descent and about 10km through a valley–at least 3 minutes at the base of the final climb, the “Beyond Category” Col de Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5 percent).

The Col de Joux Plane isn’t one of the most famous climbs in the Tour de France, but it should be. 11.6km in length, the Alpine ascent has a rather high average gradient (8.5 percent), most of which comes (aside from a steep ramp right at the base) during the upper half of the climb. It’s rather exposed, and riders have remarked that the road seems to climb into the sky.

Some of the area’s most stunning views of Mont Blanc can be seen from the summit as the road loops around an alpine lake before a false descent takes the riders over the summit of the nearby Col du Ranfolly. It’s here that the real descent begins, with the road plunging down into Morzine via tight, winding roads.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t seem to care that there’s a bike race going on: more hot temperatures are expected, with highs in the upper-80s. But more importantly, there’s a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, which could make the descent to the finish line in Morzine even more dangerous than it already is.

The trend has been to let breakways escape and fight for stage wins in the mountains during recent grand tours: at May’s Giro d’Italia, for example, five of the Giro’s six mountain stages went to a rider from the day’s long breakaway. And while the Tour is a different race–and Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) occupy a tier above the Giro’s top riders–we think they’ll play it safe (at least for the sake of their teammates) and let a large group of out-of-contention climbers head way up the road, saving their own attacks for the Joux Plane and the descent into Morzine.

After losing almost all of the advantage that Vingegaard gained on Stage 5, Jumbo-Visma keeps repeating that the Tour will be a different race in the Alps. Even Vingegaard himself said after Stage 13 that he was happy with how things have been going, despite getting gapped by Pogačar at the top of the Grand Colombier at the end of the stage. The team seemed to be sitting back on Stage 13, letting UAE Team Emirates control the race to set-up Pogačar’s eventual attack.

But if the team’s been saving their matches, we’re approaching the time for them to show it. There’s a chance that Pogačar’s been wasting valuable energy with little to show for it, and perhaps a big attack from Vingegaard midway up a big climb at the end of a hard Alpine stage (like the move he made Col du Glandon to drop Pogačar and take the yellow jersey on Stage 11 last year) is all it will take to seize control of the Tour. If that’s the plan, then Stage 14 is the team’s first chance of three (including Stages 15 and 17) to make it happen.

Behind Vingegaard and Pogačar, the battle for third-place overall should start to simmer, with Australia’s Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe) joining Vingegaard on Team “Let’s Wait for Alps.” Perhaps he knows something we don’t, or perhaps he’s just trying to intimidate the men behind him. Regardless, he’s the Tour’s biggest wildcard as the only rider close enough to the top-2 to pull off an upset and far enough away from the men chasing him to be able to risk taking a chance or two.

Riders to watch

This is a big day for American Neilson Powless who has now spent 12 days in the polka dot jersey as the leader of the Tour’s King of the Mountains competition , an American record. But there’s a problem: the Tour’s GC riders are starting to climb the classification, with Pogačar now just 15 points behind Powless (and Vingegaard lurking as well). So with 32 points available on Stage 14’s five categorized climbs, this is a crucial day in terms of the American’s chances to wear the jersey all the way to Paris.

After spending the day at the back of the peloton, Powless was dropped at the base of the Grand Colombier at the end of Stage 13, a sure sign that he was keeping his powder dry to go for more points on Stage 14. His best bet is to go on the attack in a bid to win the 22 points available on the first three climbs, then hold on as long as he can over the Col de la Ramaz to hopefully score a few more points before the breakaway starts attacking itself in a bid to win the stage.

But it won’t be easy: Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X) is third on the KOM classification, 16 points behind Powless, and will certainly have a similar plan. This impending battle could be one of the highlights of the stage–or at least the first half of it.

For the stage win, we’ll have our eyes on Italy’s Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek). A former winner of the Giro’s King of the Mountains competition, the Italian is a threat to both close the gap on Powless and to win the stage. With three mountain stage wins at the Giro throughout his career, he’s a contender for Stage 14.

And last but not least, there’s Australia’s Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën), who won a stage in the Alps in 2021. O’Connor entered the race as a possible podium contender, but has steadily drifted down the General Classification. But he’s shifted his focus to winning a stage and has been rather active throughout the second week. This might be his day.

When to Watch

If you’re up early, you won’t regret tuning in with your morning cup of coffee or tea to watch the formation of the breakaway and the fight to score KOM on the early climbs. But if you’re hoping to sleep in or sneak in a morning ride, try and time things so that you’re watching when the leaders hit the bottom of the Col de Joux Plane at about 10:45 a.m. EDT.

