Stage 14 – By the numbers
Stage 14, Nimes to Digne-Les-Baines, 194.5km WeatherHot and sunny, strong westerly winds (tailwinds for the peloton) up to 45kph. Air temperature at the start was 86 degrees, while the road temperature during the stage reached 107. Stage winnerSpaniard Oscar Freire (Rabobank) took his fourth career Tour stage win and the first of this Tour, ahead of Leonardo Duque (Cofidis) and Erik Zabel (Milram). With 10km remaining Jose Gutierrez (Caisse d’Epargne) was the last man reeled in out of a four-man breakaway that spent 143km off the front
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By Neal Rogers
Stage 14, Nimes to Digne-Les-Baines, 194.5km
Weather
Hot and sunny, strong westerly winds (tailwinds for the peloton) up to 45kph. Air temperature at the start was 86 degrees, while the road temperature during the stage reached 107.
Stage winner
Spaniard Oscar Freire (Rabobank) took his fourth career Tour stage win and the first of this Tour, ahead of Leonardo Duque (Cofidis) and Erik Zabel (Milram). With 10km remaining Jose Gutierrez (Caisse d’Epargne) was the last man reeled in out of a four-man breakaway that spent 143km off the front
Yellow jersey
Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) finished 28th safely tucked in the main pack to survive his fourth full day in the maillot jaune. The sprint teams of Milram and Columbia helped ramp up the chase in the closing kilometers to assure his lead.
Green jersey
With the win Oscar Freire (Rabobank) added 35 points to his lead in the points jersey for a total of 219, well ahead of Credit Agricole’s Thor Hushovd, who holds 172.
King of the Mountains
Sebastian Lang (Gerolsteiner), continues to wear the polka-dot jersey, with 60 points to teammate Bernhard Kohl’s 59.
Most aggressive rider
Gutierrez was awarded the day’s prize for attacking the breakaway with 28km remaining and riding 18km alone before being brought in.
Best Young rider
Vicenzo Nibali (Liquigas) continues to hold his lead in the white jersey, 2:49 ahead of Belgian Maxime Monfort (Cofidis). Roman Kreuzinger (Liquigas) is third at 2:53 back.
Best team
Team CSC-Saxo Bank retained its team’s classification with Ag2r-La Mondiale second at 4:49. Gerolsteiner held on to third, 15:23 back.
Top American
Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Chipotle) finished safely in the main bunch and remained third overall, 38 seconds back.
Lanterne Rouge
Sebastian Chavanel finished last on the stage, 13:04 behind Freire’s time. Wim Vansevenant (Silence-Lotto) remains last at 2:15:45 back.
The peloton
? No over night abandons
? Nicolas Jalabert (Agritubel) abandoned in the feed zone.
Medical report
? Marco Marzano (Lampre), insect bite
? De Jongh (Quick Step), insect bite
? Will Frischkorn (Garmin-Chipotle), crash at 62km without serious injury
? Verdugo (Euskaltel), pain in the left elbow
? Van Summeren (Silence-Lotto), pain the right knee
? Van De Walle (Quick Step), headache
? Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), crash at 82km, abrasions to right calf and knee
? Nibali (Liquigas), sore throat.
Doping control
Alejandro Valverde and Oscar Periero (Caisse d’Epargne), Carlos Sastre and Volodymir Gustov (CSC), Kim Kirchen (Columbia), Bernard Kohl (Gerolsteiner) plus Freire and Evans
Sunday’s Forecast
Continued sunny, light westerly winds, highs in upper 90s