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Tour de France Stage 14: Roglic pulls back a little time, Thomas safe in yellow

Omar Fraile wins on the Mende aerodrome

Primoz Roglic
July 21, 2018
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It was another solo breakaway rider’s heartbreak as Jasper Stuyven (Belgium/Trek-Segafredo) couldn’t close out a win and was dispatched by Omar Fraile (Spain/Astana) on Saturday’s dramatic Tour de France stage. The peloton allowed a large breakaway to pull out a maximum 21-minute gap as the race headed across the Massif Central range, and it was from this gang that Stuyven went solo from far out. In the GC race, Primoz Roglic drew closer to the podium by being the best of the contenders, but Geraint Thomas’s lead at the top was mostly undisturbed.

The Course

There was a lot of climbing on Saturday, just not all of it on officially categorized ascents. After a few lumps, the first categorized climb was a Cat. 4 at the 80-km mark of 188-km. On its other side the road rose gradually to the foot of a Cat. 2, followed soon after by a Cat. 3. Finally, a long descent led to the day’s last climb, 3-km, 10.2 percent Côte de la Croix Neuve. After its peak there was a 1.5-km downhill and flat charge onto the tarmac of the Mende Velodrome.

The Breakaway

Exposed roads with crosswinds led to echelons in the first kilometres of the race. A break of seven went clear, a big chase of 25 behind. The two groups combined and pulled out a 4:00 lead after a first hour racing at 43.1-km/h. Julian Alaphilippe was in the escape mob and he picked up the only KOM point atop the Cat. 4. The peloton was 7:00 back.

On the long rise to the second climb, the breakaway worked well together to yank out a 9:00 gap, ensuring the winner would come from the big escape. Spanish national champion Gorka Izagirre, now freed from assisting Vincenzo Nibali, attacked from the breakaway.

Izagirre found company in a bridging duo on the other side of the climb. Quick Step streamlined the chase on an uncategorized climb. Classics rider Stuyven left Izagirre and went solo on the long descent. With 25-km to go, the gap back to the peloton was an astonishing 18:00.

Breakaway on Côte de la Croix Neuve

Heading up the steep, short ascent, Stuyven enjoyed a 1:40 gap to the 19-rider chase of Alaphilippe, Izagirre, Fraile and erstwhile yellow jersey Greg Van Avermaet. The peloton still had 20-km to go.

As Stuyven started to struggle, Fraile pushed ahead on the steepest grades and nabbed the Belgium with 2-km to go. Alaphilippe was on his way. Over the top, the three riders gritted their teeth and laboured. With a kilometre to go Fraile had 15-seconds on the chasing duo and held on to six of them by the finish.

GC Battle on Côte de la Croix Neuve

Poor old Dan Martin suffered a flat tire with 5.5-km and the climb remaining. Adam Yates was the first big name dropping off as AG2R hit the gas at the front of a group of twenty.

Mikel Landa made the first attack but it only thinned out the line. Fourth place Roglic went over top of Landa and Sky tried to bring him back. Third place Tom Dumoulin almost fell off the pace before thrusting up the road, unhitching Romain Bardet. Roglic’s chase consisted of Dumoulin, Nairo Quintana, Chris Froome and Thomas. Quintana would lose 10-seconds but is a little closer to being Movistar’s top fellow. Bardet shipped 14-seconds to Thomas.

Roglic is now behind third-place Dumoulin by 48-seconds.

Sunday positions a Cat. 1 climb cresting 40-km from the line in Carcassonne before the final rest day.

2018 Tour de France Stage 14
1) Omar Fraile (Spain/Astana) 4:41:57
2) Julian Alaphilippe (France/Quick Step) +0:06
3) Jasper Stuyven (Belgium/Trek-Segafredo) s.t.


2018 Tour de France GC
1) Geraint Thomas (Great Britain/Sky) 58:10:44
2) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) +1:39
3) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Sunweb) +1:50
4) Primoz Roglic (Slovenia/LottoNL-Jumbo) +2:38
5) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) 3:21

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