Tour de France 2022: stage 14 to Mende – live!

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The Guardian

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Today’s weather: The mercury is expected to hit 40 degrees celsius on today’s stage to Mende, with extra measures being taken to help riders cope with the searing heat on this long, extremely testing stage.

Following his second place finish in yesterday’s stage, Fred Wright said it was easier being in the seven-man breakaway as there was an endless supply of cold water and ice available for he and his fellow escapees to help keep themselves cool.

The sight of cyclists stuffing ice socks down the back of their jerseys has been a common one and in the wake of warnings from the French met office that a heat wave is expected in the south-west until Tuesday, race organisers and local fire services will be pulling out all the stops to help keep the riders and the melting roads on which they are travelling as cool as possible with tens of thousands of gallons of water.

Jumbo-Visma rider Tiesj Benoot douses his teammates with water. Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

In third place on GC at 2min 26sec, Welsh rider Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) pedals his way to the start of stage 14. Photograph: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images

In second place overall, the reigning Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar wears the white jersey for b est young rider. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock

One of few bearded riders in the peloton, Simon Geschke is in the polka dot jersey for best climber. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock

Barring accident or illness, Wout van Aert has as good as guaranteed himself this year’s green jersey. Photograph: Pierre Teysott/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock

Top 10 on General Classification after stage 13

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 50hrs 47mins 34secs
2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 22secs
3. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +2mins 26secs
4. Romain Bardet (Fra/DSM) +2mins 35secs
5. Adam Yates (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +3mins 44secs
6. Nairo Quintana (Col/Arkea Samsic) +3mins 58secs
7. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +4mins 07secs
8. Tom Pidcock (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +7mins 39secs
9. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +9mins 32secs
10. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +10mins 06secs

Jumbo Viusma rider Jonas Vingegaard remains in the race leader’s yellow jersey after 13 stages. Photograph: Pierre Teysott/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock

Pedersen wins amid crowd and Covid concerns

Danish sprinter Mads Pedersen, of Trek-Segafredo, took victory in the 13th stage from Le Bourg d’Oisans to Saint-Étienne, after a high-powered seven-rider breakaway dissolved on the rolling roads west of the Rhône. Jeremy Whittle reports from Saint-Étienne.

Stage 14: Saint-Étienne to Mende (192.5km)

Another day for the breakaway specialists, writes WIlliam Fotheringham in his stage-by-stage guide, with a monstrously steep uphill finish on the airfield at Mende, where the Briton Steve Cummings won in 2015. The same large group of riders as the day before will try to make the winning move; the winner will be a strong climber such as Adam Yates.

Stage 14 map

July 16, 2022 at 04:51PM Barry Glendenning