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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. - Buddha

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Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the Tour de France, 2022: The Fastest Tour Ever is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• July 5 - 27: Tour de France

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• August 2: San Sebastian Classic

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• June 21 - 29: Most national road championships
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• June 13: GP Kanton Aargau
• June 8: Brussels Cycling Classic
• May 9 - June 1: Giro d'Italia

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Tour de France stage 14 team reports

We posted the race organizer's stage 14 report with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Thymen Arensman's Team INEOS Grenadiers:

Thymen Arensman pulled off a sensational solo victory to win a mountainous stage 14 at the Tour de France.

The Dutchman clinched the biggest result of his career to date in epic fashion, pushing clear of his breakaway counterparts and holding off the surging yellow jersey contenders atop Superbagneres.

Arensman had been joined by teammate Carlos Rodriguez in the breakaway on the toughest mountain stage of the Tour thus far, but would push on and go solo over the top of the Col de Peyresourde with 36 kilometres remaining. Beginning the final climb with an advantage of around three minutes, he was able to time his efforts perfectly, holding on to win the stage by one minute and eight seconds over race leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates – XRG).

A stage win in his debut Tour de France now sits alongside a Vuelta a Espana stage victory in 2022 in the palmares of the 25 year old.

Thymen Arensman wins stage 14. ASO photo

After being reeled in from the break, Rodriguez held tough in the GC group, setting his own tempo as Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) launched a big acceleration with four kilometres to go. 11th on the stage, the result elevated Rodriguez to 10th overall as the second week nears its conclusion.

Arensman’s stage win was the product of a committed team effort on the day, with Geraint Thomas initially going clear in a bid to get up the road prior to the famous Col du Tourmalet.

Thymen Arensman:
“I wanted to experience the Tour de France – the biggest race in the world – and then to win a stage in my first Tour in this way is unbelievable.

“I got sick at the Giro but I think still after being sick I had a good preparation. Going to my first Tour I just wanted to experience everything and I had to be really patient in the first week as it was all pretty punchy. I had to wait until the mountains. Then the first opportunity I got I was already second on the Mont-Dore stage. That was already an amazing experience, but this is unbelievable.

“Also the way I did it I think today, but also Carlos in that group. He was also super strong and he did a really good job for me. I think I just had amazing legs and the shape of my life. I heard the gap with the GC group on Peyresourde and I thought with Tadej and Jonas that three or three-and-a-half minutes is probably not enough, I have to move. Maybe it’s suicide, maybe it’s not. I can’t believe I held them off. I was really fading on the second half of the last climb, but I think with all the spectators they gave me a few more watts and I could just hold them off. It’s unbelievable!”

Here's the Tour report from GC leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emriates-XRG:

The last chapter of the Pyrenean mountain stages ended with a top-quality climbers’ display along the 182.6 km from Pau to Luchon-Superbagnères (stage 14, featuring the climbs of the Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin, and Col de Peyresourde, in addition to the summit finish), which saw Tadej Pogačar take second place and strengthen his lead in the general classification.

Pogacar climbs through the fog to second place. Sirotti photo

A large breakaway led the race for most of the stage after going clear from the peloton on the Tourmalet, but the pace set by the yellow jersey group, driven by UAE Team Emirates-XRG, helped limit the gap to the race leaders.

The breakaway was gradually thinned out over the Col d’Aspin and Peyresourde, leaving only Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) at the front for the summit finish. Behind him, the Pogačar-Vingegaard duo once again proved dominant, as no other riders could follow their pace.

The yellow jersey crossed the finish line 1’08” after Arensman, with Vingegaard taking third at 1’12”.

With these results, Pogačar’s advantage in the GC over the Danish rider is now 4’13”.

Pogačar: “Arensman did a super race and he did one hell of a ride, he was the strongest of a super-strong break. But we managed great, too, without making stupid mistakes. I think we did a good job.

"When you’ve been riding super hard for 2.5 hours and come to the top of the Tourmalet, you think, oh, now we’ll descend easy and have time to recover,but instead, there was really thick fog on the top, it was misty and there was a slippery road, you come when you are a bit tired and you still need to focus on downhill, basically you see 20 meters ahead. But we went really conservatively.”

Third-place Jonas Vingegaard's Team Visma | Lease a Bike posted this Tour report:

Team Visma | Lease a Bike showcased its strength in Stage 14 of the Tour de France. Simon Yates and Sepp Kuss slipped into the early breakaway, while Jonas Vingegaard tested his legs on the final climb. The stage victory, however, went to Dutchman Thymen Arensman.

