Le Tour – Stage 14
Distance: 191 kilometers.
This is the entry to the Pyrenees and it isn’t very kind: Category 2 – Col du Portel (601 m), intermediate sprint, Category 1 – Port de Lers (1517 m), and Category 1 – Mur de Péguère (1375 m).
The Mur is a bear. Parts of it are an 18% grade [18 feet up for 100 feet traveled] and the finish is 10.8%. If your bike isn’t in great shape, something will break, and you will need great brakes to go down the other side.
Luis-Leon Sanchez won the stage and was all alone when he did it, having broken away from the break-away group coming down the Mur. The peloton was tied up changing tires as some clown had apparently spread tacks on the roadway over the Mur.
Bradley Wiggins ( GB – SKY – 101 ) [Yellow]
Peter Sagan ( Svk – LIQ – 057 ) [Green] 333 points
Fredrik Kessiakoff ( Swe – AST – 187 ) [Polka Dot] 69 points
Tejay Van Garderen ( USA – BMC – 009 ) 7 [White]
Team: RadioShack-Nissan ( 011-019 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Luis-Leon Sanchez ( Esp – RAB – 155 )
Combative: Peter Sagan ( Svk – LIQ – 057 ) [Red numbers]
Top Ten:
1 Bradley Wiggins ( G B – SKY – 101 )
2 Christopher Froome ( G B – SKY – 105 ) + 02′ 05”
3 Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – LIQ – 051 ) + 02′ 23”
4 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 001 ) + 03′ 19”
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – LTB – 111 ) + 04′ 48”
6 Haimar Zubeldia ( Esp – RNT – 019 ) + 06′ 15”
7 Tejay Van Garderen ( USA – BMC – 009 ) + 06′ 57”
8 Janez Brajkovic ( Slo – AST – 181 ) + 07′ 30”
9 Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 029 ) + 08′ 31”
10 Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 146 ) + 08′ 51”
The Rest of the Top 50:
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July 15, 2012 5 Comments