Le Tour 2014 – Stage 17

Saint-Gaudens – Saint-Lary Pla d’Adet

Distance: 124.5 kilometers.

This is the shortest stage on the Tour and a definite mountain stage with three Category 1’s followed by a summit finish after a Hors Catégorie climb.

The Col du Portillon, the first climb, is actually in Spain, the fourth country visited on this Tour.

The Tour went down three more riders today. Reto Hollenstein crashed after a kilometer yesterday and went on to finish the stage. Medical examination showed one of his lungs collapsed as a result of his injuries. Simon Gerrans was injured on the first stage in the crash that wiped out Cavendish, and has just not been able to return to form. Simon Spilak dropped out during the stage as the result of a stomach virus that made continuing impossible.

Today was another good day for Tinkoff-Saxo as Rafal Majka won his second stage on this Tour and secured a decent lead over Nibali for the Polka Dots.

The White and Polka Dots are not done deals yet, and the White may not be decided until Paris.

Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – AST – 041 ) [Yellow] 76h 41′ 22″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 051 ) [Green] 408 points
Rafal Majka ( Pol – TCS – 034 ) [Polka Dot] 149 points
Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 127 ) 3 [White]

Team: AG2R La Mondiale ( ALM – 081-089 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Rafal Majka ( Pol – TCS – 034 )
Combative: Romain Bardet ( Fra – ALM – 082 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – AST – 041 )
2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte ( Esp – MOV – 011 ) + 05′ 26″
3 Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 127 ) + 06′ 00″
4 Jean-Christophe Péraud ( Fra – ALM – 081 ) + 06′ 08″
5 Romain Bardet ( Fra – ALM – 082 ) + 07′ 34″
6 Tejay Van Garderen ( US – BMC – 141 ) + 10′ 19″
7 Bauke Mollema ( Ned – BEL – 061 ) + 11′ 59″
8 Laurens Ten Dam ( Ned – BEL – 067 ) + 12′ 16″
9 Leopold Konig ( Cze – TNE – 201 ) + 12′ 40″
10 Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 151 ) + 13′ 15″

The Rest of the Top 30:

11 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre ( Esp – TFR – 169 ) + 14′ 26″
12 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – LTB – 131 ) + 16′ 08″
13 Frank Schleck ( Lux – TFR – 161 ) + 18′ 03″
14 Yury Trofimov ( Rus – KAT – 029 ) + 28′ 00″
15 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 007 ) + 31′ 00″
16 Steven Kruijswijk ( Ned – BEL – 064 ) + 31′ 00″
17 Brice Feillu ( Fra – BSE – 211 ) + 32′ 14″
18 Christopher Horner ( US – LAM – 114 ) + 34′ 48″
19 Mikel Nieve Iturralde ( Esp – SKY – 005 ) + 36′ 09″
20 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 074 ) + 36′ 41″
21 John Gadret ( Fra – MOV – 013 ) + 37′ 01″
22 Geraint Thomas ( GB – SKY – 008 ) + 37′ 25″
23 Tanel Kangert ( Est – AST – 046 ) + 47′ 04″
24 Ben Gastauer ( Lux – ALM – 085 ) + 48′ 12″
25 Jan Bakelants ( Bel – OPQ – 072 ) + 49′ 54″
26 Cyril Gautier ( Fra – EUC – 154 ) + 50′ 35″
27 Peter Velits ( Svk – BMC – 149 ) + 53′ 48″
28 Michael Rogers ( Aus – TCS – 038 ) + 58′ 22″
29 Tony Gallopin ( Fra – LTB – 134 ) + 01h 03′ 47″
30 Tom Dumoulin ( Ned – GIA – 106 ) + 01h 16′ 28″

Did not start:

Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 )
Reto Hollenstein ( Sui – IAM – 195 )

Did not finish:

Simon Spilak ( Slo – KAT – 028 )

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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