Tour de France: Rafal Majka Wins Stage 14, Nibali Close Second

Rafal Majka didn’t, or couldn’t, relax. The Tinkoff-Saxo rider was all alone at the front of the Tour de France in the final kilometer of Saturday’s Stage 14,

Elliot Chester | Jul 19, 2014

Tour de France: Rafal Majka Wins Stage 14, Nibali Close Second /

Rafal Majka didn’t, or couldn’t, relax. The Tinkoff-Saxo rider was all alone at the front of the Tour de France in the final kilometer of Saturday’s Stage 14, which concluded with a summit finish at Risoul. But rather than slow to zip up his jersey, stand up in the saddle and coast over the finish line, as stage winners customarily do to give their sponsors extra airtime, Majka mashed the pedals all the way to the top, barely taking the time to raise a fist in celebration.

Just 24 seconds later, the reason Majka didn’t, or couldn’t, relax—overall leader Vincenzo Nibali—whirred across the finish line to claim second on the stage. A kilometer or two more, and the efficient Italian might have caught Majka to set up a repeat of yesterday’s finish in Chamrousse, where Nibali won and Majka finished second, 10 agonizing seconds behind. Today, though, the roles were reversed, as Majka became just the second Polish rider ever—after Zenon Jaskula in 1993—to win a stage in the Tour de France.

“[Majka] claimed a beautiful win,” said Nibali. “I'm happy for him.”

Off the Back: Five Thoughts on the Tour de France Today

He could afford to be magnanimous. In the larger scheme of the overall classification, Nibali was the undisputed victor for the second straight day. The maillot jaune extended his overall lead to 4:37 over Alejandro Valverde of Movistar, who struggled across the line in 10th, 1:24 behind Majka. Valverde had initially tried to counter Nibali’s searing attack, which came under the banner signifying four kilometers to go and which only AG2R’s Jean-Christophe Peraud could follow, but by the stage’s end he held on to second by just 13 seconds over France’s Romain Bardet.

Early on in the stage, it was Bardet who looked strongest, or at least boldest. The 23-year-old Frenchman has had the Col d’Izoard, the second of the 177 km stage’s three climbs and at 2360 m the highest point of this year’s Tour de France, on his mind for months. In mid-May, Bardet tried and failed to climb the Izoard, derailed by a thick layer of snow that blanketed the slopes of the legendary climb. Yesterday, after Bardet’s impressive seventh place up to Chamrousse kept him in third overall and in the white jersey as the race’s best young rider, he invoked the mountain again saying, “I don't know how much action there'll be on the Izoard, but it would be a good thing for me if there was some.”

No attacks came from Bardet or his AG2R squad on the 19 km ascent of the Izoard; the descent was another story. As the pack twisted and turned its way down the Alpine switchbacks at speeds nearing 60 mph, Bardet and Peraud peeled off the front of the group, forcing Nibali and the other contenders to respond. Eventually, they all came back together, with American Tejay van Garderen, who started and finished the stage fifth overall, the last to latch on prior to the start of the final climb.

The Tour de France Through the Years

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

The arrival of the cycling bunch at Albi in France at the first Tour de France in 1903.

Cyclists taking their bag of provisions on the Tour de France.

La Foule des Jeunes au 'Tour de France: les voila! (The crowd of young people at the Tour de France: here they are!)

French racing cyclist Maurice Garin, winner of the first Tour de France in 1903.

Rene Pottier, a French racing cyclist in the Tour de France in 1905.

Maurice Branger/Roger Viollet/Getty Images

The start of the 1908 Tour de France in Paris on July 13, 1908.

Racing cyclist Nicolas Frantz, from Luxembourg, celebrates his Tour de France victory, in Parc des Princes, Paris, on July 15, 1928.

French cyclist Andre Leducq (left) won the Tour de France in 1932.

Belgian team racing cyclists Georges Ronsse (left), Frans Bonduel (center) and Jean Aerts (right) write letters during a rest time of the Tour de France, on July 8, 1932 in Nantes.

