Tour de France stage 14 - Live coverage

Bonjour and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 14 of the Tour de France.

Today we're in sight of the Pyrenees with a hilly stage from Carcassonne to Quillan. 

With 3000m of climbing and the big mountain stages to come, it seems a perfect day for an breakaway. It will be  fascinating to see who goes on the attack and how the stage plays out.  

Stay with us for all the action.

As the Cyclingnews Live blimp takes height, the riders are signing on in Carcassonne. 

The sun is out and the skies are blue, so it should be a great summer's day of racing in the spectacular l'Aude region. 

Ineos Grenadiers are on the podium. Could today see Geraint Thomas go on the attack? 

Or perhaps 2020 Giro winner Tao Geoghegan Hart?  The British super team will surely be looking to make sense of the Tour as well as help put Richard Carapaz on the final podium.   

Of course, we couldn't start stage 14 without looking back to stage 13 and Mark Cavendish's record-equalling 34th Tour de France stage win.

Cavendish took his fourth victory of the 2021 Tour de France in Carcassonne, securing his 34th career victory at the race and moving onto equal terms with Eddy Merckx's all-time stage win record.

The Manxman surged to victory in the final 100 metres of the stage, following a messy run-in on what was a complicated final dash to the line. He beat lead-out man Michael Mørkøv into second place as Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) rounded out the podium. Iván García Cortina (Movistar) took fourth place after a late burst.

Click below to read our stage report.

Tour de France: Mark Cavendish equals Eddy Merckx record with stage 13 victory

Bahrain Victorious are the latest team on the start podium.

We cold see Colbrelli, Matej Mohorič, Fred Wright, Pello Bilbao or stage 8 winner Dylan Teuns on the attack.

Cavendish’s 34th Tour stage win came 13 years to the day after his first in 2008, when he beat Oscar Freire and Erik Zabel to the line in Châteauroux. 

Few riders have marked the Tour de France in the 21st century quite like Cavendish, who made an immediate and lasting impression with both the volume of his victories and the volubility of his speech. He has made 34 visits to the press conference truck in 13 years. None of them have been dull.

“I don’t think I can ever be compared with the great Eddy Merckx, the greatest male road cyclist of all time,” Cavendish said when he took a seat in his post-stage press conference.

Click below to read Barry Ryan's take on Cavendish's post-stage comments. 

Mark Cavendish: I don't think I can ever be compared with the great Eddy Merckx

As the clock ticks down to the start of stage 14, it is time for Cavendish ans his Deceuninck-QuickStep team to sign on.  

Each of the riders are presented by the speaker, their work and success recalled each time. 

World Champion Julian Alaphilippe gets a huge cheer like every day, but so does Cavendish, wearing the green points jersey.

Next up is UAE Team Emirates and race leader Tadej Pogacar. 

It will fascinating to see if his team comes under pressure today. 

Fortunately Rafal Majka is at the start and able to race after crashing hard yesterday.

The sign-on has ended with UAE. 

The riders are now gathering for the roll out of Carcassonne for the 183.7km stage.  

Tim Declercq of Deceuninck-QuickStep is also able to race on. However several riders were forced to abandon due to crash injuries. They included Simon Yates and Lucas Hamilton.

Team BikeExchange started stage 13 of the Tour de France as one of the few teams left in the race to still have their full complement of eight riders but ended it in Carcassonne down two key climbers.

Click below for the full story.

BikeExchange down two climbers at Tour de France after crash takes out Yates and Hamilton

1 minute to the roll out. 

The four jersey wearers are on the front of the start grid.

3-2-1 and they're off. The peloton rolls out of the Carcassonne. 

They face a 6.4km neutral section before the flag drops and the 183.7km stage starts in earnest.

We are expecting attacks from the moment the red race director's car accelerates away.

Several teams are down to just 4 riders from the original 8 but keep fighting. 

Sadly Warren Barguil (Arkea Samsic) and Soren Kragh Andersen are non-starters. Both were involved in the crash.  

“I am really disappointed and don’t want to leave the Tour de France," Kragh Andersen said, suffering with concussion. 

“In my heart I know that the decision of the team’s medical staff can only be right one.”

Geraint Thomas needs a rear wheel change after a flat, so the peloton will perhaps be slowed to allow the Welshman to get back on. 

This is the view from the race director's car.

Yesterday's high-speed crash occurred with 60km remaining on the stage to Carcassone, with several riders coming off on a downhill road that was lined by a gravelled surface.

Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) and Roger Kluge (Lotto Soudal) abandoned. Kragh Andersen was one of a number of DSM riders who fell down the ravine at the roadside and had to scramble out. 

Click below for the full story on why he had to abandon the Tour.

Kragh Andersen and Barguil abandon the Tour de France after stage 13 crash

Other punctures have slowed the rolled out. But the flag will drop in 1km. 

Get ready to rumble.

Ion Izagirre needs a rear wheel change, so the race director Christian Prudhomme slows the peloton.

Here we go!  

They're off!  

Warren Barguil (Arkea Samsic) and Soren Kragh Andersen (Team DSM) are the only non-starters.

That means there are 149 riders left in the race.

The flag drops and we have the first attacks! 

The early surges have been pulled back, lining out the peloton. 

The pace is high! 

The high speed is hurting some riders, including Tim Declercq who crashed hard yesterday. 

But fellow Belgian Wout van Aert is up front, sniffing out the attacks.  

Fortunately Tim Declercq is back in the pack. 

Four riders open a gap.

De Gendt is one of them.

The four have an eight-second gap. 

The four are Thomas De Gendt, Fred Wright, Steven Kruijswijk and Simon Geschke.

They're giving it big licks, as other riders try to join them.  

Gruppo compatto. 

Konrad of Bora has flatted and he faces a hard chase with the speed so high. Henao too. 

Good luck getting back on guys. 

Ouch. Tim Declercq is still fighting to stay in the peloton. 

Up front we have a new attack by three riders. 

Guess who is there?

Julian Alaphilippe. 

With Alaphilppe are Quentin Pacher and Matej Mohoric. 

Alaphilippe are Quentin Pacher and Matej Mohoric lead by 8 seconds but others riders are going across to them on the rolling roads.   

Alaphilippe are Quentin Pacher and Matej Mohoric are caught.  

Trek-Segafredo have brought the pack back up to the attackers. They want to be in the move that goes clear today.

New attack. 

Kristian Sbaragli (Alpecin-Fenix) goes solo and they let him go. 

Surely others will try to jump across to him.

Hey they come, as Sbaragli opens a 50-second gap. 

Maxime Chevalier and Anthony Turgis jump away. 

The peloton is trying to stop other attacks on a narrow country road.

But Toms Skujiņš and Jonas Rickaert get away. 

The road is only wide enough for six or so riders, which helps the peloton slow the pace.  

Sbaragli is 1:50 clear on the peloton as the other attackers try to go across to him. 

We could soon have a five-rider attack but the peloton could also attack again.  

As the road rises, other attacks are launched off the front of the peloton. 

Kasper Asgreen goes solo, with other riders fighting to go with him.

145km to go

The peloton is riding at speed as riders attack and so the gap is coming down.

They are only 1:00 down on Sbaragli.

Sbaragli is joined by Chevalier, Turgis, Skujins and Rickaert to create a break of 5 riders.

The five are working well together but so is the peloton. The gap is melting in the hot  summer sun. 

Trek-Segafredo are trying to slow the chase and get in any counter-attacks. They already have Skujins up the road.

135km to go

The gap is down to 30 seconds. This could come back together again.

The intermediate sprint comes with 107km to go and so the sprint teams could decide to control the race sand then let a break go away after that.   

The riders in the break start the Col du Bac. It is the first marked climb and a regular ascent on a big road. It is 3.1km long at 5.3%. 

It could launch other attacks. 

The speed has been high in the first hour, with an average of 48.3km covered. 

Indeed the climb dynamites the peloton with Ide Schelling of Bora on the move.

It's painful to watch Tim Declercq suffering so much at the back.

Mads Pedersen and Nacer Bouhanni are suffering too and losing contact. 

Chris Froome in trouble as more and more riders lose contact on this climb.

The five leaders are coming towards the top of the climb and the repeated accelerations behind have brought their advantage down to 12 seconds.

48.3km covered in the first hour. Fast day!

Puncture for Pello Bilbao, who's 10th overall.

It's a fast little descent but as the road flattens out again the peloton stitches itself back together.

125km to go

This stage is yet to settle down. The five leaders move back out to 25 seconds but here comes the next wave of attacks.

We've got 20km of false flat now, leading to our intermediate sprint. After that it's the second climb of the day and a much more difficult proposition, which should help drive a breakaway clear if nothing goes in the meantime.

Alaphilippe goes again. The world champion is just irrepressible. He attacks with Elissonde.

Alaphilippe waves his arm in frustration as the move comes to nothing.

