The Tour de France is now the Tour de Froome, and for once that’s a good thing. With a second-place finish in Friday’s time trial, Chris Froome now has the yellow jersey by 1’47” over second place Bauke Mollema. There’s still time for the general classification to get shaken up in the Alps, but the odds are now significantly in Froome’s favor to win in Paris.
Tour de France 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and route for Stage 14
The sprinters get one more shot to show off their muscle on Stage 14 before the Tour de France enters the Alps. After losing to a breakaway on Stage 11, Mark Cavendish and company should be motivated to chase the break.
Until then, there’s one more sprint stage. Stage 14 begins in Montélimar and ends in Villars-les-Dombes/Parc des Oiseaux. It’s a long stage at 208.5 kilometers. Its profile is semi-bumpy until the last 50 kilometers, which will give Etixx-Quick Step, Dimension Data and Lotto-Soudal lots of time to establish their trains. This is Marcel Kittel’s, Mark Cavendish’s and Andre Greipel’s last hurrah until the Champs-Élysées. It could be fun!
The stage will begin at 6:10 a.m. ET. NBCSN coverage once again lops off the first hour-plus, picking up the race at 7:30 a.m. NBC Sports Gold streaming will begin at 8:10 a.m. for those with a subscription.
In theory, Saturday sets up as a good day for the breakaway. Three Category 4 climbs aren’t easy on the legs, and any teams defending general classification contenders won’t be in much mood to chase after the last two days. The sprinters probably aren’t very happy, however, after letting a late four-man breakaway containing Froome and Peter Sagan get away on Stage 11. They’ll be eager to ensure that a true sprint happens this time.
Stage 14 could be a good popcorn stage before the general classification return battle returns in the Jura Massif. It’ll be worth tuning in early to check in on the battle between peloton and the break. If the action is dull, open up a new tab and enjoy the sweet sounds of Montélimar’s Radio M, the best station I’ve ever stumbled on in a car.
Stage route
Profile
Stage map and profile courtesy of the Tour’s official site.
Tour de France coverage for Stage 14 on Saturday
Start time: 6:10 a.m. ET (approx.)
Route: 208.5 kilometers from Montélimar to Villars-les-Dombes/Parc des Oiseaux
TV: NBCSN, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Streaming: NBC Sports Gold (subscription required), beginning at 8:10 a.m.
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