Since getting hooked on pro cycling while watching Lance Armstrong win the 1993 U.S. Pro Championship in Philadelphia, longtime Bicycling contributor Whit Yost has raced on Belgian cobbles, helped build a European pro team, and piloted that team from Malaysia to Mont Ventoux as an assistant director sportif. These days, he lives with his wife and son in Pennsylvania, spending his days serving as an assistant middle school principal and his nights playing Dungeons & Dragons.

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} Tour de France

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Sprint | Yssingeaux (50.7 km)

Points at finish, kom sprint (3) côte de saint-just-malmont (14.2 km), kom sprint (3) côte de châtaignier (39.1 km), kom sprint (3) côte de grandrieu (135.3 km), kom sprint (3) côte de la fage (162.1 km), kom sprint (2) côte de la croix neuve (191 km), youth day classification, team day classification, race information.

• Date: 16 July 2022
• Start time: 12:30
• Avg. speed winner: 42.638 km/h
• Race category: ME - Men Elite
• Distance: 192.5 km
• Points scale: GT.A.Stage
• UCI scale: UCI.WR.GT.A.Stage - TM2022
• Parcours type:
• ProfileScore: 170
• Vert. meters: 3441
• Departure: Saint-Etienne
• Arrival: Mende
• Race ranking: 1
• Startlist quality score: 1551
• Won how: 1.9 km solo
• Avg. temperature: 27 °C

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Tour de France 2023 Route stage 14: Annemasse - Morzine

The last Tour de France stage finish in Morzine happened seven editions ago. Back then, the riders descended the Col de Joux Plane in rainy conditions. Jarlinson Pantano, Vincenzo Nibali and Ion Izagirre crested the climb in first position – all three good descenders -, while Izagirre best navigated the conditions to celebrate in Morzine, 19 seconds ahead of Pantano with Nibali another 23 seconds further in arrears.

Let’s hope for better conditions this year. The finale is a carbon copy of seven years ago. In fact, the last 65 kilometres are the same.

The 14th stage features five KOM climbs and the unclassified drag up the Col de Jambaz. The Col de Saxel (4.2 kilometres at 4.6%), Col de Cou (7 kilometres at 7.4%) and Col du Feu (5.8 kilometres at 7.8%) are included in the first half of the race before the Jambaz adds 6.8 kilometres at 3.8% to the mix.

The riders then continue on the 2016 parcours with the Col de la Ramaz. This is a 13.9 kilometres climb at 7.1% and following the downhill and 10 kilometres in the valley the Joux Plane appears. The 11.6 kilometres climb at 8.5% peaks out at 1,691 metres. Moreover, the first three riders at the summit gain time bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds.

After a few more kilometres at altitude the riders enter a technical descent into Morzine. The last few hundred metres are a false flat uphill to the line.

It will be the 16th time that the Tour de France finishes in Morzine. The winner not only succeeds Izagirre, but also Pantani (1997), Virenque (2000, 2003) and Sastre (2006).

The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the first three on the Joux Plane get 8, 5 and 2 seconds.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 14 2023 Tour de France.

Another interesting read: results 14th stage 2023 Tour de France.

Tour de France 2023 stage 14: routes, profiles, more

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Tour de France 2022 stage 14 preview: Route map and profile from Saint-Etienne to Mende today

A sharp, brutal climb to the finish promises to crack much of the tour de france peloton on stage 14, article bookmarked.

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Stage 14 of the 2022 Tour de France has the profile of a day which could be taken too lightly if the teams and riders do not analyse it very carefully.

Mads Pedersen won from the breakaway on stage 13 and a similar result is possible again today: if a group of riders with no threat to the general classification can get into a rhythm and escape up the road, the peloton – which has been largely controlled by Jumbo-Visma over the past few days – is unlikely to expend too much energy reeling them in.

The four category three climbs across the 192km route should not be hard enough to cause any major changes to the general classification. But the final ascent to the finish has the potential to provoke significant splits, with those who are feeling strong able to eek out large chunks of time inside the final three kilometres.

The finish goes up the Cote de la Croix Neuve which is just 3km long but boasts an average gradient in excess of 10 per cent. There is no real let up until the final couple of hundred metres, so the punchier, more explosive climbers will be in their element at the end of stage 14.

