Following a series of sprinter stages, Tour de France race organizer A.S.O. had planned two challenging mountain stages for spectators and cycling fans worldwide to enjoy over the weekend.

The route of stage 14 of Tour de France 2024 invited the riders in the Tour peloton to a battle royale on a 151.9-kilometer stretch from Pau, at the foot of the mountains, to Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet. The riders would pass through the catholic pilgrimage epicenter of the town of Lourdes before climbing the Col du Tourmalet (Hors Categorie; 18.9 km; 7.4%), the Hourquette d’Ancizan (Category 2; 8.3 km; 5%), followed by a battle royale on the Hors Categorie climb to St-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet (Hors/Beyond Category; 10.6 km; 8%).

Thomas Pidcock (Ineos-Grenadiers) had been forced to abandon the Tour de France before today’s stage because he was suffering from a Covid-19 infection.

A Covid-19 epidemy was spreading though the Tour peloton and it would be interesting to find out if it would put General Classification favorites such as Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma – Lease a Bike), Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos-Grenadiers), and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) in danger of being forced to exit the race before it concludes in Nice later this month.

Hopefully passing through Lourdes – the town of religious miracles – could work wonders for the health of the riders in the Tour de France peloton and some of the teams would fill their water bottles with water from the holy springs.

Several riders launched attacks from the very start of the stage as many riders were eager to join a long breakaway to gain valuable television time for their team sponsors, to act as valuable front posts for their team captains in later attacks, or even in hope of fighting for the stage victory in what would likely be a legendary stage.

The main peloton, however, was spearheaded by riders from UAE Team Emirates in a dedicated quest to shut down any significant breakaway attempts. Their team tactics apparently instructed them to pave the way for a stage victory and valuable bonus seconds for their team captain Tadej Pogacar.

With 110 kilometers remaining a viable breakaway group had yet to be established. A quartet featuring Arnaud de Lie (Lotto-Dstny), Cedric Beullens (Lotto-Dstny), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) was fighting just ten seconds ahead of the pack.

The front quartet showed impressive resilience and despite the hard work delivered by its members, there was no visible power degradation happening.

The Tour de France peloton was slowly approaching the legendary Col du Tourmalet (Hors Categorie; 18.9 km; 7.4%) climb. With 90 kilometers remaining of today’s stage 14, a group of chasing riders had bridged to the front quartet. Denmark’s Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) had put in a strong effort to catch the front men. He was joined by Oier Lazkano (Movistar Team), Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea B&B Hotels), and Raul Garcia Pierna (Arkea B&B Hotels). The eight riders now pressed on in a joint effort.

A fifteen-man group was chasing thirty-two seconds behind while hoping to make the leap to the front group before the Col du Tourmalet. The main peloton, which featured the general classification favorites, was approximately three minutes behind.

The front group had been reduced to five riders when it reached the Col du Tourmalet. A chase group was approximately twelve seconds behind, while the main peloton with its usual general classification suspects was four minutes behind the front men.

The two front groups merged and continued their quest up the Col du Tourmalet in joint fashion. The weather was hot and multiple riders were spotted wearing their FlowBio hydration sensors to further optimize their hydration and performance in the best possible manner. UAE Team Emirates riders were spearheading the main peloton up the climb.

Thirteen riders remained in the breakaway group when ten kilometers of the Col du Tourmalet climb remained. Sean Quinn was setting a steady pace for EF Education-EasyPost teammate Ben Healy. The group had an advantage of more than four minutes over the main peloton at this point. But more than seventy kilometers of the stage remained.

When five kilometers of the Tourmalet climb remained, the front group still had a lead of four minutes over the main peloton, but the number of breakaway group participants had been reduced to eleven.

David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) accelerated from the front group with less than a kilometer of climbing remaining before the top of the Tourmalet climb would be reached. The French climber was either targeting valuable points for the best climber classification or concerned with the fact the group’s time advantage over the main peloton had been reduced to 03:30 minutes. But Oier Lazkano joined the Frenchman, and it was the Spaniard who was first across the top for his Movistar team.

Meanwhile, the main peloton was headed by a joint effort from riders from UAE Team Emirates and Team Visma – Lease a Bike in support of their GC favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The main peloton reached the top of Col du Tourmalet and passed the Jacques Goddet memorial with a four-minute deficit. Goddet was director of the Tour de France race from 1936 to 1986.

The ten front men cooperated well on the descent. The speed was intense, and the descent was dangerous. The riders were now approaching the Hourquette d’Ancizan climb (Category Two; 8.3 km; 5%), which was the penultimate climb on today’s menu.

