Italian Vincenzo Nibali was flanked by Frenchmen Jean-Christophe Peraud and Thibaut Pinot on the 2014 Tour de France podium.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marcel Kittel started off the Tour de France in the same way he would finish it - with a win.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rafal Majak (Saxo-Tinkoff) wins stage 17.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Tour de France peloton rolls through a tunnel during stage 16.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jan Bakelants (Omega Pharma Quick Step) during stage 16.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) wins his first Tour de Frace stage during stage 16.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jack Bauer (Garmin-Sharp) came close to a win in stage 15.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma Quick Step) riding in stage 15(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) wins stage 15.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jean Christophe Peraud, a former mountain biker, showed his strength in the mountains during stage 14.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali in yellow and protected by his Astana teammates during stage 14.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) rides to a stage 14 win in the mountains.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alejandro Valverde, Vincenzo Nibali and Thibaut Pinot race each other up the mountain during stage 13.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale) proved himself a strong climber.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) continued riding well to win stage 13.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Tour de France peloton in France during stage 12.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff on his way to sprinting to win stage 12 for Katusha.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Jean-Christophe Peraud climb together during stage 17.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Thibaut Pinot showed his strength and potential at this year's Tour. Here he is during stage 17.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A final stage crash involving Jean-Christophe Peraud was no doubt unsettling, but he kept his cool and his second place on the podium.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
All the jersey-wearers in the 2014 Tour de France on the Champs Elysee(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) in yellow as the 2014 Tour de France winner.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) ended his Tour like he began it, with a stage win.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali time trials as race leader during stage 20.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick Step) on his way to winning stage 20.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tejay van Garderen (BMC) time trials his way into the top 5 overall during stage 20.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
It was the kind of rainy day when one doesn't envy pro cyclists.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
There were more crashes during stage 19(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) riding in the rain to finish stage 19(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp) delivered a victory at the end of stage 19(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) on his way to winning stage 18 atop Hautacam(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
We didn't hear much about Frank Schleck (Trek Factory Racing) this year.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) lost some time on stage 18(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cyril Gautier and Simon Clarke had a good showing during stage 12.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
It wouldn't be the Tour de France without sunflowers. Riders are shown here during stage 11.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Blel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale) claimed victory on stage 8, the first summit finish of the 2015 Tour(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) both rode strongly during stage 8(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stage 7 featured a very close finish between winner Matteo Trentin and Peter Sagan. Neither knew for sure who had won immediately afterward until officials made the call.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Another crash: Jurgen van den Broeck (Lotto Bellisol) hits the deck in stage 7.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) crashed within sight of the finish line during stage 7(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan (Cannondale) was among the many crashed riders keeping race medics busy on stage 6(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol) sprinted to win stage 6.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The crashes continued during stage 6 of the Tour de France. Xabier Zando and Marcel Wyss are pictured here.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sylvain Chavanel (IAM Cycling) demonstrates the aero tuck while racing in the breakaway during stage 8(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick Step) on his way to winning stage 9, which was not a time trial.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) suffers through his injuries during stage 11 and almost quits, but keeps going.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Riding in the polka dot mountains jersey, Joaquim Rodriguez grabs lunch during stage 11.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tony Gallopin (Lotto Belisol) takes the stage 11 win.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) clearly in pain and receiving attention before he would abandon during stage 10.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) won stage 10 and moved back into yellow.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tony Gallopin (Lotto Belisol) enjoys a day in yellow during stage 10(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol) on the podium after stage 9 and clearly enjoying his time in yellow.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick Step) isn't often thought of as a climber, but here he is in the polka dot mountains jersey after stage 9(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Crashes were a big problem during the wet and slippery stage 5. Here, yellow jersey Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) narrowly avoids trouble.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lars Boom was the man of the day, winning the cobbled stage 5.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Crashes and broken bikes were common at the 2014 Tour de France..Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Movistar Team) is pictured here.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome gets attended by race medics after a crash.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Defending champion Chris Froome lost some skin in this crash and injured himself more seriously than was let on.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chinese rider Cheng Ji (Giant-Shimano) got a lot of attention during the Tour de France.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Battles between Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali never materialized as Contador would soon drop out from injury. They are pictured here during stage 3.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Colorful sprint finishes characterize the Tour. This stage 3 sprint was won by Marcel Kittel.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marcel Kittel enjoys his day in yellow during stage 2.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish says goodbye to the 2014 Tour de France before the start of stage 2 after separating his shoulder(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali takes over the yellow jersey for the first time during stage 2.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Leeds hosted the Grand Depart as racers enjoyed the first few days of the 2014 Tour de France in Great Britain.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jens Voigt racing in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside during stage 1.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan rides the cobbled stage 5.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali rode the pavé like a boss(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Tour de France is about glory and it's about pain. This year it was also about crashes with several top contenders having to abandon. In the end, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) was the man who went home with the yellow jersey and all the bragging rights, at least until next July.
