Stage 14 preview
Saint-Gaudens – Plateau de Beille
Stage win = Tour win?
The Tour has climbed Plateau de Beille three times and on each occasion, the stage winner has gone on to claim the yellow jersey in Paris. Will today's winner follow Marco Pantani (1998), Lance Armstrong (2002) and Alberto Contador (2007)? They just might, thanks to the five categorised climbs that precede the final summit ascent. At almost 16km and with a gradient just below 8 per cent, the final climb is long and tough enough for the leaders to overhaul any breakaways and dispute the day's spoils between them. The podium contenders should become clear today.
Details –
Distance: 168.5 km
Highest point: 1,570m
Category: High mountains
Sean Yates says...
"This stage could be decisive one way or another. Assuming that Contador will ride, based on what we've seen at the Giro, his team won't be the strongest, so he'll be under major pressure on a day like today if Leopard go on the attack early."
Stage map
Stage profile
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Most Popular
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
'Collateral damage' - What impact could Donald Trump’s tariffs have on the bike industry?
How the newly elected President’s proposed tariffs may affect U.S. bike brands, consumers and the wider industry -
Rapha Black Friday: A bike tester's pick of the deals
The hottest picks from the Rapha Black Friday sale tested by the Cyclingnews team -
Another blow-up at Lotto Dstny - Maxim Van Gils reportedly tries to break his contract
Talented Belgian wants to rip up his contract, but team confirms talks for potential departure are 'ongoing' -
TotalEnergies manager insists promotion to the WorldTour 'absolutely not' a team goal
Jean-René Bernadeau says Anthony Turgis' victory in the Tour de France 'worth all the UCI points you could wish for'