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 15:18 · Jack de Menezes]

There's been a shake-up at the front of the field. Nibali, Wellens and Gesbert have been overtaken by Romain Sicard of Team Total Direct Energie, who has gapped them by about 25 second and the peloton a further minute behind. We haven't even begun the Tourmolet climb yet though, with the ascent beginning in about 3kms and lasting the final 16km of the stage.

[20 July 2019 15:24 · Jack de Menezes]

Sagan has been dropped by the peloton, who are looking to close in on the chasing group of Gesbert and Lilian Calmejane, but the gaps are remaining pretty stable right now as the main group trails Sicard by 1:10.

[20 July 2019 15:29 · Jack de Menezes]

Here we go. With 15km to go, the riders begin the ascent up the Tourmalet - the climb that separates the men from the boys.

Elie Gesbert has caught leader Romain Sicard and the pair have a 45 second advantage, but the peloton is starting to gain momentum.

[20 July 2019 15:32 · Jack de Menezes]

More problems for Adam Yates, who has had to contend with a mechanical issue and is now struggling once again with the climb.

Out in front, the gap is coming down, with the margin now just 36 seconds.

[20 July 2019 15:35 · Jack de Menezes]

Gesbert has gone on his own. He's decided to cut Sicard adrift and go for it in the knowledge that the peloton is catching.

Does he have the energy to go it alone? You'd suggest not.

Back in the peloton, Alaphilippe is looking pretty comfortable right now, but Dan Martin is also in trouble and is dropping off the back of the bunch. Yates meanwhile still has brother Simon with him, but he's 40 seconds behind the yellow jersey.

[20 July 2019 15:40 · Jack de Menezes]

The lead continues to shorten with Gesbert now just 23 seconds up the road. There's still 11km to go of this horror climb, and it's Movistar and Ineos who are leading the peloton and have been for quite some time.

Who will be the first to blink?

[20 July 2019 15:42 · Jack de Menezes]

And that's it. Gesbert has been caught and the peloton leads the way - well, what's left of the peloton. Riders are starting to fall away rapidly.

[20 July 2019 15:44 · Jack de Menezes]

Long-time peloton pace-stter Andrey Amador falls away, while one of the Ineos rider's is also losing speed.

But the big news is that with 10km still to go, Nairo Quintana is gone! He's fallen off the GC riders and is desperately trying to haul himself back up to them.

[20 July 2019 15:46 · Jack de Menezes]

Two Movistar riders drop back in an effort to pick up Quintana and get him back into the mix, all the while Warren Barguil attacks at the front and is trying to go clear!

[20 July 2019 15:48 · Jack de Menezes]

Quintana is 10 seconds off the yellow jersey, but he appears to be having a second wind and is able to maintain the gap with help from his Movistar teammates.

Barguil has a slender 12-second lead following that attack.

7.8km to go...