Sports director from Team Lampre-Merida Philippe Mauduit had pointed out how important it was for the blue-fuchsia-green formation to be in the breakaways of the final stages of the Tour de France.

In the 14th stage, 178,5 km from Rodez to Mende, the riders fulfilled the request, paying attention to every attack in the first part of the race and being represented by Spanish rider Rubèn Plaza in the main breakaway .

Twenty riders succeeded in escaping from the bunch after a very fast first part of the stage and they obtained a maximum advantage of 8 minutes, which was enough to allow them to decide the win on Cote de la Croix Neuve, whose summit was located 1,5 km to the finish line at the Mende airport.

Plaza covered the climb at a regular pace, which did not allow him to reply to the attacks from the French duo Pinot and Bardet but was enough to obtain the 7th place, 32" behind the winner Cummings who got better of the French riders.

"It has been a very intense stage since the start and the heat made everything even harder,” Plaza explained. “I made an attack attempt in the very early kilometres and some riders joined me, but the peloton neutralized our action.

“I remained in the front positions of the bunch and when a large group of riders escaped, I was ready to attack and to be in the main breakaway, in which most of the teams were represented. I had good feelings during the stage, even if I was aware that the final hill, with 10% gradient, would be better suited to other attackers like Bardet, Pinot and Uran. When we approached the final climb, I did not react to the series of attacks and I rode at a regular pace which allowed me to obtain a result in the top ten.”