Jonas Vingegaard on the day's final climb with Tadej Pogacar on his wheel. Sirotti photo

The stage took the riders over four iconic Pyrenean giants, with the Col du Tourmalet and the summit finish at Luchon-Superbagnères serving as the main challenges. Kuss and Yates joined the early break, with the American even spending some time at the front of the race.

In the end, Arensman proved to be the strongest attacker, riding solo to the finish. Behind him, Vingegaard stirred things up in the group of favorites. The Dane launched an attack, with only Tadej Pogacar able to follow. The Slovenian edged out Vingegaard in a sprint to the line, but it was clear the Dane had strong legs today.

“I felt good”, Vingegaard said after the finish. “This was an incredibly tough day, maybe one of the hardest stages I’ve ever ridden. I think that goes for everyone. It looked like Pogacar and his team wanted to go for the stage win. I was ready for his attack, but I felt so good that I decided to go myself. My legs felt strong, and I had something left in the tank. Pogacar was able to follow; he was at least as strong as me today, maybe even stronger. But it’s encouraging that I could still try something at the end. Hopefully, I can carry this feeling into the final week.”

Head of Racing Grischa Niermann also reflected on the brutal stage. “We wanted to try and win from the breakaway. With Sepp and Simon up there, we were in a good position, but unfortunately they ran into a very strong Arensman. Jonas tried something late on and looked impressive. Honestly, we expected UAE to go for the stage and attack, but in the end, it was Jonas who took the initiative. He’s very motivated and riding super strong. We know there’s one guy who’s a little better, but we won’t just settle for second place. There’s still plenty to fight for”, said the German.

Here's the Tour report from Oscar Onley's Team Picnic-PostNL:

A big day in the Pyrenees mountains saw the Tour de France peloton tackle over 5000 metres of climbing throughout the day, and traverse famous climbs such as the Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin, Col de Peyresourde before a finish on Luchon-Superbagnère. Before getting to any climbing though, 60 kilometres of valley roads made for a fierce battle to make the break; where Team Picnic PostNL’s sprint group looked after and protected the climbers in the squad.

No move could go clear on the flat, so it was on the lower slopes of the Tourmalet where a large group went clear; from which eventual stage winner Arensman would make his winning move. Back in the peloton, Warren Barguil and Frank van den Broek rode superbly to help guide and protect Oscar Onley up each mountain pass and down the twisting descents on the other side.

With some great teamwork, the trio came onto the lower slopes of the last ascent in the drastically reduced yellow jersey group, where the pace then increased. Onley continued to impress as he pushes his limits and boundaries each day at the Tour de France, riding ably within the group when it had thinned down to seven riders.

A stinging attack from Vingegaard, which was followed by Pogacar, split the GC group to pieces and Onley rode at his own tempo. Pushing all the way to the line, he gained time on other riders and finished sixth on the stage; and with that moving up to fourth place overall with Team Picnic PostNL.

Oscar Onley on the day's final climb. Sirotti photo

Onley said: “It was a hard day again; with the break only going on the Tourmalet and then UAE set a hard pace during the stage. It was quite a good pace that Yates set on the last climb and I was hoping that they would do that for as long as possible. It was then basically all-out to the line after Vingegaard attacked and I did what I could. It’s one more stage down and one more day closer to Paris but it’s still a long way to go and we still have some pretty tough climbs to cover in the Alps next week. I’m continuing to surprise myself. We didn’t really come here with any big GC ambitions pre-race, and today was probably the biggest test of my long-climbing abilities in my career so far. It’s nice to be in fourth and gain some time on a few guys, but it’s a long way to go and a lot can change next week.”

Team Picnic PostNL coach Matt Winston added: “Our sprint group did really well in the flatter start to keep an overview and things under control, and then when we hit the Tourmalet the peloton exploded. Frank and Warren rode really well today and could support Oscar all the way until the final climb which was great. Then in the final it was all about Oscar trying to do his own race and giving everything he had to the finish, and it was great to see him hang on for sixth on the day, which sees us move up to fourth on GC.

"So far Oscar’s gone 100 percent in every stage, so his fatigue level can go up next week, which can and should be expected and whatever happens going forward we’ve had a really nice Tour de France. He is still riding only his second Tour de France so we are still seeing him develop as a rider. Actually with the six guys that have came from our Development program into the Tour – it is all about keeping that progression going, now that they are at the highest level. With Oscar doing what he has done so far in the Tour, and with Pavel and Tobi performing in the sprints: you can really see that they are coming to that last level of their development at the top level of the sport.”

