For the umpteenth time in this year's Tour de France, Martin Elmiger found himself in an early breakaway in today's stage 19 and again he had company of a Bretagne rider. As Arnaud Gerard was unable to contribute to the pace-setting in the finale, the Swiss champion hit put at the French team.

Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin Sharp) scorched the sprinters’ teams in a stage marked by miserable weather.  A crash within three kilometers of the finish disrupted the chase, forcing the sprinters still standing to finish seven seconds behind the stage winner.  Well protected by his teammates, Vincenzo Nibali retained his yellow jersey with just 48 hours to go until the arrival in Paris. 

IAM Cycling once again highlighted the stage thanks to the experience and panache Martin Elmiger showed by joining yet another long-distance break, which lasted nearly 160 kilometers before it was absorbed by the peloton.  In the end, the Swiss champion finished 129th, 5’58” behind the winner. 

 
Elmiger, who is a worthy candidate for the overall most combative prize for the 101st Tour de France, accepted with a certain amount of fatalism that his fourth escape attempt would peter-out before the finish. 

“I never had any illusions about our chances for survival.  There just was no harmony in the break.  And for the third time I found myself with a rider from Bretagne Séché who played dead.  He actually came to tell me that he could not take any more relays because he was too tired.  So I asked him why he was even with us. 

"There were just unmistakable signs.  We had no chance to succeed.  But I still prefer to ride in the front in these sorts of conditions, since at least it is less dangerous.”
 
Eddy Seigneur, one of the directeurs sportifs of the Swiss team along with Kjell Carlström, was pleased that his riders should figure in animating the race. 

“Once again we managed to get into the breakaway.  We have not yet reaped a reward for all our hard work, but we do not despair. 

"Martin Elmiger is really an exemplary rider and he has scored more points towards being distinguished as the most combative of the Tour de France for 2014.  One cannot spend more than 600 kilometers in breakaways during the Tour without having the desire.”