Trentin: the premier Italian stage winner in the 100th Tour

The progress report
The 14th stage of the 2013 Tour de France began at 12.37pm with 181 riders at the start. The 191km race from Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule to Lyon featured seven categorised hills. The points for the polka-dot jersey were awarded at the cote de Marcigny (cat-4 at 66.5km), cote de la Croix Couverte (cat-4 at 98.5km), cote de Thizy-les-Bourgs (cat-3 at 113km), col du Pinlon (cat-3 at 126.5km) cote du Lozanne (cat-4 at 161km), cote de la Duchère (cat-4 at 176km) and the cote de la Croix-Rousse (cat-4 at 181.5km). The intermediate sprint was in Thizy-les-Bourgs (109.5km). Although all of the Omega Pharma-Quickstep team was declared winners of the ‘Fight Spirit' award in stage 13, only Cavendish wore the red race number for stage 14.

18 eventually escape the peloton: 48.1km/h opening hour
In the opening minutes of the stage, Voigt (RTL) went on the attack and was joined by Bak (LTB) and Kadri (ALM) – this trio was caught by two riders: Vichot (FDJ) and Le Mevel (COF) at 18km, and at 23km, they were ahead by just 45”. Le Mevel returned to the peloton at 26km. At 42km, 14 counter-attacking riders. The composition of the lead group was: Bak (LTB), Burghardt and van Garderen (BMC), Bakelants and Voigt (RTL), Gautier (EUC), Vichot (FDJ), Kadri (ALM), Brutt (KAT), Erviti and Rojas (MOV), Garcia (COF), Trentin (OPQ), Millar and Talansky (GRS), Albasini (OGE), Geschke (ARG) and Simon (SOJ). Lampre-Merida and Euskaltel-Euskadi led the peloton that was behind by 1'10” at 60km. Geschke scored the first climbing point, leading the escape 1'05” ahead of the bunch. Finally, at 89km, the Sky team moved ahead of Euskaltel and the hot pursuit was called off and only then, after 110 minutes of racing was there an easing in tempo for the peloton. The average speed for the second hour was 46.3km/h. At 111km, Cunego (LAM) and Hoogerland (VCD) started a counter-attack; this pair was 2'55” behind the 18 leaders at 113km and the peloton was led by Sky and was 3'50” behind Voigt's group. A second counter-attack came from Oroz (EUS) at 120km.

Setting things up for the finale...
At the top of the fourth climb (64.5km from the finish), Kadri led Talanksy and the rest of the break that was 55” ahead of Hoogerland, and 1'20” ahead of Cunego. The peloton was at 4'20”. The average speed for the third hour was 38.7km/h. With 25km to go, there was a little surge by Albasini and Millar from the lead group but the 18 continued to work together after those moves were marked. The counter-attacking pair, Cunego and Hoogerland were at 4'35” and the peloton was at 6'25”.

Matteo Trentin gives Italy its first win in the 100th edition!
Albasini led the peloton over the second-last climb but Simon (SOJ) then went on the attack and he led 25” at the top of the final hill. The Frenchman powered to a maximum leadoff 18” but was caught by Burghardt who led the remnants of the escape group to the front of the stage. Albasini was right on the wheel of the German and he was the rider who led under the ‘Flamme Rouge' but there was a group of 12 in the final kilometre. Bakelants tried an attack with 800m to go but Albasini marked him closely and then opened up his sprint and seemed to have the win in the bag but then Matteo Trentin raced ahead of him in the final 10 metres but still had the confidence to throw a victory salute as he claimed his first Tour de France stage win, the fourth for his Omega Pharma-Quickstep team in the 2013 race. Albasini held on to second place and Andrew Talansky scored third.
Froome rolled in with the peloton that had been led by Sky for most of the final 75km. There were no attacks from any of the race leader's GC rivals and he finished 22nd in the stage as part of the large group that was 7'17” behind Trentin in Lyon. Froome will wear the yellow jersey in stage 15.