Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar slug it out in thrilling Tour de France stage

Carlos Rodriguez takes honours in Alps as UAE Team Emirates rider loses one second on reigning champion in overall standings

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar crosses the finish line ahead of Team Jumbo–Visma's Jonas Vingegaard on Stage 14 of the Tour de France on July 15, 2023. Reuters

Carlos Rodriguez won a thrilling Stage 14 of the Tour de France on Saturday while defending champion Jonas Vingegaard maintained a narrow advantage over Tadej Pogacar.

Vingegaard retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after taking third place behind UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar and extended his lead by one second, 10 seconds ahead of the Slovenian.

At the end of a dramatic 152km stage from Annemasse that began with an almost half-hour delay following a huge crash in the peloton, Rodriguez rode away on the descent to the finish to take a second consecutive win for Ineos Grenadiers, with Vingegaard and Pogacar locked together behind.

Pogacar had attacked with 3.7km of the final climb remaining, initially distancing Vingegaard but never able to get more than 20 metres clear.

The Dane rode back up to him still with 1,700 metres to the summit and when Pogacar attacked again with 500 metres left, he had not noticed two motorbikes struggling to part the huge crowds and was forced to knock it back, allowing Vingegaard to get three more bonus seconds.

As they eyed each other, Rodriguez, having been left around a minute behind, paced his way back on and then rode by to go clear on the descent.

“It’s incredible,” the Tour debutant said. “I have no words. Being here was a dream and getting a victory is incredible in the best race in the world. It was always something I focused on and to achieve now a victory I’m super happy.

“It was also a goal to gain some time and we accomplished it so I’m very happy on that side. I have to be happy and enjoy this victory but also think and recovery a little bit for tomorrow as that is going to be a big day also.”

The day was marked by French hope Romain Bardet's race-ending crash as rain-slicked roads made for treacherous racing.

Bardet and English rider James Shaw fell at speed downhill after the day's first climb.

A runner-up at the Tour de France and world championships, Bardet had been in 12th overnight and was targeting an overall finish in the top five and a stage win.

Ahead of the stage, the series of Alpine descents had put Gino Maeder's recent fatal crash in the Tour of Switzerland firmly in the minds of many in the peloton.

After a sudden shower, there was a mass fall on a corner just 5km into the stage that forced organisers to halt the race.

South African rider Louis Meintjes, 13th overall, suffered a broken collarbone and did not rejoin the race. Spaniard Antonio Pedrero was evacuated on a stretcher and Colombian Esteban Chaves restarted but pulled out ten minutes later.