Le Tour 2014 – Stage 16

Carcassonne – Bagnères-de-Luchon

Distance: 237.5 kilometers.

This is a very long stage that starts hilly with a pair of Category 4’s in the first half, and then gets serious with Categories 2 and 3 climbs leading to the HC Port de Balès. The finish is a 20-kilometer downhill run.

Alberto Costa Rui and Simon Yates withdrew before the start. Alberto was diagnosed with pneumonia and is going for medical treatment, while Simon was pulled by the team because of his age and inexperience. Simon was never intended to ride to the entire race, as it is considered too stressful for beginning riders.

A good day for Tinkoff-Saxo as Michael Rogers won the stage, while Rafal Majka managed to take the point for the first Category 4 and put on the Polka Dots.

Romain Bardet had a terrible day and lost the White to Thibaut Pinot.

More of the Pyrenees tomorrow.

Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – AST – 041 ) [Yellow] 73h 05′ 19″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 051 ) [Green] 402 points
Rafal Majka ( Pol – TCS – 034 ) [Polka Dot] 89 points
Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 127 ) 3 [White]

Team: AG2R La Mondiale ( ALM – 081-089 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Michael Rogers ( Aus – TCS – 038 )
Combative: Cyril Gautier ( Fra – EUC – 154 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – AST – 041 )
2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte ( Esp – MOV – 011 ) + 04′ 37″
3 Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 127 ) + 05′ 06″
4 Jean-Christophe Péraud ( Fra – ALM – 081 ) + 06′ 08″
5 Romain Bardet ( Fra – ALM – 082 ) + 06′ 40″
6 Tejay Van Garderen ( US – BMC – 141 ) + 09′ 25″
7 Leopold Konig ( Cze – TNE – 201 ) + 09′ 32″
8 Laurens Ten Dam ( Ned – BEL – 067 ) + 11′ 12″
9 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 074 ) + 11′ 28″
10 Bauke Mollema ( Ned – BEL – 061 ) + 11′ 33″

The Rest of the Top 30:

11 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre ( Esp – TFR – 169 ) + 12′ 38″
12 Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 151 ) + 13′ 09″
13 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – LTB – 131 ) + 14′ 02″
14 Frank Schleck ( Lux – TFR – 161 ) + 17′ 37″
15 Yury Trofimov ( Rus – KAT – 029 ) + 23′ 06″
16 Geraint Thomas ( GB – SKY – 008 ) + 23′ 54″
17 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 007 ) + 24′ 08″
18 Steven Kruijswijk ( Ned – BEL – 064 ) + 26′ 06″
19 Brice Feillu ( Fra – BSE – 211 ) + 26′ 48″
20 Christopher Horner ( US – LAM – 114 ) + 29′ 54″
21 John Gadret ( Fra – MOV – 013 ) + 33′ 53″
22 Mikel Nieve Iturralde ( Esp – SKY – 005 ) + 34′ 54″
23 Cyril Gautier ( Fra – EUC – 154 ) + 41′ 54″
24 Tanel Kangert ( Est – AST – 046 ) + 42′ 48″
25 Jan Bakelants ( Bel – OPQ – 072 ) + 44′ 04″
26 Michael Rogers ( Aus – TCS – 038 ) + 44′ 51″
27 Ben Gastauer ( Lux – ALM – 085 ) + 45′ 04″
28 Tony Gallopin ( Fra – LTB – 134 ) + 47′ 44″
29 Peter Velits ( Svk – BMC – 149 ) + 49′ 09″
30 Tom Dumoulin ( Ned – GIA – 106 ) + 01h 00′ 25″

Did not start:

Alberto Costa Rui ( Por – LAM – 111 )
Simon Yates ( GB – OGE – 189 )

Note: Wikipedia has a simple article on the Mountain classification used on the Tour. The basic fact is that climbs fall into five types, with the four numbered types decreasing in difficulty as the numbers get larger, and then there is the Hors Catégorie, literally “without category”, which generally makes you look for an elevator or Sherpas.

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