All these attacks to try and form the breaks take a lot of energy. We saw that with Alaphilippe on the Ventoux stage, where he rode a ridiculously aggressive start of the stage but couldn't follow Van Aert at the business end. 

There will be riders doing things differently, just trying to follow the odd wheel and hoping for a bit of luck. It's a gamble in terms of getting into the break but arguably gives you a better shot if you do get in there. 

The gap to the five leaders goes out to 35 seconds but it's just not settling down behind.

115km to go

The breakaway is nearing the intermediate sprint. They lead by 20 seconds, so will they stay away? 

It looks difficult.   

There's a slight descent and that helps the peloton. Surely the sprinters' team will lead the chase so they can contest the sprint for maximum points.

Indeed the peloton is lined out. 

5km to the sprint.

The gap is just 10 seconds as the race turns on to the main  road towards Lavelanet. and the sprint.

UAE Team Emirates take over on the front of the peloton to try to control the pace. 

But the road rises and more riders surge up the road.

The peloton can see the five attackers now. 

1km to the sprint. 

The attacks stays away.

Matthews and Colbrelli lead the peloton but only scored points for seventh and eighth place. 

Ouch! 

Bissigger of EF crashes. He needs a new bike but is okay. 

With Cavendish unable to contest the intermediate sprint, Dries Devenyns jumped across to the break and finished second in the sprint. 

Matthews only scored 9 points, Colbrelli only 8 points. 

That helped Cavendish defend his green jersey.

Thanks to his 4 stage wins, Cavendish has a total of 279 points. 

Matthews has 179, Jasper Philipsen 174 and Colbrelli has 159. 

After riding through Lavelanet, the race starts the steep climb of the second-cat Col de Montségur.

Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) is off the front and looking aggressive. Other riders are going across to him.

One is Geraint Thomas.  

100km to go

Wout van Aert is also up front, hoping to be in the right attack. 

Tadej Pogacar is in the pack but his UAE teammates are unable to control the race today.

As the Col de Montségur begins in earnest, the climbers come to the fore. 

Cavendish is at the back of the peloton. This stage is going to hurt a lot of riders.

Michael Woods goes after Matteo Cattaneo and Wout Poels. The Canadian is chasing the mountain points.  

Behind them are Chaves, Meintjes and Fraile, chasing the leading trio down. 

But Woods, Poels and Cattaneo lead by 30 seconds. 

Finally UAE try to take control and set the pace in the peloton.

1Km to the top of the Col de Montségur.

Woods wants the 5 points.

Poels joins Woods, the Dutchman also wants the KOM points.

Indeed, they sprint it out and Woods and Poels go shoulder to shoulder. But Poels wins it. 

A group of 7 riders follows them over the top at 45 seconds. 

The peloton is at  1:15.

The peloton is split into different groups of suffering across the climb. 

There has been no respite so far today.

90km to go

UAE are understandably letting the 10 riders open a gap. 

They will be happy the race has settled. 

The 10 riders in the break are: Poels, Woods, G. Martin, Higuita, Konrad, Meintjes, Mollema and Fraile. They are about to come together. 

They lead the peloton by 1:30. 

You probably have read about Lachlan Morton's Alt Tour ride. 

Well, Britain's Jack Thompson is attempting to complete the Tour de France route in just 10 days. 

We caught up with him after day five of The Amazing Chase, presented by Wahoo. 

Click below for his latest diary update.

The Amazing Chase Diary

After the descent of the Col de Montségur, the race will soon hit the Col de la Croix des Morts, a draggy ascent that’s the gateway to the Plateau de Sault.

Woods, Poels and Cattaneo are still 25 seconds clear of the chasers. Cattaneo is not working as the other two push on to try and take maximum mountain points.

75km to go

The break is 1km from the summit of the Col de la Croix des Morts.

Woods makes sure he is first to top to score 5 points. 

Poels is second and scores 3 points.

The chasers are only 25 behind the trio of Woods, Poels and Cattaneo. 

The peloton is at 3:00, with UAE letting the move gradually extend its lead. 

Over the top the 7 chasers finally catch the trio to form a 10-rider attack that will probably stay away and fight for the stage victory in Quillan.

Between the attack and the peloton are Valentin Madouas and Elie Gesbert, who have joined forces with Pierre Rolland and Quentin Pacher.

They missed the attack and will have to work hard to close their 1:00 gap. 

The 10 up the road are not going to wait for them. 

After the hard 100km of racing in the hills at the foot of the Pyrenees, the gruppetto, including Mark Cavendish and other sprinters are riding at 10:30. 