Here's the stage fourteen report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Valentin Paret-Peintre carried the flag for Soudal Quick-Step on the hardest stage of the Tour de France so far, a 182.6km trek through the Pyrenees, from Pau to Luchon-Superbagnères. Four classified climbs, including the majestic Tourmalet – crossed for the 88th time in history – and an elevation gain of more than 5000 meters gradually whittled down the peloton to the point that only 20 men arrived in the yellow jersey group at the bottom of the last ascent.

It was the day that saw Remco Evenepoel say goodbye to the Tour de France, the Belgian – victorious on stage five and wearer of the white jersey for the 26th time in his career – calling it a day on the Tourmalet despite his best efforts to continue the race.

Remco Evenepoel in the white jersey on the stage 14 startline. ASO photo

“I didn’t have the best preparation coming into the Tour, but I did everything I could to be in the best possible shape; sadly, I just wasn’t at 110%, which is what you need at the Tour de France to fight for the general classification. For three days already I wasn’t feeling good, and today in the morning I could feel I was empty, and then on the climb the legs just weren’t there. It’s a pity I had to retire, but it’s not something that will change my relationships with the race”, Remco said to the media.

At the front, Valentin Paret-Peintre decided to try his chance and attacked from the bunch, slipping away and joining the breakaway that was already established. The 23-year-old Frenchman, a debutant at the Grande Boucle, powered through the fog as the group started to disintegrate near the top of the climb, and joined by Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike), he began chasing lone leader Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious).

They managed to bridge across with 40 kilometers to go, and continued together, trading turns at the front, but soon after, other riders from the original move came back and made it an eight-man group at the start of the penultimate ascent. On the opening ramps of Superbagnères, the iconic climb making its return after 36 years, the peloton caught Valentin after more than 80 kilometers in the breakaway – a fine effort from the young Frenchman, who still has a couple of chances to show himself in the mountains next week. The victory went to Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), who held off the favourites on the way to the top of the HC climb.

“I felt good today in the breakaway, it was a good group, and I played my card. I tried to stay at the front as much as possible, but I ran out of energy, while Arensman was the strongest from that group and deserved to take the victory. It didn’t work out for us, but we remain motivated and confident in our chances for the next stages of the Tour, which is still long”, Valentin explained after the stage.

Here's the report from Ben Healy's Team EF Education-EasyPost:

Ben Healy soared back into the top ten of the Tour de France’s general classification with a strong ride up to the summit of Luchon-Superbagnères in the Pyrenees.

He finished the Tour’s 14th stage in seventh place and is now ninth overall in the race for the yellow jersey. After two days in the maillot jaune, Ben is determined to find out what kind of GC rider he can become at this Tour de France.

Ben Healy (left) with Primoz Roglic on the day's climb to the finish. Sirotti photo

This morning, his plan was to go for the breakaway. With a cool mist hanging over the Pyrenees, Ben hoped he could make one of his signature long-range raids stick. On the road out of Pau, he attacked again and again, but the peloton didn’t let anything go until the race hit the Tourmalet. On the fearsome climb’s lower slopes, Ben made all the right moves, following the Tour’s current King of the Mountains Lenny Martinez and eventual stage winner Thymen Arensman, but with over 5000 meters of total climbing on the day and a massive effort to defend yellow just behind him, he reckoned he didn’t have the legs to hold out all the way to finish. So he let up, caught his breath, and dropped back to the yellow jersey group, ready to give his all on Luchon-Superbagnères.

Harry Sweeny did a huge turn to keep Ben out of the wind over the top of the Tourmalet and then the Col d’Aspin. When the race opened up on the Col de Peyresourde, Ben had the legs to go with the best.

On Luchon-Superbagnères, he was right there with them, racing through the fog and rowdy crowds to finish seventh on the day.

Hear from Ben and his teammates from the finish of Stage 14 of the 2025 Tour de France.

Ben Healy:
"I went for the break today and spent a lot of energy doing that, but I realized pretty quickly on that I didn't have the legs for the stage, especially with UAE pulling behind, so I decided to pull the plug and see what I could do in the finale. I think it was the right decision in the end. Thymen and then Lenny were pulling so hard on the Tourmalet. I had to make the decision on the road. They went so hard on that climb, and in the valleys. It really hurt the legs.

"Now that I am top ten on GC, I am not just going to lose time on purpose. Days like this and the ones coming up are the kind of days that always suit me. I think I've always sort of known that, but I've approached them from a breakaway standpoint rather than for the GC. I want to be up with the big boys."

Neilson Powless:
"I just tried to find a group as soon as the peloton started exploding. I got some water and got some drinks for the boys before the Tourmalet started, and then I just tried to find a good gruppetto to get to the line as easily as possible.

