Tour de France Stage Sixteen

Stage Sixteen:  Rogers claims first Tour win, Pinot moves up on GC

After Rafal Majka in the Alps, another of Alberto Contador's domestiques claimed his first stage victory at the Tour de France. Michael Rogers managed to get rid of the Europcar duo formed of Thomas Voeckler and Cyril Gautier to arrive solo in Bagnères-de-Luchon. In the yellow jersey group, Thibaut Pinot took a significant advantage over direct rivals Tejay van Garderen and Romain Bardet while Vincenzo Nibali comfortably retained the overall lead.

A 21-man breakaway took shape in three waves, starting at km 28 just after Rafal Majka (Tinkoff) took the only point awarded at the 4th category côte de Fanjeaux and therefore deprived Joaquim Rodriguez of the polka dot jersey as the two of them were equal on point as the race left Carcassonne following the second rest day. Bernhard Eisel and Vassil Kiriyenka (Sky), Jon Izagirre (Movistar), Michael Rogers (Tinkoff), Jan Bakelants and Michal Kwiatkowski (OPQS), Samuel Dumoulin and Matteo Montaguti (AG2R), Tom-Jelte Slagter (Garmin), José Serpa (Lampre), Jérémy Roy (FDJ), Tony Gallopin (Lotto), Greg van Avermaet (BMC), Cyril Gautier, Kévin Reza and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Michael Albasini and Jens Keukeleire (Orica), Roger Kluge (IAM), Anthony Delaplace and Florian Vachon (Bretagne) were united at km 73, right after Montaguti passed the côte de Pamiers alone in the lead. The composition of the breakaway put an end to fifty kilometers of hard racing.

Read more at http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2014/us/stage-16/news/flm/-rogers-claims-first-tour-win-pinot-moves-up-on-gc.html

(CAPTION:  Michael Rogers, winner of the day.  Credit:  ASO / B.Bade)