Tour de France stage 14 - third-placed Evenepoel forced to abandon race

BBC News

4 days ago

Update:
Date: 63km to go
Title: Polka-dot jersey - Martinez leads chase duo by 40secs
Content: Lenny Martinez summited the Col d'Aspin 40 seconds before Sepp Kuss and Valentin Paret-Peintre, with Michael Woods 2mins 20secs off the French youngster:
Update:
Date: 60km to go
Title: Weather makes today's stage 'more equal'
Content: Oscar Onley on today's weather: "I prefer the heat. We see that some guys struggle more in the heat, so it's nice to have a bit of an advantage there. I think today is more equal."
Update:
Date: 63km to go
Title: Polka-dot jersey - Martinez takes maximum KoM points
Content: Lenny Martinez bags another five mountain points on the category two climb of the Col d'Aspin.
The young Frenchman is the first rider to reach 50 points, which earns him a special prize of 5,000 euros for the 50th anniversary of the polka-dot jersey.
Update:
Date: 65km to go
Title: Johannessen set to climb GC standings
Content: With a two-minute lead over the yellow jersey group, Tobias Johannessen has leapfrogged Primoz Roglic in the virtual general classification standings.
The Norwegian rider, who races for second-tier ProTeam Uno-X Mobility, is currently sixth and is just one minute off the podium.
Update:
Date: 14:16 BST
Title: General classification without Evenepoel
Content:
Update:
Date: 14:13 BST
Title: White jersey - British rider Onley closing on podium place
Content: With Remco Evenepoel now out of the equation, British youngster Oscar Onley needs to gain 41 seconds on Florian Lipowitz to move into a GC podium place and wear the white jersey tomorrow for best young rider.
Ben Healy is currently 11th in the GC standings but the Irish breakaway specialist could well lose time during this battle in the mountains.
Update:
Date: 14:09 BST
Title: Get Involved - Evenepoel forced to withdraw
Content: #bbccycling on X, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
Tough start to the season following that crash, a superb Pogacar and clearly some underlying illness. Shame he has to retire but age is on his side. He'll be back next year and likely a lot stronger.
Pieter
ICYMI, Remco Evenepoel sustained rib, shoulder blade and hand fractures in a bike crash during a training ride in December.
He also needed surgery on a dislocated collarbone after crashing into an open door of a postal vehicle while on a ride in his native Belgium.
Update:
Date: 70km to go
Title: Martinez's lead stable
Content: Sepp Kuss and Valentin Paret-Peintre were closing on Lenny Martinez, but his lead is now stable at about 50 seconds.
The Tobias Johannessen group is about to start the climb, about a minute further back, with the yellow jersey group two minutes behind them.
Update:
Date: 14:03 BST
Title: What climbs are to come on today's stage?
Content: Mountains, 182.6km, Pau to Luchon-Superbagneres
Now then, the leaders are now onto the next climb:
Update:
Date: 13:57 BST
Title: Get Involved - Evenepoel forced to withdraw
Content: #bbccycling on X, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
Come off it BBC. this year's Tour de France route is no harder than most years. Remco is out of gas, legs are gone this year. That's all.
Rob
Update:
Date: 75km to go
Title: Post
Content: Lenny Martinez is almost at the bottom, with Sepp Kuss and Valentin Paret-Peintre having closed to within a minute.
The other chasers are a further 20secs back, with the peloton 3mins 40secs adrift of Martinez.
Update:
Date: 80km to go
Title: Polka-dot jersey - KoM standings after Col du Tourmalet
Content: 1. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) - 47 points2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG) - 37 pts3. Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) - 37 pts4. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) - 27 pts5. Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) - 18 pts
Update:
Date: 85km to go
Title: Polka-dot jersey - Martinez claims maximum KoM points
Content: Michael Woods is second over the Col du Tourmalet summit, leading a group that is 1min 45secs behind Lenny Martinez:
Update:
Date: 91km to go
Title: Martinez begins treacherous descent
Content: Lenny Martinez isn't the only rider chucking on the wet-weather gear.
And visibility is pretty poor coming down from the summit.
The riders are going to have to keep their wits about them, this is one treacherous descent.
Update:
Date: 93km to go
Title: Polka-dot jersey - Martinez first over Tourmalet
Content: Lenny Martinez is first to the top of the Col du Tourmalet to pocket 20 mountain points and claim the Souvenir Jacques Goddet.
And as the young Frenchman summits, he whips out his rain jacket and puts it on as he prepares to head straight into a sharp descent.
Update:
Date: 94km to go
Title: Post
Content: The yellow jersey group is more than three minutes back from Lenny Martinez and features 41 riders.
Update:
Date: 95km to go
Title: Post
Content: Behind Martinez is a group of 16 riders, including Visma team-mates Simon Yates and Sepp Kuss, plus Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla).
Tobias Johannessen, who is 10 minutes off Tadej Pogacar in eighth on general classification, is the highest GC rider in that group.
Update:
Date: 96km to go
Title: Post
Content: Back to the head of the course, and Lenny Martinez has gone clear - by more than a minute.
He's now climbing into mist towards the top of the Col du Tourmalet.
Update:
Date: 13:21 BST
Title: Get Involved - Evenepoel forced to withdraw
Content: #bbccycling on X, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
Remco Evenepoel looked distressed as he stepped into the Soudal Quick-Step team car. For a supremely gifted young athlete, this has got to be hard to accept.
What are your thoughts on the Belgian star being forced to withdraw? Is he ill? Is it a result of a brutal route for the start to this year's race?
Let us know your thoughts via the usual channels above.
Update:
Date: 13:16 BST
Title: Evenepoel & Skjelmose withdraw from race
Content: Yep, he's done.
Remco Evenepoel, who finished third in last year's Tour and was third at the start of the day, has had to withdraw from this year's race.
So too has Mattias Skjelmose after hitting that traffic island earlier on.