Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil
Distance: 151.8km
Stage type: Mountain
The continued showdown between leader Jonas Vingegaard and rival Tadej Pogacar continues with a vengeance on stage 14, which brings another test in the Alps for the second week of the Tour de France.
Vingegaard's lead is down to 9 seconds after the Slovenian clipped away at the finish and snagged a time bonus and a four second gap. The differences could be much, much larger by the second rest day.
After an aggressive race to the top of the Grand Colombier on Friday, there will undoubtedly be more drama on the 151.8 kilometre route from Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil.
“It’s unlikely that the riders will enjoy the view of Lake Geneva at the start of the stage,” Race Director Christian Prudhomme said about the start in Annemasse with four categorised climbs and 4,200 metres of climbing on the agenda.
The first pair of ascents arrive in the opening 30km, with Col de Cou and Cold du Feu separated by less than 20km. Soon after, the 13.9km Col de la Ramaz brings an average of 7.1%, followed by the pass of Joux Plane, 11.6km at 8.5%. The final 12.5km lead to a downhill finish in Morzine.
CPA president Adam Hansen previewed the descent and declared it to be in good condition after concerns about the pavement.
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