TDF Stage 9 Report Results and Standings 2014 Tour De France

STAGE 9 Report:

Stage 9 on the map

170k Continuing through the Vosges, from Gérardmer to Mulhouse.

Mountains; flat finish.

Six categorized climbs today, the last summit comes with about 40k to go to the finish (20k of descending, and the final 20k are flat).

Weather: overcast with chance of rain; mid 60s f.

Today should favor a breakaway.

Right from the gun, the pace is high...

Peter Sagan is an early escapee. He's reeled in soon however.

Brice Feillu gets a gap.

Halfway up the first climb, about 25 riders are out ahead of the pack now.

Purito Rodriguez and Thomas Voeckler are working hard in the break.

 

Stage 9 profile

*km 11.5: 1st KOM (cat-2):

Thomas Voeckler was first over the Col de la Schlucht.

1. Voeckler  2. Edet  3. Rodriguez  4. Dumoulin

The peloton are pulling back the chasers at the top of the climb.

Voeckler has moved into second place in the King of the Mountains jersey competition.

*Tony Martin (OPQ) and Alessandro De Marchi (CAN) have escaped, and at km 35 they have a :20 lead. 15-20 other riders are chasing them, and the peloton is about 1:15 back.

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TDF Stage 8 Report and Results 2014 Tour De France

Stage 8 Report:

Stage 8 on the map

Today's stage goes 161k through the Lorraine region to the Vosges, from Tomblaine to Gérardmer (La Mauselaine).

The riders will see the first cat-2 climbs of the race; and the first uphill finish.

The profile shows about 130k of flats, followed by three climbs in quick succession in the final 25k, including a short, steep kick up to the finish. Made for a puncheur.

Weather: Overcast, mid 60s f. Rain later.

DNS: Mathias Frank (BMC) retired last night after finishing stage 7 with a fractured femur.

Vincenzo Nibali enters stage 8 with a lead of 2:37 over Alberto Contador.

Kwiatkowski trails Nibali by :50; he is Nibali's closest GC threat.

Van Den Broeck trails by 1:45; Porte by 1:54; Talansky by 2:05; Valverde, Bardet, and Rui Costa all trail Nibali by 2:11; Mollema is at 2:27; then Contador at 2:37; Van Garderen by 3:14; Pinot by 3:24; and Peraud is at 3:29.

Stage 8 Profile

Peter Sagan comes into the stage with a lead of over 100 points in the points jersey competition. Will he go for it at the finish today? He has shown that he is capable of impressive results on punchy finishes as well as flat sprints.  Sagan has finished in the top 5 on every stage so far. No rider has finished the first seven stages with all top-ten finishes since 1930**.

Purito Rodriguez would normally eat up today's race profile, but he seems to still be building form. He has not raced since crashing out of the Giro d'Italia in mid-May.

This is a good finish for Valverde, but he may have to defer to the break unless the peloton chooses to chase down the break today.

To the road...

Fast and furious start;

Breaks aren't taking.

Bart De Clercq (LTB) has abandoned the race (ankle).

*~km35: Sylvain Chavanel (IAM) and Niki Terpstra (OPQ) get away.

Simon Yates, Adrien Petit, and Blel Kadri join the 2 up front to form a 5-man breakaway group.

Break (5): Chavanel (IAM), Terpstra (OPQ, Kadri (ALM), Yates (OGE), and Petit (COF).

Today's break has a good chance of succeeding. They could likely be allowed to get a healthy lead, and may not be chased down.

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