The 14th stage of the Tour de France 2016 was held on July 16, 2016. It led over 208.5 kilometers from Montélimar to Villars-les-Dombes . There were three mountain classifications in the 4th category as well as an intermediate sprint in La Fayette after 145.5 kilometers. The profile of the stage was flat, so a mass sprint at the finish, which is located at the bird park ( Parc des Oiseaux ) in Villars-les-Dombes, was expected. This was won by Mark Cavendish (DDD).
There were initially no attacks on the 14th stage. The peloton completed the first mountain classification after 20.5 kilometers. Thomas De Gendt (LTS), who rides in the mountain jersey , scored an additional point. It was only after almost an hour that a four-person breakaway group formed with Martin Elmiger (IAM), Alex Howes (CDT), Cesare Benedetti (BOA) and Jérémy Roy (FDJ). The average speed in the first hour was 30.4 km / h and therefore very low.
The four outliers were given a lead of a maximum of 4:30 minutes and won the two mountain prizes in the 4th category. In the intermediate sprint, Benedetti was ahead of Howes, Roy and Elmiger, the peloton sprint was won by Peter Sagan (TNK) ahead of Marcel Kittel (EQS) and Mark Cavendish (DDD). Around 4:30 p.m. there was a fall in the main field, as a result of which the Dane Matti Breschel (CDT) had to cancel the Tour of France.
About 50 kilometers from the finish, the four drivers at the front were already less than a minute ahead. In order not to allow a merger to come about too early, the teams in the peloton slowed down a bit, so that the gap settled at around 30 to 45 seconds for a while. Before the finish line, Alex Howes fell behind, and later Cesare Benedetti could no longer follow the pace of Elmiger and Roy. About three kilometers from the finish, the two remaining outliers were then caught.
On the approximately three-kilometer-long home straight there was a mass sprint, in which Marcel Kittel first got the sprint. Mark Cavendish then pulled past from the German's rear wheel and made a little swerve in Kittel's driving line, so that he had to brake and was over- sprinted by Alexander Kristoff (KAT), Peter Sagan and John Degenkolb (TGA).
On the 14th stage, Mark Cavendish won his fourth day win in the 2016 Tour and the 30th overall on a tour of France. In the points classification, he moved a little closer to Peter Sagan, who was 62 points ahead of the Briton. The other rankings remained unchanged at the front.
Scoring
Intermediate sprint in La Fayette after 145.5 km at 280 m
Mathias Frank (IAM): Task during the stage due to stomach problems
Matti Breschel (CDT): retired during the stage due to the consequences of a fall