The front group was reduced to seven members on the Hourquette d’Ancizan climb. 33.8 kilometers of the stage remained, and the front group now included Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos-Grenadiers), Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Oier Lazkano (Movistar), Louis Meintjes (Intermarche-Wanty), and Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility Cycling Team).

Gaudu, Healy and Meintjes dropped Kwiatkowski and Lazkano with five kilometers of the climb remaining.

Marc Soler replaced UAE Team Emirates colleague Nils Politt at the front of the main peloton. They were now 02:20 minutes behind the remaining breakaway optimists.

Gaudu was first to reach the top of the Hourquette d’Ancizan climb and secured the maximum points for the best climber competition. The other four remaining men in the front group rejoined Gaudu on the descent and the quintet pressed on with a reduced advantage of just 01:15 minutes.

UAE Team Emirates riders had spearheaded the main peloton on the climb and delivered a pace that was hard to imagine for riders from other teams. The acceleration efforts had been remarkably powerful and left other riders both stunned and breathless.

As the riders approached the final climb of today’s stage 14, things were heating up and getting more intense under the hot sun. According to French newspaper l’Equipe, Tour de France GC favorites Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic had been staring at each other like dogs in recent days, virtually turning more aggressive by the minute. Closely followed by riders from Team Visma-Lease a Bike, UAE Team Emirates riders were delivering maximum speed at the front of the main peloton.

The front group entered the Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet (Hors Categorie; 10.6 km; 8%), which would take the riders to the finish line of today’s stage 14. Their advantage was down to 01:22 minutes. Kwiatkowski was dropped. Healy and Gaudu left the other breakaway participants behind.

Healy dropped Gaudu 9.4 kilometers from the finish line. The EF Education-EasyPost-Cadillac rider was setting an impressive pace. He had fought hard in today’s tough stage and wanted the stage win as prize for his strong effort.

Pavel Sivakov was spearheading the main peloton for UAE Team Emirates. The former Russian, now turned Frenchman, was very strong. When he lost his power, Joao Almeida immediate replaced him. Despite the hard work at the front of the main peloton, Healy still had a lead of 01:05 minutes with eight kilometers of the tough climb remaining. Was this the day where courageous initiative would be rewarded on the stage podium?

Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) attacked from the favorites group with approximately seven kilometers remaining. Irishman Healy’s advantage was down to one minute.

Healy’s lead had been further reduced when six kilometers remained. Yates was 35 seconds behind Healy and the main favorites were 48 seconds behind the EF Education-EasyPost climber.

Yates was closing in on Healy when five kilometers remained. Just twelve seconds separated the first two riders on the course. 

Tadej Pogacar attacked with 4.6 kilometers remaining. The yellow lightening was firing on all engines. Jonas Vingegaard could not respond. Pogacar caught Yates and Healy with 4.4 kilometers remaining. The UAE Team Emirates duo pressed on and left Irish strongman Healy behind.

Vingegaard was keeping Pogacar within reach. The Dane was joined by Remco Evenepoel and Yates.

Vingegaard was eleven seconds behind frontman Pogacar when three kilometers remained. Slovenian Pogacar had increased his advantage to twenty seconds with two kilometers left. Vingegaard’s batteries were overheating, and his time deficit was increasing. Evenepoel, Yates, and Carlos Rodriguez were chasing further behind.

Tadej Pogacar was powering towards the finish line on his shining black Colnago bike. A remarkable stage victory and important bonus seconds awaited the man in yellow.

Pogacar crossed the finish line with his arms raised above his head as winner of stage 14 of Tour de France 2024. Vingegaard crossed the finish line 39 seconds later. Evenepoel completed the stage podium 01:10 minutes behind Pogacar. Rodriguez reached the finish line nine seconds later.

In the general classification Tadej Pogacar leads Tour de France 2024 with an advantage of 01:57 minutes over Jonas Vingegaard. Remco Evenepoel is 02:22 minutes behind the man in yellow, while Joao Almeida is fourth and Carlos Rodriguez fifth. Mikel Landa is in sixth position in the GC.

Sunday’s stage 15 of Tour de France 2024 will offer an additional chance of advancement in the general classification for general classification favorites such as Remco Evenepoel, Carlos Rodriguez, Jonas Vingegaard, and Tadej Pogacar. Stage 15 will be a 197.7-kilometer ride from Loudenvielle to Plateau de Beille. The route concludes on Plateau de Beille (Hors Categorie; 15.7 km; 7.8%) and additionally includes no less than four Category One climbs.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for continuous coverage from Tour de France 2024.

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