BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | Tour de France

BBC Sport Online brings you all the action from stage 14 of the Tour de France, a 144 km (90 mile) ride from Tarbes to Luz-Ardiden.
(All times BST)

Stage 14 takes in two huge Pyrenean climbs and Lance Armstrong's rivals for the yellow jersey know that this is probably their last chance to make any time on the Texan.

Many teams send riders off the front of the peloton over the opening section that includes a steady climb to the peak of Col d'Aspin.

However the first real climb of the day only acts as preparation for the bigger climbs that the riders face in the closing 50km.

It promises to be a gruelling finish up the Col du Tourmalet (2,115m) quickly followed by another climb, after a quick descent, to the finish at Luz-Ardiden (1,715m).

1430: There are 50km to go and a leading group of 10 riders start the long climb to the Col du Tourmalet with a three minute 40 second lead over the main peloton.
ONCE's Igor Gonzalez Galdeano breaks from the peloton in a bid to bridge tha gap.

1435: The group of 10, made up of Bobby Julich, Jean-Cyril Robin, Stephane Goubert, Wladimir Belli, Sven Montgomery, Andreas Kloeden, David Moncoutie, Mario Aerts, Oscar Pozzi and Jens Heppner, begin to labour on the climb under a baking sun.

1440: Riders are beginning to drift off the back of the peloton as the main body of riders start to climb the highest peak in the 2001 Tour.

1445: Kloden drifts off the back of the lead group but it is not all bad news for Jan Ullrich's Telekom team.
They have constantly looked to fire riders off the front of the peloton and Alexandre Vinkourov is the latest to test US Postal's ability to maintain control of the race.
The Kazakhstan rider is joined by another Telekom rider, Udo Bolts, and Axel Merckz.

1448: The lead group is now down to seven, Heppner, another Telekom, and Robin finding the pace too hard.

1450: The leader in the race for the king of the mountains, Laurent Jalabert, loses touch with the peloton, which is driven by US Postal.
Armstrong is tucked safely behind his team-mates with Ullrich on his wheel.

1454: Montgomery looks strong in the leading group but Goubert has found his pace too fast and has lost contact.

1500: Stefano Garzelli breaks off the front of the peloton as the main group comes to one of Tourmalet's distinctive tunnels.
Telekom are beginning to force the pace at the front of the peloton.

1505: The Tourmalet is taking its toll and the riders are making slow progress, although they may be saving energy for the final climb.

1507: The leading group is down to five - Montgomery, Julich, Moncoutie, Aerts and Belli.

1511: The leading group are within sight of the peak as they meander through the hoards of fans lining the route.
Further down the road the climb is littered with riders drifting off mini-groups or forcing the pace in others with Armstrong and Ullrich 2.15mins back from the leaders.

1514: A group of riders, including Garzelli, Felix Cardenas, Roberto Laiseka, Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre, have come together in between the leading group and the main group.

1516: Julich is struggling to keep pace with the leaders and is dropped.

1517: Ullrich has the support of his team-mates around him but Armstrong is sticking close to the German as the two main rivals set the pace in the peloton.

1519: The leaders are one kilometre away from the summit but all the action is further down the road.
Ullrich and Armstrong have ridden the legs off all those around them and are now going head-to-head.

1521: Ullrich and Armstrong have bridged the gap to the Garzelli group and are threatening to ride straight through it.

Sven Montgomery
Montgomery crossed the Tourmalet in first place
1522: Montgomery accelerates away from the lead group to take the honour of crossing the Tourmalet first with Belli, Moncoutie and Aerts taking second, third and fourth.

1523: Fifty seconds back Garzelli leads Ullrich and Armstrong across the peak.
After a 17km climb the riders now face a fast 19km descent.

1525: Ullrich shrugs off his downhill accident in the 13th stage, when he ran wide on the descent from the Col de Peyresoude, and sets the pace in his group.

1532: The riders take on food and drink at the same time as reaching phenomenal speeds on the descent.

1539: As they speed down the Tourmalet, Armstrong and Ullrich's group grows to about 35 cyclists.
Further down the road Montgomery has dropped back from the leaders.

1541: The three leaders - Aerts, Belli and Moncoutie - hold a 20 second advantage over Montgomery as they start the 14km climb to Luz-Ardiden.
The chasing group have lost time on the descent and are over a minute behind the leaders.

1545: The champion of France, Didier Rous, makes an early break from the peloton in a bid to bridge the gap to Montgomery and the leaders.

1548: Rous is 40 seconds behind the leaders, and the peloton, which is being driven by Telekom, are a further 28 seconds back with just over 12km remaining.

1550: Euskaltel, the Basque team who have yet to win a stage, launch another attack on the peloton and one of their riders, Laiseka, gets away.

1552: Rous is giving his all only 28 seconds behind the leaders but in no time at all Laiseka bridges the gap and rides past him and Montgomery with 10km remaining.

1554: Belli forces the pace in the leading group and is now out in front on his own.

1556: The Italian is being chased hard by Laiseka who has accelerated past Aerts and Moncoutie and is only 12 seconds off the lead.

1559: Laiseka has Belli in his sights.

1601: Laiseka stays on Belli's wheel before standing up in his pedals and jumping away from the Italian who is determined to stick with him.

1602: Away from the battle at the head of the road, US Postal have taken over at the front of the peloton, but Ullrich and Armstrong remain locked together.
Riders are drifting off with alarming frequency at the back of the group.

1604: Belli is unable to match Laiseka's lead and now trails by 10 seconds.

1608: Laiseka, looking comfortable, passes under the five kilometres to go sign.

1609: A minute later the Armstrong/Ullrich group pass under the inflatable sign, sucking in and spitting out Rous in the process.

1612: The Armstrong/Ullrich group is down to six and then three as they pass under the four kilometres to go sign.
The American and the German are joined by Armstrong's ever dutiful right-hand man, Roberto Heras.

1614: Laiseka, in his first Tour, threads his way through the fervent supporters lining the route to the finishing line.

1616: Heras continues to lead the way with Armstrong and Ullrich on his wheel as the trio close in on Belli in second.

Roberto Laiseka
Laiseka attacked at the foot of the final climb
1617: Laiseka is visibly tiring as he passes under the two kilometres to go inflatable but he still holds a commanding 40 second lead over Belli.

1620: Laiseka is within one kilometre of the finish and looks assured of a memorable victory.
Further down the climb Ullrich attacks but Armstrong responds as the pair leave Heras behind.

1623: Laiseka blows kisses to the crowd as he comes into the finish before raising his arms in victory after four hours 24 minutes and 30 seconds in the saddle.

1624: Belli comes in just under a minute later with a fast finishing Ullrich, shadowed by Armstrong, finishing at 1.06mins.
As they cross the line Ullrich holds out his hand to acknowledge the qualities of the man who is destined to win his third successive Tour as the great rivals show their sportsmanship.
Heras trails in in fifth.

Provisional result:
1. Roberto Laiseka (Spa/Euskatel) 4:24.30
2. Wladimir Belli (Ita/Fassa Bortolo) @ 54 secs
3. Jan Ullrich (Ger/Telekom) @ 1.06
4. Lance Armstrong (USA/US Postal) @ 1.06
5. Roberto Heras (Esp/US Postal) @ 1.29

Armstrong stretches his overall lead from 3.54mins over Andrei Kivilev to a margin in excess of five minutes as Ullrich takes second place in the Tour.
Kivilev is down to third, Joseba Beloki climbs from fifth to fourth, and former race leader, Francois Simon, drops from third to fifth.


	Links to more Tour de France stories