Our latest photo gallery highlights some of the key moments of this year’s Grand Tour, including Nibali’s win during stage 2 into Sheffield along with his commanding performance on the cobbles during the fifth stage, won by Belkin’s Lars Boom.
The Italian only lost the race lead for one day to Tony Gallopin of Lotto-Belisol, who gained time from a successful breakaway during the ninth stage into Mulhouse, a stage won by Omega Pharma-QuickStep’s Tony Martin. He landed the yellow jersey again after he won on La Planche des Belles Filles during stage 10, and he went on to win two more stages in the mountains; stage 13 to Chamrousse and stage 18 on Hautacam.
Nibali, Boom and Martin were some of the first riders to capitalize off of breakaway opportunities but there were plenty more to be had during the three-week race. Ag2r-La Mondiale’s Blel Kadri took a solo win on stage 12 to La Mauselaine and Gallopin went on to win stage 11 into Oyonnax. Tinkoff-Saxo’s Rafal Majka won stage 14 into Risoul and stage 17 on the Pla d’Adet, and also won the mountains competition, while his teammate Michael Rogers took the stage 16 win in Luchon. Although Garmin-Sharp’s team leader Andrew Talansky abandoned the race due to injuries from a crash, his teammate Ramunas Navardauskas soloed to the stage 19 win in Bergerac.
There was a lot of anticipation around the event’s only individual time trial as a possible place to gain or lose time in the overall classification. Martin took a commanding win in the 54km race held from Bergerac to Périgueux while Nibali solidified his yellow jersey victory ahead of Frenchmen Jean-Christophe Péraud (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) in the overall classification.
The excitement of the race started and ended with bunch sprint finishes in both Yorkshire and Paris with Marcel Kittel taking those wins. He was victorious in the stage 1 sprint and wore the first yellow jersey of the race for his Giant-Shimano team. The German sprinter went on to win three more bunch sprints during stage 3 in London, stage 4 in Lille Métropole and the finale stage 21 on the Champs-Élysées.
Omega Pharma-QuickStep’s Mark Cavendish crashed out of the race during stage 1 but there were a handful of other sprinters in the race who took home victories. Lotto-Belisol’s André Greipel won stage 6 into Reims, Omega Pharma-QuickStep’s Matteo Trentin won stage 7 into Nancy and Katusha’s Alexander Kristoff won stage 12 into Saint-Étienne and stage 15 into Nîmes.
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Although Cannondale’s Peter Sagan was denied a victory at this year’s Tour, he celebrated his overall win in the green jersey competition.
Team Sky’s Chris Froome went into the race as the defending champion and one of the favorites to win the overall title for a second year but he abandoned during the cobbled stage 5 after several earlier crashes and he fractured his wrist and hand. Tinkoff-Saxo’s Alberto Contador was also forced to abandon after a crash on a descent during stage 10, and he is recovering from a fractured tibia.
Click here for a special gallery of images from Tim de Waele recapping this year's action.