Jonas Vingegaard still leads the general classification by around two and a half minutes from Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates), Geraint Thomas (Ineos) and Romain Bardet (DSM). There may not be fireworks like stage 12, but Pogacar might still choose a punchy day like this one to try and earn back some valuable seconds from Vingegaard, a more natural climber than he is hilly rider.

Stage 14 profile

Stage 14 map, stage 14 start time.

The stage is scheduled to start at around 11.15am BST with the expected finish at around 4.20pm BST.

How to watch on TV and online today

Tour de France coverage can be found this year on ITV4, Eurosport, Discovery+ and GCN+ (Global Cycling Network).

Live racing each day will be shown on ITV4 before highlights typically at 7pm each day. ITV’s website lists timings here .

Eurosport and GCN+ will show every minute of every stage. More on Eurosport’s coverage here and the GCN+ coverage here .

It is also being shown on Eurosport’s Discovery+ streaming service, with broadcast info here .

General classification standings (after 13 of 21 stages)

1. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Jumbo-Visma, 50h 47m 34s.

2. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates, 2:22 behind.

3. Geraint Thomas, Britain, Ineos Grenadiers, 2:26.

4. Romain Bardet, France, Team DSM, 2:35.

5. Adam Yates, Britain, Ineos Grenadiers, 3:44.

6. Nairo Quintana, Colombia, Team Arkea-Sasmic, 3:58.

7. David Gaudu, France, Groupama-FDJ, 4:07.

8. Tim Pidcock, Britain, Ineos Grenadiers, 7:39.

9. Enric Mas, Spain, Movistar, 9:32.

10. Aleksandr Vlasov, Russia, Bora-Hansgrohe, 10:06.

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Tour de France 2023 stage 14 preview - the first Alpine stage

With over 4,000 metres of climbing, stage 14 is one of the toughest stages of this year's Tour de France

Words: Stephen Puddicombe

Photos: James Startt

Distance: 151.8km Start location: Annemasse Finish location: Morzine Start time: 13:05 CEST Finish time (approx): 17:18 CEST

Morzine has, since the 1970s, become one of the most frequently visited towns by the Tour de France , and will this year host a stage for the 22nd time. That’s not because of any particular historical or cultural significance it lays claim to; it’s a small market town near the Swiss border that attracts visitors mostly for winter sports like skiing. No, like many familiar destinations of the Tour, it’s become such a staple due to its proximity to the Alps — in particular the mighty Col de Joux Plane summit, which will be the climactic mountain of a brutal stage 14.

Of all the hors catégorie  climbs to be tackled in this year’s Tour, the Col de Joux Plane is the most unrelentingly steep. Some last longer than its 11.6km, and others have more fluctuating gradients, but none compare to its sustained steep gradients, which barely deviates from between 7 and 10%. It's a psychologically challenging climb, too, progressed via wide bends rather than hairpins that makes the climb appear less hard than it really is, and with few panoramic views for the riders to appreciate how far they’ve climbed. 

This will be the 13th time the Tour has climbed the Joux Plane since debuting in 1978, and pure climbers have always enjoyed it, with Richard Virenque and Marco Pantani among those to have been first to its summit. The last time in 2016 saw Ion Izagirre catch Vincenzo Nibali before flying down the descent to Morzine in wet conditions to take the stage victory. 

Stage 14 profile sourced via ASO

In stark contrast to yesterday’s visit to the Jura Mountains, which featured just the one climb, this stage in the Chablais region of the Alps has a total of four mountains ranked either hors or one category, more than any other stage in the Tour. That will make it a potentially definitive day in the king of the mountains classification, with multiple points on offer for any candidate able to get into the break and potentially seize control of the polka-dot jersey. 

The Col de Joux Plane is certainly the most difficult of all the mountains on the menu, but the other three are all very challenging in their own right, and therefore sure to have an impact. The Col de Cou and Col du Feu are tackled in quick succession inside the first 53km, leaving little time for the riders to bed themselves in or have a rest in between. Then, after a longer valley road, comes the Col de la Ramaz which, at 13.9km, is the longest of the day, and climbs at a far-from-easy 7.1%. Together these summits amount to over 4,000 metres elevation gain, making this stage one of the hardest of the so far, and arguably (it's a tough choice with stage 17) the whole Tour’s queen stage.

With a summit finish looming on stage 15, just before the second rest day, today’s stage will be an ideal opportunity for a breakaway of skilled climbers to go clear, given the extensive amount of climbing they have to tackle. 

Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) redeemed himself on stage 12 following a bitter disappointment on stage nine, but has still not yet been able to crack a stage win. He launched an early attack 40km from the finish but was caught on the lower slopes of the Puy de Dôme, missing out on a podium spot. The American climber will want to continue his trajectory up the podium and hopefully earn himself a top spot. 

The man he lost out to on stage 12, Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), will no doubt fancy another day in the break here, particularly with fond memories of winning over Joux Plane in 2016. His brother Gorka Izagirre (Movistar) has not featured too heavily in the race so far, but can go well in the high mountains. We'll no doubt see his team-mate Ruben Guerreiro in the break too, given his interest in the king of the mountains points so far in this race

The current owner of the polka-dot jersey, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) will be looking to get up the road. There are valuable points at stake to bolster his lead in the king of the mountains classification and prevent anyone taking the jersey from him.  Tadej Poagčar (UAE Team Emirates) follows closely, just 15 points behind, with Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team), both trailing by 16 points. With an hors catégorie and four other categorised climbs on this stage, there is a chance for a significant change in the KoM standings. 

AG2R Citroën Team may opt to give Ben O’Connor the freedom to go for the stage. As he is no longer in contention for the GC battle, the team will likely shift their tactics towards pursuing stage wins, and O’Connor has the potential to leave his mark on the race by securing another stage win in the Alps, having done so in 2021. 

Omar Fraile or Dani Martínez  of   Ineos Grenadiers will suit the demanding terrain characterised by its challenging climbs. With a victory on stage 13, the British team’s riders may have a newfound confidence, and Fraile might strive for a win, aiming for back-to-back triumphs for the team.  Another rider who will be keen to get in the break will be Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) if he has recovered from his crash on Thursday. He came close to a stage win on stage five, but has been relatively quiet since. His teammate Matthias Skjelmose  (Lidl-Trek) has been in an attacking mood this Tour, and the Danish champion is a strong contender over this parcours.

Harold Tejada and Alexey Lutsenko  (both Astana Qazaqstan) are strong climbers who will be keen to get in the break and have a chance at stage victory, having both seemingly ridden into much better form compared to the beginning of the Tour.  Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) is another candidate who can climb well out of the breakaway, but his teammate Michael Woods  could certainly thrive on a stage like this, particularly after his victory on Puy de Dôme.

Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) is determined to secure a stage win and expressed confidence in his chances on this stage after taking a slightly easier day on the Grand Colombier. He has the climbing abilities, he just needs to remain composed and take a level-headed approach to succeed – something that hasn't been his forte.

Others to consider include Esteban Chaves and James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost), Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick-Step), Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic), and Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies).

Prediction 

We think Matthias Skjelmose will secure his maiden Tour de France stage win in Morzine.

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Tour de Romandie: Richard Carapaz wins stage 4 as Juan Ayuso's lead crumbles

Carlos Rodriguez moves into race lead

How it unfolded

Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) soared to victory on the Tour de Romandie ’s second summit finish at Leysin, soloing to the line 2km from home after the elite GC group detonated inside the final 5km of the climb.

The Ecuadorian left behind Florian Lipowitz (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) after the German had put in a biting attack to blow apart the lead group a kilometre earlier.

Carapaz held off a very late charge from Lipowitz, who sprinted away from Rodríguez inside the final kilometre, to secure the win, while the Spaniard finished third.

Further back, race leader Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) couldn’t cope with the pace, dropping out of contention for the win, and, eventually, the yellow jersey, as he finished over 40 seconds down.

Carapaz held off a very late charge from Lipowitz, who sprinted away from Rodríguez inside the final kilometre, to secure the win, while the Spaniard finished third. Further back, race leader Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) couldn’t cope with the pace, dropping out of contention for the win, and, eventually, the yellow jersey, as he finished 44 seconds down.

Rodríguez would take over the race lead as a result, jumping up three spots in the general classification. He now lies seven seconds clear of Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe), who was fifth on the stage, 14 seconds down. Lipowitz is third overall at nine seconds, while Ayuso drops to fifth overall at 27 seconds.

The GC action kicked off just as breakaway survivor Clément Berthet (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) was caught with 5.5km to go of the 152km queen stage. The catch, led by Ineos Grenadiers with Ayuso and his teammates close behind, preceded the first move, made by the resurgent Egan Bernal.