They will have to be careful but should finish inside the time limit.  

However Nacer Bouhanni is at 18 minutes and faces a solo battle of survival. 

The Tour is in the l'Aude and so in sunflower terrain. 

Our photographers captured some stunning shots earlier today.

The riders are on the Plateau de Sault. 

The countryside is very open up here but steep valleys cut through the plateau and the route tumbles into one of them to climb the acute ramps of the third-cat Côte de Galinagues. 

From here, the riders descend from the plateau and down to the Aude valley, going through the narrow passage of the spectacular Gorges de Saint Georges to reach Axat, turning eastwards soon after to Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes.

As the Côte de Galinagues starts, the chasers join the 10 attackers to create a 14-rider move. 

They  will no doubt start fighting for the stage victory. 

Woods and Poels fight again for the KOM points.

They were fighting for just 2 and 1 points but Poels wanted it and surged passed the Canadian with a late sprint. 

However thanks to taking 1 point, Woods is the new leader of the KOM competition, moving past Nairo Quintana.  

Poels is third on 49 points.

50km to go

Crash! Woods goes down.

He slips out on a curve but gets up and is chasing.

Woods has a hole in his shorts but is chasing to get  back to the break. 

He seems a bit shocked and is struggling on the twisting descent.

He is 15 seconds behind the break.

Woods goes wide on a corner. This could affect his chances of winning the stage today. 

UAE are carefully leading the peloton on the descent. They do not want to crash before the big Pyrenean stage to Andorra. 

Woods is diving between the team cars but has blood coming from a left elbow injury. 

Mollema is not waiting for Woods. 

He takes off alone with 41km to go. 

He feels he can open a gap on the technical descent but it will cost him energy.  

The valley roads are stunning but the riders have little time to enjoy them. 

Mollema is going flat out and has opened a 25 second gap now. 

The peloton, lead by UAE is at 4:10.

Mollema is riding Mollema style, hands on the tops, body tucked low, his mouth wide open to gulp in as much as as he can.  

Mollema pushes his lead out  to 40 seconds as the road rises. 

30km to go

From the stunning village of Axat in the valley, the race turns eastwards to Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes.

Here, a sharp turn leads towards the final climb, the second-cat Col de Saint-Louis where the road to the summit has the peculiarity of crossing over itself via a very fetching viaduct.

From the crest of this final hill, there are 1 quite rapid kilometres remain into the finish at Quillan.

Mollema has extend his gap to 1:10 now. 

It's advantage Mollema. 

The break seems to have lost conviction and unity. 

Quillan is a town of just over 3,000 inhabitants, at the foot of the Pyrenees but it is famous in cycling for its post-Tour criterium.  

25km to go

Mollema is time trial to the finish. He seems in fine form, digging deep and holding his speed even as the road climbs.  

Behind the UAE team take on bidons and spray each other with water. 

The race hits the Col de Saint-Louis and the chase group behind Mollema explodes. 

Can they chase down Mollema? It will be har,d he leads by 1:15.

Behind EF Education-Nippo moves to the front of the peloton to reduce the gap to Guillaume Martin. 

The American squad is trying defend Rigoberto Uran's second place. However Martin's clever move will lift him up the GC. 

However he has to then defend in on tomorrow's hard stage to Andorra.

The peloton is also exploding on the Col de Saint-Louis. 

Both Quintana and Alaphilippe are dropped but seem to be saving their legs for Sunday's big stage.

Mollema blasts under the viaduct. He still leads by 1:00 despite Woods, Cattaneo and Higuita chasing hard.

Mollema is only 1km from the top of the climb.

Mollema passes over the top. He's 1:00 ahead of the chasers with just a fast 17km to go  to the finish. 

Mollema's only problem could be a headwind but he has done  the hard work and carved a one-minute lead.

Trek-Segafredo seem hopeful of Mollema winning.

UAE continue to lead the peloton home. They're at 6:00 and so G Martin will move up in GC.  

The Cavendish green jersey group is at 20 minutes.

Mollema's win is much like that of 2017 when he won after a solo attack of 40 kilometers to Le-Puy-en-Velay.

Guillaume Martin is up to second in the virtual GC.

He could move up to 2nd at 4:46 down on Pogacar and so 30 or so seconds ahead of Uran, 40 on Vingegaard and Carapaz. 

Nacer Bouhanni and other strugglers are 25 minutes down on Mollema but should finish inside the time limit. 

2km to go for Mollema.

He waves to the camera and begins to celebrate.

Last km for Mollema.