French racing cyclist Antonin Magne (left), winner of the 28th Tour de France is interviewed at the end of the 23rd stage Caen-Paris, on July 29, 1933.

Racing cyclist Arsene Mersch of Luxembourg changes his wheel with Josy Krauss one's after a puncture during the fourth stage of the Tour de France, on July 10, 1934.

Henri Desgrange (left), founder of the Tour de France, stands next to French rider Roger Lapebie on July, 21, 1937 in Pau, before the start of the 16th stage between Pau and Bordeaux.

Roger Pingeon, French racing cyclist and winner of the Tour de France 1967 (right), shaking hands of Eddy Merckx (left), Belgian racing cyclist.

The French cyclist Jacques Anquetil, winner of the Tour de France, upon his crossing the finishing line at the Parc des Princes on July 16, 1961.

Cyclists Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Felice Gimondi were the three winners of the Tour de France in 1970.

Lucien Van Impe from Belgium, wearing the red and white Polka Dot Jersey of the best climber, rides during the 64th Tour de France in July 1977.

Lucien Van Impe from Belgium waves from podium during the 64th Tour de France between June 30 and July 27, 1977. Van Impe finished third placed in the overall ranking.

Frenchman Bernard Hinault leads in front of Portuguese Joaquim Agostinho, Dutchmen Joop Zoetemelk and Hennie Kuiper (left) and Swedish Sven-Ake Nilsson during the third stage of the Tour de France between Luchon and Pau on June 30, 1979. Hinault won the stage in a sprint finish beating Belgian Rudy Pevenage and Italian Gian-Battista Barronchelli and went on to capture his second consecutive Tour de France's victory in Paris, winning seven stages overall.

Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk, wearing the leader's yellow jersey, rides uphill next to Frenchman Raymond Martin during the 17th stage of the Tour de France between Serre-Chevalier and Morzine on July 14, 1980. Zoetemelk finished 13th of the stage won by Frenchman Mariano Martinez but went on to win his first and only Tour de France in Paris.

French cyclist Laurent Fignon undergoes a medical exam before the start of the Tour de France cycling road race on June 27, 1984 in Bobigny. Fignon revealed on June 11, 2009, during the recording of a TV show that he suffers advanced stage cancer, but said that there he has no links with doping products. Fignon won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984.

During a day-off on July 12, 1985 in Villard-de-Lans, Frenchman Bernard Hinault, the overall leader of the 72nd Tour de France, displays his four yellow jerseys won in previous years (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982). Hinault won the 1985 edition as well to tie the record set by his compatriot Jacques Anquetil and Belgian rider Eddy Merckx.

The American cyclist Greg Lemond rides in the Tour de France on July 16, 1986.

Spanish Julian Gorospe (right) leads a final breakaway from Nimes to Gap in the 73rd Tour de France, with French Jean-FranÁois Bernard (left) and French Bernard Vallet (center).

The riders reach the top of the Col du Galibier in France, between Le Bourg-d'Oisans and La Plagne, during Stage 21 of the Tour de France in July 1987.

French cyclist Stephen Roche is rescued after fainting, on July 22, 1987 at the arrival of the 21st stage of the Tour de France between Bourg d'Oisans and La Plagne.

A group of cyclists recover after a fall during the third stage of Tour de France in Francorchamps, Belgium on July 3, 1989.

American Greg Lemond celebrates on the podium wearing the yellow jersey after winning the 1990 Tour de France in Paris. It was his third in the Tour de France.

Greg LeMond sucks his thumb like a baby as he waits for the medical examinations on Friday, June 29, 1990, in Poitiers, France.

Cyclists pass through the Alsatian countryside in the 10th stage of racing between Luxembourg and Strasbourg in the 79th Tour de France in July 1992.

Spanish cycling champion Miguel Indurain (right) takes one of the final turns of the 79th Tour de France on the Champs Elysees in July 1992.

