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2014 Tour de France: Michael Rogers wins Stage 16’s first day in the Pyrenees

Michael Rogers
July 22, 2014
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Michael Rogers
Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo) won Stage 16 of the 2014 Tour de France in Bagnères-de-Luchon. Photo credit: ASO/X. Bourgois

Australian vet Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo) took his first Tour de France win on Tuesday’s opening stage in the Pyrenees. Rogers attacked his breakmates on the descent of the day’s final climb. Ensconced in the race lead, Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) finished with a select group including Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) and Thibault Pinot (France/FDJ); the three now comprise the podium.

The first day in the Pyrenees offered five climbs over the longest route of the 101st Tour – 237.5 km. It took a long while for an escape to be allowed to form and then to consolidate. In fact, the field was all together for the first climb, the Cat. 4 Cote de Fanjeaux, but Saturday’s winner Rafal Majka (Poland/Tinkoff-Saxo) jumped ahead to take the only King of the Mountains point on offer, and thus nick the polka dot jersey from Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha).

When the breakaway finally gelled, it was 21-riders strong, and had some real muscle to it: Rogers, French swashbuckler Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) and Michael Kwiatkowski (Poland/Omega Pharma-QuickStep) were in the ranks. The fugitives pried out a sizeable gap over the peloton as Voeckler crested the Cat. 2 Col de Portet-d’Aspet and Cat. 3 Col des Ares first.

By the foot of the day’s final climb, the HC Port de Bales, the breakaway had a 12:15 gap. Escapee Vasil Kiryienka (Belurus/Sky) drove the pace when the road tilted up, whittling the group down to seven riders. Then Rogers held the whip and created a select quartet. Voeckler and teammate Cyril Gautier tried a one-two punch, but couldn’t escape Rogers and the finely mustachioed José Serpa (Colombia/Lampre), who was first over the big climb.

Behind in the peloton, Movistar’s work had streamlined the yellow jersey group to 15 riders on the Port de Bales. It was Pinot’s attack that animated the bunch. Third place holder and white jersey wearer Romain Bardet (France/Ag2r), along with Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC), were among those shelled off the back. Before the summit, Valverde and Pinot gained helpers.

Rogers, Voeckler, Gautier, Serpa and Kiryienka scampered down the mountain towards the finish line in Bagneres-de-Luchon. Behind, Bardet tried desperately to catch the yellow jersey group with teammate Sammy Dumoulin pacing him.

After remonstrating with Voeckler, Rogers attacked at the 4.5 km to go mark. The others couldn’t catch the time trialing Australian. Rogers made a gracious bow when he hit the line.

Valverde and Pinot came in 50 seconds before Bardet. Pinot assumed the lead of the white jersey competition, jumped onto the podium and became the top Frenchman all in one blow.

Wednesday’s 124.5 km stage, the shortest road course of the 2014 Tour, is a brute: three Cat. 1 climbs and a summit finish on HC Pla d’Adet are shoehorned into the second half. Expect fireworks.

2014 Tour de France Stage 16
1) Michael Rogers (Australia/Tinkoff-Saxo) 6:07:10
2) Thomas Voeckler (France/Europcar) +0:09
3) Vasil Kiryienka (Belurus/Sky) s.t.
121) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +26:47
137) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.

2014 Tour de France GC
1) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) 73:05:19
2) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +4:37
3) Thibault Pinot (France/FDJ) +5:06
127) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +3:07:28
132) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +3:14:40

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