SABOTAGE
Sunday 15 July / Limoux to Foix, 191km
ROUTE/ Into the Pyrenees. Three testing climbs and a thrilling descent would enthuse a breakaway but was unlikely to provide GC contenders with much scope to make up ground on Wiggins.
THE CHALLENGE/ Full alertness required. As Wiggins – who became the first Briton to wear the yellow jersey for a seventh time – said, ‘You can win or lose the Tour by seconds.’
HOW IT UNFOLDED/ A breakaway initiated by Peter Sagan and two others at the 35km mark was boosted by an eight-man counter-breakaway soon afterwards. It would be one race for the Escaping Eleven – Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, Cyril Gautier, Gorka Izaguirre, Sébastien Minard, Eduard Vorganov, Sandy Casar, Luis Leon Sanchez, Steven Kruiswijk, Sergio Paulinho and Martin Velits – and another for the peloton. At 3.53pm, the chasing bunch was struck by saboteurs who scattered tacks leaving 30 riders with punctures.
The 50-strong yellow jersey group had continued its ascent of the final climb, led by Porte, Froome and Wiggins, and as observers marvelled at how Team Sky’s dominance meant Wiggins could not be isolated, Cadel Evans punctured and stood holding his bike in the air and shouting. The narrowness of the road meant no car could reach him with a spare. Team mate Steve Cummings arrived, but he’d punctured too.
Aware that a bizarre number of riders behind him had punctured, Wiggins signalled to the peloton to ‘slow down’ and wait for Evans to catch up. The climb was over. It was a sporting gesture as it would be unfair to take advantage of a rival’s misfortune. Only Pierre Rolland ignored the instruction and the shouts of protest from Porte. Then Wiggins punctured. Evans punctured again, got a new wheel and set off, passing Rui Costa who had punctured. And so on.
The yellow jersey group finished 18 minutes and 15 seconds behind winner Sanchez. Wiggins was praised by organisers for ‘fair play’. Race official Jean-François Pescheux confirmed: ‘The nails were mainly thrown on the ground around 200m from the summit. It was obviously done on purpose. We have the tacks but we don’t know who spread them. They are imbeciles.’
‘It’s something we can’t control,’ said Wiggins, who had previously been hit by a flare. ‘There’s nothing stopping more of that stuff happening. It’s sad. These are the type of things we have to put up with as cyclists. People take it for granted sometimes, just how close they can get to us … We’re out there, quite vulnerable at times, very close to the public on climbs. We’re just the riders and we’re there to be shot at, literally.’
STAGE 14 RESULT:
Winner. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa); Rabobank; 04h 50’ 29”
2. Peter Sagan (Svk); Liquigas; @ 47”
3. Sandy Casar (Fra); FDJ BigMat
OVERALL STANDINGS:
1. Bradley Wiggins (GB); Team Sky; 64h 41’ 16”
2. Chris Froome (GB); Team Sky; @ 2’05”
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita); Liquigas; 2’23
‘We’re out there, quite vulnerable at times, very close to the the public on climbs. We’re just the riders and we’re there to be shot at, literally.’
Bradley Wiggins