American cyclist Lance Armstrong undergoes a medical examination in Lille, northern France, in June 1994, a few days before the start of the 81st Tour de France cycling race.

Fabio Roscioli of Italy splashes himself with water during the 12th stage of the Tour de France from Isola 2000 to Marseille in July 1993. Roscioli raced ahead and alone for 112 miles before winning the stage. Miguel Indurain had no problem holding onto the lead even though he finished in the main pack, more than 20 minutes behind Roscioli.

The American flag flutters in the air in the foreground as the pack of riders pass under it on their way up the coast during stage six of the Tour de France in 1994.

Defending chamption Miguel Indurain of Spain going through medical checkups prior to the start of the Tour de France in 1995.

Four-time winner of the Tour de France Miguel Indurain of Spain takes a lung-capacity check-up in Saint-Brieuc, France prior to the start of the 1995 edition of the race.

Sunflowers frame cyclists as the pack rides by under cloudy skies during the 14th stage of the Tour de France cycling race in July 1995.

The peleton climbing La Freissinouse leaving the start at Gap on its way on the 11th stage of the Tour De France in 1996.

American George Hincapie performs during the 13 stage of the Tour de France in July 1997.

The yellow jersey German Jan Ullrich demonstrates with other cyclists at the beginning of the 12th stage of the Tour de France in Tarascon-sur-Ariege, South of France, in July 1988 to protest against the media coverage of the race focusing on doping affairs.

The winner of the 1999 Tour de France American Lance Armstrong is supported by spectators during his victory lap on the Champs-Elysees in Paris in July 1999.

The 2000 Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is supported by spectators during his victory lap on the Champs-Elysees after the last stage of the 87th French cycling race in July 2000.

The 2002 Tour de France winner US Lance Armstrong celebrates as he makes his victory lap on the Champs-Elysees after the last stage of the 89th French cycling race in July 2002.

Yellow Jersey holder Alberto Contador of Spain and Astana passes L'Arc de Triomphe during the 21st stage of the Tour de France on July 26, 2009 in Paris, France.

Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain celebrates on a processional lap after winning the 2012 Tour de France after the twentieth and final stage from Rambouillet to the Champs-Elysees.

Britain's Chris Froome wins the 2013 Tour de France winner, making it back-to-back British winners of the cycling race.

There, it was French rider Pierre Rolland who went on the offensive. The second of Rolland’s two attacks, however, unwittingly provided Nibali with a perfect springboard to bridge away from his group and away towards the summit. Behind, van Garderen led the chase, but his accelerations lacked the viciousness of Nibali’s and failed to reel in Nibali ahead or gain him time over Bardet and FDJ’s Thibaut Pinot, both of whom stayed on van Garderen’s wheel before sprinting away as the finish came into view.

Up ahead of them all was Majka, the final survivor of a 17-man breakaway that formed less than 30 minutes after the peloton departed from the start in Grenoble. For Majka and his Tinkoff-Saxo team, the victory represented a measure of redemption after their leader, two-time winner Alberto Contador, crashed out of the race on Stage 10. “This is also a victory for Alberto,” Majka said aftterward.

Notes from the Tour

Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain began and ended the day in an unusual position. At the start, he wore the polka-dot jersey as King of the Mountains, but only because the new leader of the competition, Nibali, was already wearing yellow. After going first over the Izoard, Rodriguez became the virtual leader of the competition once more on the road, only to see it evaporate when Majka’s stage win left the pair tied with 88 points. As the better placed of the two overall, Rodriguez will wear polka-dots again tomorrow.
Thanks to Rolland’s aggressiveness and the struggles of Jurgen van den Broeck, there are now four French riders in the top 10 overall: Bardet (third), Pinot (fourth), Peraud (sixth) and Rolland (tenth). Last year, no French riders finished in the top 10; the last time that occurred was in 1991 with Charly Mottet (4th), Luc Leblanc (5th), Laurent Fignon (6th) and Gerard Rue (10th).

Published Jul 19, 2014

ELLIOT CHESTER