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9 hours ago
10
Key events
85km to go Campenaerts has been reeled in by the peloton, but Pidcock’s group have stretched their lead over the peloton back to a minute, but they’re still 1’45” off the leading pack. Just over a km left to the summit of Col du Page.
89km to go Arensman has a rear puncture and drops off the Poursuivants group. The front group – Paret-Peintre, Carapaz, Healy and the two Johannessen brothers, are motoring, stretching their lead over the peloton to 2min 30. Although they have now been joined by Rubio.
90km to go Another climb – 6.9km till the top of the Col du Page. The peloton are gaining on Pidcock’s group, just 25 seconds behind.
News from a little earlier today – when Paret-Peintre crossed the line first, he became the first Frenchman in 34 years to win the Grand Ballon.
100km to go The leaders zip into the final 100k of today’s stage. They’ve got 1’15” on Tom Pidcock’s chasing group, 1’52” on the peloton.
“Thomas Pidcock. I always think of him as Stuart,” writes Alistair Connor. “Not very smart of him to be in the breakaway two days running : he’s lost the element of surprise, and the other guys in the breakaway will hate him when he gets reeled in.”
106km to go The top five are charging on the downhill now with a few drops of rain hitting the camera, despite the warm sunshine. As the rain falls on the riders’ faces it “completely changes your concept of the descent” say one of the TNT commentators. They’ve got 1 min 55 over the peloton.
118km to go Paret-Peintre beats Carapaz in the race for KOM points and they continue their attack over the top, chased by Healy and the two Johannessen brothers.
123km to go “Ben, Alors Mon Garcon’ reads a sign. “An indirect alliance in this front group, to put pressure on UAE” says Adam Blythe. This lead group are less than one km from the top of the Grand Ballon now, still 1 minute 14 ahead of the peloton.
123km to go They keep on climbing, 2.5k to go to the top. Three pink shirts lead the front pack, headed by Georg Steinhauser, with a fourth EF rider in the group.
123km to go An email drops – lovely to hear from you, Bronagh McAtasney! “Ben Healy is so smart. Could be that he knows with Pidcock in the breakaway, it won’t be allowed to go too far ahead and so today is his moment? (Until Pogaçar decides otherwise.)
“I’m pretty much picking Ben for the win for every day until he does it anyway.”
Healy and Castrillo have been caught – for now - and slot back into the leading group. But I agree, Healy is a very smart rider! Hoping for a stage win for him this Tour.
124km to go Healy and Castrillo have stretched the lead to ten seconds over the poursuivants as they begin to climb again. The crowds are closing in again from both sides, cow bells and applause accompany the riders up.
126km to go A jolly Father Christmas rings an enthusiastic bell as the peloton zip pas . Healy and Castrillo have pulled away from the front group as they hit a little plateau on the Grand Ballon.
133km to go Past the flags, the camper vans, the parasols, up they go. The gap over the peloton is slowly creeping up to 1.13. If you’re there, or watching, or spot something that I’ve missed, do write in.
133km to go Aha! Tom Pidcock has joined the centre of the front bunch, in the most combative bib.
134km to go The break has a minute on the peloton at the moment where UAE are setting the tempo.
135km to go A big group in front of the peloton, divided into clumps. The front group includes Antonio Tiberi, Tobias Johannessen Marc Hirschi, Thymen Arensman, Richard Carapaz, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Quinn Simmons, Jan Tratnik, Bruno Armirail and Egan Bernal.
136km to go The riders are in and out of the shadows of overhanging trees. There are gaps in the peloton now, no UAE riders in the first fifty riders. Bruno Armirail makes a temporary – and brief - bid for freedom.
138km to go First moves are underway, cagey and shoulder shifting. EF Education are stretching out the peloton with Ben Healey in pink at the front.
139km to go They start the 21.5km ascent of the Grand Ballon, the second largest climb of this year’s Tour de France, through a village heavily sprinkled with crowds and out onto tree lined roads.