The Colombian's jump wasn't the decisive move of the day, but filtered out all but the top GC men, including Carapaz, Lipowitz, Rodríguez, Ayuso, and Vlasov. Enric Mas (Movistar), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-QuickStep), and UAE Team Emirates pair Adam Yates and Pavel Sivakov were also there.

Bernal was brought back soon after, and quickly set to work for Rodríguez, who clearly had the race lead in his sights further up the mountain. Over the next 2km, several riders dropped away with the pace changes up front, leaving the path clear for Lipowitz to make the big move, dropping Ayuso and laying the stage for Carapaz's stage-winning acceleration.

Coming two days after the previous summit finish at Les Marécottes and a day after the Oron time trial, which shook up the overall standings, the fourth stage brought five tests in the form of classified climbs for the peloton.

The climbing included the early first-category Ovronnaz (9.1km at 9.5%), as well as the second-category Les Rives (9.6km at 5.4%) just before the 100km mark and then the final climb to the line at Leysin (13.8km at 6%).

With so many mountain points up for grabs, it was no surprise that a strong breakaway group left to contest the four earlier climbs. Over 50km had passed before the move went, with Berthet joined in the attack by teammate Dorian Godon as well as Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Bart Lemmen (Visma-Lease A Bike), and Raúl García Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels).

UAE Team Emirates did much of the work behind, unsurprisingly, on behalf of Ayuso, while up front the breakaway riders racked up the mountain points.

Lemmen took 15 on Ovronnaz and another five on the third-category La Rasse before adding another four for third place at Les Rives. He wouldn't reach the 35 points of classification leader Juri Hollmann (Alpecin-Deceuninck), however, and over the penultimate two climbs of Les Rives and Les Giettes, no other riders would come close to that total, either, leaving the German safe in the KOM lead.

By that point, Berthet had gone solo in search of stage glory, though behind him Ineos Grenadiers had already begun the work on the road towards the stage's final climb. He left Lemmen behind on Les Rives to go solo only had 1:20 of a lead over Les Giettes.

With 45km to go, the Frenchman stood little chance of hanging on for the win, but he ploughed on in the valley, regardless. He'd bravely battle on up the final climb, too, making it over 8km of the way up before the inevitable catch.

From there, it was up to Ineos Grenadiers and Egan Bernal to set up the GC battle, and it was the British team who came away from the day with the fruits of the stage, taking the yellow jersey ahead of the hilly final showdown in Vernier on Sunday.

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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.

Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Dani also oversees How to Watch guides and works on The Leadout newsletter throughout the season. Their favourite races are Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix and their favourite published article is from the 2024 edition of the latter: 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix

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On the road

Pau > saint-lary-soulan pla d'adet, 07/13/2024 - stage 14 - 152 km - mountain.

Embraced by the Pyrenees, Pau is a city filled with regal elegance, offering a perfect blend of cultural richness and natural splendour. Explore the majestic Boulevard des Pyrénées, where the Château de Pau frames breathtaking mountain views, setting the stage for your adventure.

Immerse yourself in local markets, a sensory feast of Béarnese flavors. Indulge in local cheeses and savor the aromas of freshly baked pastries, or stop for a while in one of the many vibrant bistros and cafes, each offering a unique gastronomic experience.

At any time of day, Pau's parks and gardens offer a tranquil haven in the heart of the city. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through Parc Beaumont or be transported with a visit to the Kofu Japanese Gardens. Meanwhile museums and sights like the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the birthplace of Henri IV offer plenty to inspire.

Discover vibrant nightlife in Pau's squares, where locals and visitors gather, creating a convivial atmosphere, or delve into the city's artistic heritage at venues like the Zenith de Pau. Where royal grandeur meets rugged mountain beauty, Pau has plenty of unforgettable experiences to offer.

Find out more on  lastminute.com

Saint-Lary-Souplan Pla d'Adet

Perched in the heart of the French Pyrenees, Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet is one of the area's largest ski resorts, and has plenty to offer both winter sports enthusiasts and summer adventurers alike.

When the snows fall, the slopes of Pla d'Adet transform into a winter wonderland, inviting skiers and snowboarders to carve through pristine powder against a backdrop of breathtaking peaks. While in the summer, Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet reveals a different kind of magic. Explore hiking trails that meander through mountain meadows, revealing panoramic views of the Pyrenean landscape. The town's charming chalets and mountain lodges offer a cozy retreat after a day of exploration.

Among the region's unique experiences are the historic iron springs, waiting for you to explore. Or you could just relax and treat yourself in the resort's extensive spa facilities instead.

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