Rolling report of the 185km stage from Limoux to Foix Prat d’AlbisPinot wins stage 14 and Alaphilippe extends lead over ThomasEmail Daniel here or tweet @DanielHarris 10.53am BST Here’s William Fotheringham’s stage guide:A second summit finish in a row, and a different proposition with two first category mountain passes beforehand, both short and brutally steep, as is the ascent to the chequered flag. A pure climber’s stage, a target for a rider who is going for the mountains jersey, with lots of points available on the three first cat climbs in quick succession: Julian Alaphilippe springs to mind. There should be a straightforward selection among the yellow jersey contenders who should be down to a handful by now. It’s the kind of stage that screams Egan Bernal or Nairo Quintana. 10.53am BST Whenever I think about Le Tour, I think about something Mark Cavendish once said: “It means something to suffer that much”. Well, after yesterday’s Tourmalet, which included the bonanza of 3,000m-odd of climbing, it looks very much like this year’s suffering champion will be Julian Alaphilippe. With seven stages left, he leads Geraint Thomas by 2.02, and it’s increasingly tricky to see that gap as anything other than definitive. Today, the sufferers take on the final Pyrenees stage, which includes, among its 185km, three major climbs: the Port de Lers, the Mur de Péguère and the delicious uphill finish at Prat d’Albis. What better way to pass a lazy Sunday? Continue readingread full article
