Usually, when Le Tour finishes in Saint-Étienne the town also hosts the stage start of the folowing day. For instance, in 2019 the race travelled on lumpy terrain to Romain Bardet’s birthplace, Brioude, where Daryl Impey outgunned Tiesj Benoot in a two-up sprint.
A race to Mende is on the cards this time – or, to be more precise, to the landing strip of Mende Airport. The riders are to crest the Col de la Croix Neuve with 1.5 kilometres to go. It’s a 3 kilometres climb at 10.2% with steepest ramps of up to 18%. A 1 kilometre drop leads onto a flat 500 metres run-in to the line.
The French call the punchy last ascent Montée Laurent Jalabert, since their hero claimed the stage on Bastille Day 1995. Jalabert was succeeded by Marcos Serrano (2005), Joaquim Rodriquez (2010), Stephen Cummings (2015), and Omar Fraile (2018).
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 14 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2022 stage 14: route, profile, more
Click on the images to zoom
Related articles Winners and records - Tour de France More articles Giro 2022: Sprint triumph Démare, López keeps pink
Giro 2022 Route stage 13: San Remo - Cuneo
Giro 2022 Route stage 14: Santena - Turin
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 14: Hilly race to suit attackers
Giro 2022: Withdrawals
Giro 2022: The Route
Giro 2022: Riders
Giro 2022 Route stage 15: Rivarolo Canavese - Cogne
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 15: Breakaway day at altitude
Giro 2022 Route stage 16: Salò - Aprica
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 16: For pure bred climbers
Giro 2022 Route stage 17: Ponte di Legno - Lavarone
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 17: Climbers eyeing pink
Giro 2022 Route stage 18: Borgo Valsugana - Treviso
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 18: For fast men #5
Giro 2022 Route stage 19: Marano Lagunare - Castelmonte
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 19: Steep ramps to suit the breakaway
Giro 2022 Route stage 20: Belluno - Passo Fedaia
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 20: Final GC clash in high mountains
Giro 2022 Route stage 21: Verona ITT
Giro 2022 Favourites stage 21: Dumoulin's final say
Cycling Calendar 2022
Critérium du Dauphiné 2022: The Route
Critérium du Dauphiné 2022: Riders
Tour de France 2022 Route stage 5: Lille - Arenberg
Tour de France 2022 Route stage 12: Briançon - Alpe d'Huez
Vuelta 2022: The Route