"Over the top of the Tourmalet, the fog was pretty intense. I couldn’t really see too much, but luckily we weren't pushing the descent too hard behind, so it was safe enough."

Harry Sweeny:
"Ben and I were going to try and get in the breakaway, but it ended up going on the climb and I didn't have the facilities for that today. Ben tried, and he blew up, and in the end it just turned out to be a GC day, with Thymen winning. Chapeau. Hats off for that.

"Ben's moved up two spots and everyone's feeling good. It'll be interesting now to see what the plan is and see if we still race aggressively or whether we can defend. No one's going to let ninth place on GC go in the breakaway. So we will see."

Charly Wegelius, Sports Director:
"As we expected, there was a big fight for the breakaway. That went on for a long time. The sprint competition brought the race to the bottom of the Tourmalet. Ben did a great job making it in. But, the constant pace changes and accelerations were a bit too much for him to handle. And he did something that's quite rare, which is getting dropped out of the breakaway, but still finding the resources to recover before getting caught, so he could stay with the yellow jersey group.

"He basically pressed reset and did his best race for the finale, which brought a pretty impressive seventh place. That was a great standalone performance. We're going to sit down now, and focus on tomorrow with some other riders, and then we'll see what it means for the race going onwards. It was a pretty impressive ride. "

And here's the Tour de France stage 14 report from Team Groupama-FDJ:

The legs aren’t what he’d hoped for, but Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet keeps on fighting on the Tour de France. On the final stage in the Pyrenees on Saturday, the French climber was able to follow the yellow jersey group, with the support of Valentin Madouas and Romain Grégoire, until the foot of the final climb of Superbagnères. He then fought hard to reach the summit in 23rd place, gaining one position overall (13th). On Sunday, the second week of the Tour de France will conclude with a stage for the breakaway to Carcassonne.

With nearly 5,000 metres of elevation gain to cover, the exit from the Pyrenees didn’t promise to be the most pleasant for the Tour bunch on Saturday. The climbs of Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde, and Superbagnères had to be done one after the other in the final hundred kilometres, after the first eighty were quite flat and straight. With such terrain at the start, it didn’t prove easy to form a breakaway.

The first group of chasers go over the Tourmalet 1min 50sec behind lead rider Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious).

The Groupama-FDJ cycling team did join the battle early in the race, with Quentin Pacher even going to clear after about sixty kilometres as part of a trio, but the approach of the intermediate sprint didn’t allow the Occitan rider to really escape. It was therefore shortly after, on the first slopes of the Tourmalet, that the breakaway could establish itself, slowly but surely. “We were afraid that the break wouldn’t go before the Tourmalet,” said Stéphane Goubert. “The guys did everything they could to make it go before, and if Guillaume had been able to gain two minutes, it would have allowed us to handle the stage differently. The team effort was good; they tried when they needed to. Guillaume may have left a bit of energy doing so, but we had to try.”

However, the French climber was unable to join the various moves on the most famous Pyrenean climb. “We knew that the best climbers in a breakaway could fight for victory today, but if Guillaume didn’t go at that point, it’s because he wasn’t feeling at his best, so he preferred to manage,” added Stéphane.

About twenty riders then broke away, and the peloton quickly reduced to around forty riders, while Remco Evenepoel abandoned the race. Among the favorites, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet was able to get over the Tourmalet with Romain Grégoire, before Valentin Madouas joined them to climb up the Aspin. In Peyresourde, the sustained pace reduced the yellow jersey group to around twenty riders, including the leader of Groupama-FDJ, who held on until the foot of the final climb of Superbagnères. However, the Frenchman was forced to take his own pace as soon as the last ascent began.

“I’m really not in the right pace on this Tour,” Guillaume said. “I really suffered today. I don’t have much to say about the pace or the weather, it’s me who’s not up to it.” Still, he showed great fighting spirit up until the summit to keep his overall classification goal alive. Twenty-third on the day, 8’44 behind the winner Thymen Arensman, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet also gained one position in the overall standings as he now sits in 13th. “We hope every day that the legs are better,” Stéphane added. “It is clear that this isn’t his level, we’re all aware of that. We can’t give up, and that’s Guillaume’s great quality: he doesn’t give up.”On the eve of the rest day, stage 15 should offer some rest for the GC riders tomorrow, but it will also be a real opportunity for the break. “It’s a big goal for us, but like for many teams,” concluded Stéphane. “In the Tour, it’s often the freshest or the best who wins. We’ll see how the legs are tomorrow. If the guys show the same commitment as today but we come up against a stronger rider, we’ll have to accept it, but we’ll start with strong motivation!”

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