Stage 14

The road

At the start

Over the Izoard to Risoul

The second Alpine day and the highest road of the race: the Col du Lautaret, then the Izoard at 2,361 metres with the Souvenir Henri Desgrange at its summit, a technical descent, and a finish at Risoul, a climb the Tour has never used. Vincenzo Nibali has 3:37 on Alejandro Valverde and 4:24 on Romain Bardet after Chamrousse, where Richie Porte came apart. The rest are racing for second.

How it was won

1. 144 km to go

   The roof of the Tour

   Nineteen kilometres to 2360 metres, the Souvenir Henri Desgrange waiting at the top. Sagan is dropped early, the break is ground down to ten by Thomas and Rodríguez, and the Spaniard takes the points over the summit with the Nibali group three minutes adrift.

2. 232 km to go

   Bardet attacks the descent

   Knowing Pinot is the less willing descender, Romain Bardet throws himself down the Izoard and splits the yellow jersey group; Nibali and Valverde go with him. Dries Devenyns crashes on the same road and is taken to hospital.

3. 323 km to go

   Contact restored

   BMC and Lotto-Belisol chase the split back together with 23km to go, and the whole thing is to be decided on the 19 kilometres up to Risoul.

4. 410 km to go

   Majka slips the leash

   De Marchi attacks the remains of the break with ten kilometres left, Serpa follows and cracks, and Rafał Majka — a rider who did not even want to ride this Tour — takes his place and rides away alone.

5. 54 km to go

   Nibali under the 4km banner

   Another of his patented digs. Only Péraud can hold the wheel; Valverde tries, fails, and is swept up by Van Garderen's chase group.

6. 6At the line

   Majka's first professional win

   The Pole is riding past his own limit in the last kilometres with the yellow jersey closing, and he holds. Tinkoff-Saxo came to this Tour for Contador and had no plan B; on the queen stage they find one.

The result