• Tour de France, Stage 14, Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille

Vanendert wins Plateau de Beille

ESPN staff
July 16, 2011
Jelle Vanendert celebrates victory at the top of Plateau de Beille © Getty Images
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Jelle Vanendert produced a brilliant climb up Plateau de Beille to win Stage 14 of the Tour de France, as Thomas Voeckler once again defied the big guns to retain the yellow jersey.

The last four winners of Plateau de Beille - Marco Pantani, Lance Armstrong twice and Alberto Contador - have gone on to win the tour. That may not happen this year, but Vanendert showed his climbing legs to win one of the most punishing stages of the Tour.

It was expected to be a stage that shook up the order, but the attacks from the Schleck brothers did not really materialise and Voeckler was able to defend his jersey.

Contador has looked in trouble for a few days and struggled at the bottom of the climb, but he warmed to the task and could well benefit hugely with the Alps on the horizon.

With Vandendert clear and Samuel Sanchez in second, Andy Schleck jumped away in the final 500 metres and pinched a couple of seconds off Voeckler, Contador and Cadel Evans, but he is likely to need more than that to claim overall victory.

"It's like a dream come true," Vanendert said. "After last year, when I didn't race for seven or eight months because of two knee injuries, I think my career has now started. It's difficult to consider the polka-dot jersey because they changed the points system and so I think it's going to be difficult with Samuel Sanchez because he's going to go for the climbing classification and I don't know if I'm strong enough to always be in front of him in the mountain stages."

Voeckler said: "It's hard for me to believe that I'm in yellow after the Pyrenees with almost the same gap that I had before the Pyrenees. I won't understand it if it continues like this for the last week because it's unbelievable for me. It's like a dream."

Mark Cavendish had a torrid day, as he was dropped on the first climb of the day and struggled over all the summits. However, his green jersey hopes remain alive as he limped home inside the cut-off time.

Tour de France, Stage 14, Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille
1. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Omega Pharma Lotto 5:13:25
2. Samuel Sanchez (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi - at 21 seconds
3. Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - at 46 seconds
4. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team - at 48 seconds
5. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Team Sky - same time
6. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo-Bank Sungard - same time
7. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar - same time
8. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - same time
9. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - same time
10.Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar - same time

General classification after Stage 14:
1. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar - 61:04:10
2. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - at one minutes 49 seconds
3. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team - at two minutes 06 seconds
4. Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek - at two minutes 15 seconds
5. Ivan Basso (Ita) - Liquigas - at three minutes 16 seconds
6. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) - Euskaltel - at three minutes 44 seconds
7. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo-Bank Sungard - at four minutes
8. Damianno Cunego (Ita) - at four minutes 01 second
9. Kevin de Weert (Bel) - Quick Step - at six minutes 18 seconds
10. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Team Sky - at seven minutes 55 seconds

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