The Tour de France enters its second stage in the Alps on Saturday, after a 197.5-kilometer stretch from Saint-Etienne to Chamrousse. In that stage -- the 13th overall -- Italian cyclist Vincenzo Nibali showed why he has become the favorite to win this year’s race.
Tour de France 2014, Stage 14: Route, TV schedule and more
The Tour de France moves through the Alps on Saturday.
Bryn Lennon
Nibali didn’t attack first, but when he did attack, he cruised to victory, overcoming a steep climb at the end of the race. Nibali leads the field overall, as well, coming in at 3:37 ahead of second-place Alejandro Valverde Belmonte, who finished fourth in the last stage.
Saturday’s stage, from Grenoble to Risoul, is a grueling 177-kilometer trek that starts with a long, steep incline and continues with tough peaks and valleys. The cyclists will start at an elevation of 312 meters and climb to 2,058 meters, before dropping down and going back up again to the stage’s highest point at 2,360 meters. The stage ends in Risoul -- after another descent and subsequent ascent -- at 1,855 meters. Here’s a look at the profile from the Tour’s website:
And here’s a map of the course:
Stage 14 Coverage
TV: 7 a.m.-noon (live) NBCSN, 2-3 p.m. (replay) NBC, 8 p.m.-midnight (replay) NBCSN
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra
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