Stage 14

 I am only going to put the GC,  as at last night,  here this morning.  The stage 13 was good for British rider Tom Pidcock and saw him leaping up to 4th place in the GC.  

The stage was won by Swiss rider Mauro Schmid.  

1.  Pogacar  47h 18' 31"

2. Vingegaard      +3' 36"

3. Evenepoel  + 4' 06"

4. Pidcock  +4' 15"

5. Ayuso  +4' 22"

6. Seixas  +4' 35"

7.  Lipowitz  +4' 44"

8. Dell Toro +5' 08"

9. Skjelmose +5' 45"

10. Martinez +6' 34"

Stage 14 today is an unusual shape like a fish head with a tail and the riders will go around in a circle and cross the finish line once after 44 km and continue around the fish.  It is Mulhouse to Le Markstein Fellering.   It is a tough mountain stage of 155.3km and the finish is in the Vosges ski station.   Pogacar and Carapaz are high up in the betting for the stage win. 

I was busy yesterday and had the car brakes relined.  It is impossible to save money;   the news continues to be grim and Indian workers are to benefit if they come to England and will be cheap labour for British companies because of the latest Indian/British trade agreement reducing 5 years of NI contributions for Indian employees.   English unemployed will not be helped by this if employers can take an Indian for £5000 less per annum than one of us. 

The result of the Police Commission poll in Norfolk yesterday was Reform with the winning candidate and the Conservatives second.  The victory for Reform was resounding polling over 32,000 votes with the Conservatives nearest with 18,000 votes and Labour trailing after Greens and Independents.   The vacancy occurred because the Labour post holder stepped down, reason stated "for family reasons"  and went to Leeds and took another job.

In two by-elections for local council vacancies on Norfolk County Council,  also held yesterday, the Conservative candidates won both.  

Sadiq Khan has been made a peer to sit in the House of Lords. 

Britain is to send £153M aid money to Pakistan. 

Pakistan refuses to take back Pakistani  grooming gang manager and rapist and he must stay in Britain. 

Stage  14 result 

At the end there are two gruelling climbs on Col du Haag :

3.9 km at 9% gradient

1.6 km at 10% gradient. 

and then 7 kms to go to the end. 

A great stage win for Pogacar going out front to win and he launched his attack on the steepest bit I described above.   He is a great rider.  

He is now 4 minutes 30 seconds ahead of Vingegaard in the GC.

Pidcock dropped time and is now 9th in the GC, 7' 59" behind Pogacar.     The boy Seisax is now 4th and 5' 19" behind Pogacar.  

I hope you enjoy my Tour placings etc. and you learn a little about the great riders of today. 

The stage 15 is on Sunday, tomorrow.  Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison. In the Jura Mountains with a gruelling mountain climb. 183 km. difficult mountain stage towards the end.  11 km with an average of 9% gradient.    

(Don't forget to email me for the invitation to the blog when it will be private.)