He eases up and savours the moment as he crosses the finish line in Quillan.

Mollema wins stage 14. Chapeau! 

Mollema celebrates with the Trek-Segafredo staff. 

They can all enjoy a glass of champagne tonight. 

It's a sprint for second place, with Konrad and Higuita fighting for it. 

Konrad is confirmed in 2nd place, with Higuita 3rd. 

With every second that passes, Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) moves up the GC. 

Brandon McNulty brings home the peloton and race leader Tadej Pogacar.  

They finish at 6:54. 

After a hectic opening two hours, UAE will be happy yo have enjoyed a more relaxed second part of the stage.

However Sunday's stage in the high Pyrenees and up to Andorra and then on the fast descent to Andorra la Vieille will be very different. 

This is the top ten on the stage:

1 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 04:16:16
2 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:01:04
3 Sergio Higuita Garcia (Col) EF Education-Nippo 00:01:04
4 Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:01:06
5 Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-up Nation 00:01:10
6 Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech 00:01:25
7 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 00:01:25
8 Quentin Pacher (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 00:01:25
9 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:01:25
10 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange 00:01:28

Michael Woods finished fifth on the stage despite his crash. He is one of the winners today because he took the polka-dot mountains jersey.

Another view of the top ten on the stage.

This is the new top ten on GC after today's stage. 

Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) has moved up from ninth to second with his aggressive ride. 

1 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 56:50:21
2 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis 00:04:04
3 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-Nippo 00:05:18
4 Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma 00:05:32
5 Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers 00:05:33
6 Ben O'Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën Team 00:05:58
7 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:06:16
8 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 00:06:30
9 Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team 00:07:11
10 Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:09:48

Mollema was happy to take his second stage win.

Michael Woods is cheered on the podium. He looks happy in the polka-dot jersey. 

Woods has a total of 54 points but now has to defend his slim lead in the high Pyrenees.

The Cavendish gruppetto comes home at 23:03.

They finish safely inside the time limit and so lives to fight another day. Now he has to battle over the Pyrenees on Sunday to reach the second rest day. 

Yet again he was helped and protected by several Deceuninck-QuickStep teammates. 

Here's the second winner of the day: Guillaume Martin (Cofidis).

The 28-year-old Frenchman got into the break and his bravery paid off and he is second in GC, now 4:04 down on Pogacar. 

Nacer Bouhanni and two other riders finish the stage at 36: 46. 

The broom wagon is just behind them but they are safely home.

They are 12 minutes inside the time cut and so live ti race for another day. 

Mark Cavendish climbs not the podium to take another green jersey.   

To see our growing photo gallery from the stage and read  our full stage report, click below.

Tour de France: Mollema escapes breakaway to win stage 14

Mollema's stage win was his second at the Tour after taking a similar stage in 2017, with a 40km solo attack to Le-Puy-en-Velay. 

“It’s amazing. I’m super happy,” said Mollema. 

“I was feeling good so I thought let’s go from far.

“I had the confidence I could ride alone and keep going for a long time. Normally I can pace myself really well. When I got to the top of the last climb with 50 seconds I knew I could make it.”

This is what victory feels like.  

It's nice to see Michael Woods in the polka-dot mountains jersey. 

The Canadian crashed after taking vital mountain points but will race into the Pyrenees in the polka-dot jersey on Sunday. 

He faces a battle to keep the jersey but will also be racing on home roads near his home in Andorra.  

To read more about Woods' day out front, click below. 

Tour de France: Michael Woods crashes in the breakaway on stage 14

Mollema, Woods and Guillaume Martin of Cofidis were the successful riders of the hard day to Quillan. 

Martin moved up to second in GC. Read our first story on the Frenchman by clicking below.

Tour de France: Guillaume Martin climbs to second overall thanks to clever day in the break

The Tour climbs high into the Pyrenees on Sunday for a stage in the principality of Andorra. 

It is much more of a classic set piece high mountain stage, comprising three first category ascents and a headlong drop into the finish town of Andorra la Vieille. 

What stands out is the altitude gain of over 4,500 metres. The altitude hits 2,408 metres as the peloton crests the summit of the Port d'Envalira, the highest Pyrenean mountain pass, on the border between Andorra and France.

Click below to read Alasdair Fotheringham's detailed preview of the weekend in the Pyrenees. 

Tour de France podium battle resumes in the Pyrenees - Preview

Thanks for joining us for our full live coverage of the stage. 

Join us on Sunday for full coverage of stage 15 to see if Tadej Pogacar can stay in yellow on the climbs to  Andorra.