Tdf2019 Stage14 Blog 1200×675

Tour de France 2019: Stage 14 Preview

BY Lydia Tanner

Stage 14 promises a tough battle as riders tackle the Col du Tourmalet—the Tour's first high altitude summit of 2019.

  • Tarbes > Tourmalet Barèges
  • Date: 07/20/2019
  • Distance: 117.5 km
  • Type: Mountain

On Stage 14, riders will tackle the Col du Tourmalet en route to their first high-altitude summit finish of the Tour. With a category 1 climb lurking in the middle of the day, and without any dicey descending off the top to even things out before the finish, this stage will be a true showcase for the world’s best climbers. This stage will also be pivotal in both the yellow and polka-dot jersey competitions.

The iconic hors-categorie climb is one of the most-visted in the Tour’s history; its last appearance was as recent as 2018. It was on the Col du Tourmalet that Julian Allaphillipe (Quickstep Floors) clinched the polka-dot climber’s jersey in last year’s Tour—but given that racers still have to contend with a week of hard racing after this year’s visit, the Tourmalet is unlikely to play such a deciding role again.

Still, you’ll want to tune in for sweeping shots of the Pyrenees—and to watch the climbers turn themselves absolutely inside out. It won’t just be those gunning for jerseys in Paris; out-of-contention riders will also be in the hunt for a career-defining win on this historic mountain pass.

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About Lydia Tanner

Lydia Tanner is the athlete content editor at TrainingPeaks. She was formerly an editor at Bicycling Magazine and contributor to Bike Magazine, Mountain Flyer, and RedBull. She is a two-time collegiate national champion in XC MTB, and raced the World Championships as a U23. She is perpetually curious about physiology and human performance.