Stage 14, Saturday 18

155 km, D+ 3900 m

This Alsatian mountain stage is a loop in the Vosges.

The race started under an heavy shower. The first 12 km were controlled by sprinters teams as the I.S. was that early. The rain was over by then.

A couple of miles later, the climbs started and so did the attacks to form a breakaway.

Long story short: for a long time, there were 2 groups of breakaways, with Visma riders in the second. At the front, a group of 6 formed: the Uno-X twins (Johanessen(s)🇳🇴), the EF twins (Healy🇮🇪 and Carapaz🇪🇨), as well as V. Paret-Peintre (🇫🇷 Soudal-QS) and Rubio (🇨🇴 Movistar); Arensman (🇳🇱 Ineos) should have joined when Rubio🇨🇴 did but he got the 2368^th^ puncture of the Tour at Ineos. Carapaz🇪🇨 and V. Paret-Peintre were fighting for Mountain points, but the Frenchman won all GPM sprints.

While the second group oscillated between 30 seconds and 1 minute ahead of the peloton, the front group got up to 3 minutes.

Healy🇮🇪 and Anders Johanessen🇳🇴 sacrificed for their brothers. Then Tobias J.🇳🇴 attacked and was only followed by Carapaz🇪🇨 who counter-attacked a bit farther. The Ecuadorian rider started the last climb about 1 minute only ahead of the peloton (or what was left of it).

In the peloton, in the last climb, the two guys who had made a big jump into GC yesterday thanks to their breakaway, Jegat (🇫🇷 Total) and Pidcock (🇬🇧 Q36.5), cracked early. The Englishman, who had been in the breakaway today again, managed to limit the damage; the Frenchman not so much.

Yates (🇬🇧 UAE) couldn't work for his leaders, he was dropped before he could.

Voisard (🇫🇷 Tudor) stayed a long time with the top guys, but overheated and blew up rather severely.

The breakawaymen Carapaz🇪🇨 and Johanessen🇳🇴 managed to stick with leaders surprisingly long, considering the fact that they had given a lot more than the other guys and that it was going fast when they were caught up.

Back to the leaders: there was one attack by Lipowitz (🇩🇪 Bora), it didn't last long.

Evenepoel (🇧🇪 Bora) cracked first. Like the other day, Vingegaard (🇳🇴 Visma) pulled alone, without getting any help from Seixas (🇫🇷 Decathlon) and others. As a result, Evenepoel🇧🇪 would have come back like the other day, if Pogatchar (🇸🇮 UAE) hadn't attacked, with only 1.5 km to the summit. Then every individual was chasing every other individual, full gas.

There was 6 km of plateau after the pass, before the line. Again, Seixas🇫🇷 didn't collaborate well with Vingegaard🇳🇴, especially after Del Toro (🇲🇽 UAE) caught them – the Mexican would of course not relay, as his leader was 20-30 seconds ahead. So, this trio got slower; slower than the lone Pogatchar🇸🇮 ahead, and also slower than Evenpoel🇧🇪 who had regrouped with his teammate Lipowitz🇩🇪 and with Ayuso (🇪🇸 Lidl-Trek), and they almost got caught again. Of course, in the end, for 2^nd^ place, Del Toro🇲🇽 beat Seixas🇫🇷 and the worn out Vingegaard🇳🇴 who didn't really take part in the sprint.

L. Martinez (🇫🇷 Bahrain) produced a good performance. I didn't speak of him because I can't remember when he was dropped.

Seixas🇫🇷 takes the White jersey off Ayuso🇪🇸's shoulders thanks to the time bonus for 3^rd^place.

V. Paret-Peintre🇫🇷 doesn't get the Polka Dots jersey, as Pogatchar🇸🇮 passed in first position on the last climb. And, weirdly, there was no point for the Hundruck pass.

Kanter (🇩🇪 Astana) still competes for the Green jersey, despite being a bit far behind and only ranking 5^th^. I imagine that he hopes 1 or 2 of the guys before him will withdraw at some point, to make it into the first 3 places.

Fun facts:

• the 1^st^ FDJ rider is 2 hours behind Pogatchar in GC; that's worse than Caja Rural;
• the 1^st^ Picnic rider is 1 hour behind the 1^st^ FDJ rider in GC!