143km to go NSM start the lead out for the sprint – 25, 20, 16 points waiting for first, second and third over the line. But Philipsen stays cool and gets the 25 point reward, Pedersen second, Kanter third, Girmay fourth. The gap slims down to 36 points for the green jersey.
145km to go Now bright sunshine as the riders pull away from filthy skies – a slim line of Alpecin riders are still pulling the peloton along – hoping to put Jasper Philipsen in position for maximum sprint points – 2.4km to go.
151km to go The intermediate sprint is in 8.5km and Alpecin are controlling the front.
Kilometre Zero
The race director pops his head out into the dampness, waves his flag, and the riders head off into the pouring rain. No initial attacks in stinking conditions, as sprint and GC teams cover the front of the peloton.
Rain turns to hail – think Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas.
And actually it is raining already, slanting into the riders as they approach kilometre zero.
Rain is on the menu today for a day of nasty vertical climbs – four classified climbs and 3,800m of vertical gain over 155km.
They are mulling over the possibilities in the studio. “I like to see Jonus go for a stage win, be nice to see the underdog get one.” says Robbie McEwen. The panel think he should keep on riding for first place.
Meanwhile the battle for that third podium place is wide open.
DeBruyne out of the race
A sore throat and a fever have ruined Ramses DeBruyne’s TDF. He was sixth in the young rider’s classification and 18th in the overall standings.
They’ve toddled off, 12.5k till the depart rée.
“Good vibes in the bus,” says the yellow-jerseyed Pogacar, “and everyone knows what to do.” Ominous, they conclude in the studio.
The start is about five minutes away and it looks hot out there, though it is only showing a relatively comfortable 26 degrees on the themometer at the moment.
General Classification Standings
In the studio, they’re talking about Tom Pidcock’s ride yesterday that screeched him up the GC rankings. “Audacious all day long,” says Robbie McEwen.“Probably the most talented rider GB has ever had,” adds Adam Blythe.
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): 47hrs 18mins 31secs
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike): +3mins 36secs
3. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): +4mins 06secs
4. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 pro cycling team): +4mins 15secs
5. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek): +4mins 22secs
6. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team): +4mins 35secs
7. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe): +4mins 44secs
8. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): +5mins 08secs
9. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek): +5mins 45secs
10. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious): +6mins 34secs
The points classification
Green jersey standings.
1. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 377
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) 336
3. Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) 333
4. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) 307
5. Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) 239
6. Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) 210
7. Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) 159
8. Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) 129
9. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) 117
10. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 107
King of the Mountains Standings
There are a maximum of 35 points on offer for the polka dot jersey chasers today:
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 42
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) 27
3. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) 19
4. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 pro cycling team): 18
5. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) 18
6. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) 18
7. Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) 17
8. Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) 16
9. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) 16
10. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 14
William Fotheringham’s stage guide
Stage 14, Saturday 18 July: Mulhouse to Le Markstein Fellering, 155.3km
A brutal day’s climbing including a 106km loop that goes through the finish line twice, at the top of the first-category Grand Ballon after 43.9km, then finally via the Col du Haag, a steep, narrow climb, 11km at 7% up what the manual describes as “a forest path which has been converted into a cycle path”. That is after climbing the Ballon d’Alsace for the second time in two days. The trend on the Tour’s shorter mountain stages now is that the early escapees do not get enough space to contest the stage win; this has Pogacar or Vingegaard written all over it.
Preamble
Hello! A weekend of mountain agony in the Vosges awaits for the riders, and a rather more enjoyable couple of afternoons of watching for the rest of us.
An excellent first tour win for Switzerland’s Mauro Schmid yesterday in a sprint for the line was accompanied by a surprise rise up the GC rankings for Tom Pidcock, who starts today in fourth. More knowledgable people than me expect him not to have such a free ride now he has a target on his back.
On stage 13, the pelaton drifted in more than seven minutes clear of the leaders, and that’s where Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard bided their time. They are bound to be more conspicuous today – the map of the terrain is a series of nasty looking acute triangles.
Do join us, and send me your musings – I’d appreciate the expertise!
