Jul 16 2011

Le Tour- Stage 14

Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille 105 miles

Le.  Tour.  De.  France.

Our last day in the Pyrenees and the last chance for some riders to make a statement.

Not that I’m expecting for Contador to pack it in, just that there are those who will look ahead to the Alps and decide to spare themselves.  We had 4 withdrawals yesterday including Kloden of Radio Shack.

Speaking of surprises, I’m not sure who would have predicted a Hushovd Stage win and Gilbert finished unexpectedly high.  There was a huge group of 54 that tied for twelfth with another 30 riders 15 Seconds behind so you might argue the deltas don’t make a difference.

Today’s Stage is all up and down with a category 3, two category 2s, two category 1s and we finish on an unclassified (though the last 100 yards is pretty flat).

After this we have a flat day (last one except the Champs Elysees finish) and then there is no rest for the wicked though there is for the riders before we attack the Alps and finish with the Individual Time Trial and parade.

Too early coverage on Vs. starts at 6:30 am.

rustymancuso581

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  3. Bob (16)- Schleck

    Paul (9)- Evans

  6. Photobucket

    Situated at the crossroads of the different main roads in the Pyrenees, the town has hosted nine stage finishes and ten stage starts, of which the last one was in 2009. For example in 1970, after leaving Saint-Gaudens, Bernard Thévenet secured his first stage victory in La Mongie. Above all, during the 1976 edition, the Saint-Gaudens- Saint-Lary-Soulan stage was decisive in the fight between Lucien Van Impe and Joop Zoetemelk for the Yellow Jersey. After his victory on his own in the Pyrenees the Belgian climber remained in the lead in the general classification.

  7. Photobucket

    Although cross-country skiing is principally carried out there during the winter, the Plateau de Beille has rapidly established its reputation in the summer as a determining factor in the Tour de France, with four stage finishes in 10 years. After Marco Pantani as a forerunner in 1998, Lance Armstrong was victorious there twice, in 2002 and in 2004, followed by Alberto Contador who won the stage in 2007. In short, all the Plateau de Beille’s winners have ended up wearing the Yellow Jersey.

  8. the leaders are on the downhill. Laurens Ten Dam crashed and is being tended by medicis

  9. is the last climb and descent before the final up hill leg to the finish at the top of Plateau de Beille. There are 50 k to go.

    The leader is Insausti Izagirre.

    Another crash, Voigt. He gets a new bike and continues

  10. between the leader and the pelaton

  11. the last part of the stage is all uphill for 20 km. This is the profile of the last kilometer

    Photobucket

    My legs ache just looking st that

  13. in the yellow jersey group

  14. the yellow jersey group of 12 with the top contenders:

    Voekler is fighting to hold on to the yellow jersey

    The Schleck brothers

    Contador, Sanches, Vendenvert, Basso, Peraud, Evans, Uran, Rolland

  15. of the yellow jersey pack. That will be hard to close

  16. 24 sec gap

  17. Bothers Schleck, Evans, Basso, Voeckler, Contador, Uran, Sanchez, Peraud, Rolland

  18. from the yellow jersey group to try to take back the lead from Vandenvert

  19. pushing away from the pack

  20. less than 2 km to go

  22. Voeckler will retain the yellow jersey

  23. this is the first stage he has ever won.

  24. will be a bit later as the bikers were quite spread out coming up the part of the stage

  25. Today was the final day in the Pyrenees. The next two stages are relatively flat. Voeckler is expected to hold onto the yellow jersey. The stages in the Alps will determine a lot.

    Stage 14 Winners

    1. Jelle Vandenvert

    2. Samuel Sanchez

    3. Andy Schleck

    4. Cadel Evans

    5. Rigoberto Uran

    6. Alberto Contador

    7. Thomas Voeckler

    8. Frank Schleck

    9. Jean-Christophe Peraud

    10. Pierre Rolland

    Overall Standing on Time (yellow jersey):

    1. Thomas Voeckler

    2. Frank Schleck

    3. Cadel Evans

    4. Andy Schleck

    5. Ivan Basso

    Overall Points Standing (green jersey):



    1. Mark Cavendish – 264 pts.

    2. Jose Joachim Rojas – 251 pts.

    3. Philippe Gilbert – 240 pts.

    4. Thor Hushovd – 192 pts.

    5. André Greipel – 164 pts.

    Overall Climber (red & white polka dot jersey):

    1. Jelle Vandenvert – 74 pts.

    2. Samule Sanchez – 72 pts.

    3. Jérémy Roy – 45 pts

    4. Andy Schleck – 28 pts.

    5. Cadel Evans – 26 pts.

    Overall Youth (white jersey):

    1. Rigoberto Uran

    2. Rein Taaramae

    3. Pierre Rolland

    4. Arnold Jeanesson

    5. Rog Ruijgh

    Overall Team (yellow & white jersey):

    1. Team Leopard Trek

    2. Team Europcar

    3. AG2R La Mondiale

    4. Team Garmin-Cevelo

    5. Katusha Team

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