Tour de France 2019 LIVE Stage 14: Julian Alaphilippe extends lead as Geraint Thomas suffers

The Frenchman faces a fight to keep hold of the yellow jersey as the race climbs more than 2,000m above sea level

Stage 12 highlights from the Tour de France

Julian Alaphilippe has faced plenty of tests dotted along the road in the first 13 stages of the Tour de France, but this is different. The Col du Tourmalet – which translates from Gascon as ‘the long mountain’ – is the highest paved pass in the French Pyrenees, a Tour classic, and a brute which will crack open even bigger gaps in the top 10.

For the first time, this Tour will climb high above Alaphilippe’s comfort zone, more than 2,000m above sea level. He has shown no weaknesses so far, stunning everyone including second-placed Geraint Thomas by winning Friday’s time-trial, but preserving his lead here will be a much harder thing. In his favour is the length of the stage: at only 117km it is not a particularly long day, with a couple of small climbs at the start and the category one Col du Soulor in the middle. It doesn’t leave much room for a breakaway to escape and could set up a grandstand finale between the main GC riders.

Then comes the Tourmalet, attacked from the west side, a gruelling 19km drag at an average gradient of 7.4% with the finish line on its summit. It has a rich history of appearances in the Tour de France, although this is only the third time a stage will have finished on the top. The Tour’s most recent visit to the Tourmalet was last year; the first man to the top that day? Julian Alaphilippe. That was a whole different scenario, as he went for King of the Mountains points to win the polka dot jersey. This time he wears yellow, and he faces a fight to keep it. Follow the latest updates below.

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Key Points

• Stage 14 takes runs from Tarbes to the Tourmalet peak
• Romain Sicard has slight lead over peloton containing Alaphilippe and Thomas
• Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe leads Geraint Thomas by 1:26 minutes overall

[20 July 2019 15:50 · Jack de Menezes]

Here goes Thibaut Pinot! He hits the front but the break is short-lived as Ineos quickly bridge the gap.

Barguil has 19 seconds now.

[20 July 2019 15:53 · Jack de Menezes]

6km to go: This is impressive stuff from Barguil, as behind him there still hasn't been a response from the rest of the GC riders.

[20 July 2019 15:54 · Jack de Menezes]

5.8km to go: Quintana is done. The attempt to bring him back has not worked and he's more than a minute behind and losing more time with every metre.

[20 July 2019 15:55 · Jack de Menezes]

5.6km to go: Barguil's challenge has hit a wall and he's hauled in to resume the battle at the front. Richie Porte meanwhile has dropped off, and it looks as though Team Ineos rider Wout Poels is also done for the day! That removes another of Geraint Thomas' allies.

[20 July 2019 15:56 · Jack de Menezes]

5km to go: 15 riders remain out in front, with Alaphilippe fourth from last in the lead group. Is that a signal that he's struggling? We're getting to the business end here.

[20 July 2019 15:58 · Jack de Menezes]

4.5km to go: Thomas is slipping back! Is the Welshman's Tour defence about to hit a major problem? He's still with the lead group but he's dropped back in line to join Alaphilippe towards the rear.

[20 July 2019 16:01 · Jack de Menezes]

4km to go: Gaudu tries to break! He makes a move out in front and Thomas and Alaphilippe choose not to respond.

[20 July 2019 16:02 · Jack de Menezes]

3km: Gaudu's break is short-lived and the field are bunched up again.

[20 July 2019 16:05 · Jack de Menezes]

2.5km to go: This is getting incredibly tense now and it remains anyone's race. The bunch is down to 11 riders...but Thomas and Alaphilippe are still going strong.

[20 July 2019 16:06 · Jack de Menezes]

2km to go: Jumbo-Visma are looking strong here with three riders at the front of the pack.