2014 Tour de France Stage 13 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 13 of the 2014 Tour de France! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
The first of two stages through the Alps has an awkward, rearing profile with three categorised climbs. An early climb up the cat 3 Col de la Croix de Montvieux at 24km could be the springboard for a day-long break but it’s when the race hits the little known Col de Palaquit where the GC and KOM jersey contenders’ teams will be paying the closest attention.
The 14km Palaquit has a kinky profile, with plenty of opportunities for guerrilla contenders to launch an attack as it will be difficult for the big GC teams to dictate the pace up the climb. The reward for topping the Palaquit with a decent gap is a rapid descent down to Grenoble before the 18.2km slog up to the ski station. Along the way they’ll tackle sections of sustained 12 per cent gradient on the HC category climb, which is just the sort of arena where climbers might pull the pin in the hope of gaining time over struggling rivals.
It’ll be a courageous GC contender who reckons they’ve got the weaponry to attack on the Palaquit and hold on to the finish. That said, a strong and sustained move here could be enough to put the screws on a vulnerable rival. Given the stage, it’s an ideal place for a rider of the future to make a breakthrough. Someone with class but still waiting to be seen as a real podium threat? Look no further than 23-year-old Romain Bardet, who knows these roads intimately and has had a towering season so far.
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