Tour de France 2014: Stage 11 Route, Live Stream, Predictions, Updated Standings
Following Tuesday's rest period, the Tour de France will pick back up on Wednesday, with Stage 11 taking this year's riders along the path from Besancon to Oyonnax.
The 117-mile journey (187.5 kilometres) is relatively flat, featuring nothing more treacherous than a Category 3 climb, of which there are three in this stage, according to the official Tour de France website.
Date: Wednesday, 16 July
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Distance: 187.5 km
TV Info and Live Stream: NBCSN (for U.S. viewers) and ITV4 (for U.K. viewers) will be broadcasting every stage of the 2014 Tour de France, with mobile coverage available via NBC Sports' Live Extra and the ITV Player app.
| Position | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) Yellow jersey | Astana | 42h 33' 38 |
| 2 | Richie Porte (AUS) | Team Sky | + 2' 23" |
| 3 | Alejandro Valverde (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 2' 47" |
| 4 | Romain Bardet (FRA) White jersey Jersey yellow number.svg | Ag2r-La Mondiale | + 3' 01" |
| 5 | Tony Gallopin (FRA) | Lotto-Belisol | + 3' 12" |
| 6 | Thibaut Pinot (FRA) | FDJ.fr | + 3' 47" |
| 7 | Tejay van Garderen (USA) | BMC Racing Team | + 3' 56" |
| 8 | Jean-Christophe Péraud (FRA) Jersey yellow number.svg | Ag2r-La Mondiale | + 3' 57" |
| 9 | Rui Costa (POR) | Lampre-Merida | + 3' 58" |
| 10 | Bauke Mollema (NED) | Belkin Pro Cycling | + 4' 08" |
| Position | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Peter Sagan (SVK) Green jersey | Cannondale | 287 |
| 2 | Bryan Coquard (FRA) | Team Europcar | 156 |
| 3 | Marcel Kittel (GER) | Giant-Shimano | 146 |
| 4 | Alexander Kristoff (NOR) | Team Katusha | 117 |
| 5 | Mark Renshaw (AUS) | Omega Pharma-Quick Step | 101 |
| 6 | André Greipel (GER) | Lotto-Belisol | 98 |
| 7 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) Jersey yellow.svg | Astana | 95 |
| 8 | Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) | BMC Racing Team | 87 |
| 9 | Tony Martin (GER) Jersey red number.svg | Omega Pharma-Quick Step | 76 |
| 10 | Blel Kadri (FRA) Jersey yellow number.svg | Ag2r-La Mondiale | 63 |
| Position | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) Polka-dotted jersey | Team Katusha | 51 |
| 2 | Thomas Voeckler (FRA) | Team Europcar | 34 |
| 3 | Tony Martin (GER) Jersey red number.svg | Omega Pharma-Quick Step | 26 |
| 4 | Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) Jersey yellow.svg | Astana | 20 |
| 5 | Blel Kadri (FRA) Jersey yellow number.svg | Ag2r-La Mondiale | 17 |
| 6 | Alessandro De Marchi (ITA) | Cannondale | 17 |
| 7 | Tony Gallopin (FRA) | Lotto-Belisol | 16 |
| 8 | Alejandro Valverde (ESP) | Movistar Team | 12 |
| 9 | Giovanni Visconti (ITA) | Movistar Team | 12 |
| 10 | Nicolas Edet (FRA) | Cofidis | 12 |
Route
The general classification leaders will have no opportunity to sit back on their laurels upon departing from the eastern France department of Doubs.
From Besancon, the riders make their way southwest to Arc-et-Senans before eventually winding even further south toward Charcier, following an intermediate sprint.
It's from there the pack will head for the Jura Mountains, even further south, eventually coming upon the first climb of the day, a Category 3 journey up Cote de Rogna, the longest of the day at 7.6 kilometres.
A 1.7-kilometre climb follows at Cote de Choux, another Category 3, before Stage 11's only Category 4 examination, a 3.1-kilometre ascent up Cote de Desertin. All three of these trips are within 11.5 kilometres of one another.
A descent of approximately 10 kilometres follows before finally, on the 168-kilometre mark, riders take to the Cote d'Echallon, the steepest of Wednesday's challenges at a 6.6-percent incline, lasting three kilometres.
From 3,179 metres altitude, it's all downhill from there on out, where a 19-kilometre finishing descent could feature a few intriguing assaults on the top places.
Stage 11 Pick: Peter Sagan
Slovakia's Peter Sagan will count himself as somewhat unfortunate not to have claimed a stage success already at this Tour de France, but the 22-year-old will nonetheless be content as holder of the green jersey.
Leading the points classification, Sagan drove Matteo Trentin to the wire in Stage 7 and only just missed out on a superb first-place finish, losing out by a tyre's width in Nancy.
It was especially impressive considering that display came after Sagan crashed in Stage 6, speaking to the official Tour website about his misfortune at the time:
"That was bad to crash again today but I have nothing broken, so I'm fine. A guy crashed in front of me and another crashed behind, he's the one who took me down. But after two crashes I'm still here while other riders have had to go home. I just hope that my bad luck is gone.
Today I've been boxed in and I came fifth without even sprinting, so it's all good for the green jersey. Maybe tomorrow is my chance for a stage win finally, but firstly I have to recover from my crash.
"
However, the youngster remains a respected technician in the sport, and his renown for no-handed wheelies is gaining an eager following, per Sky Sports Cycling:
One can expect the sprinter, a plausible contender for future Tour de France glory, to feature highly come the descent into Oyonnax.
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