The hype leading up to Stage 14 on Plateau de Beille was justified but the race, in the end, failed to deliver.

A significant fact emerged before the stage: four times had a Tour stage finished on Plateau de Beille. Four times the winner had gone on to win the overall race (Marco Pantani, Lance Armstrong (twice) and Alberto Contador in 2007.

So there was a justified expectation that one of the GC favourites would at least try to make a definitive statement on the final climb of a gruelling day. Unfortunately it was not to be.

Saxo Bank-Sungard manager Bjarne Riis was quoted as saying on Saturday morning that Alberto Contador was motivated and that 'the final climb would count'.

The very fact that yellow jersey Thomas Voeckler (Team Europcar) stayed with the lead group, who half-heartedly chased stage winner Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) up the mountain, tells its own story. The race favourites were more concerned with marking each other than winning the stage for themselves.

There were attacks: from Andy Schleck of Leopard-Trek more than once, from Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale), but nothing stuck. Contador, backed on the eve of the first Pyrenean stage by David Millar to 'unleash the fury' in the first mountain stages, again looked like he was merely hanging on. After one Schleck attack he looked in serious danger of being dropped.

But no-one put the hammer down - considering the stage had already taken the riders over the Col de Portet d'Aspet (1,069m), the Col de la Core (1,395m), the Col de Trape (1,110m) and the Col d'Agnes (1,570m) before the final climb, perhaps that is not surprising. Even having to type those climbs is energy-sapping, let alone having to ride them.

Voeckler justifably made the headlines, managing to keep pace with the best climbers in the world. If that was a surprise, perhaps it should be remembered that the pace was never consistently high - not by the standards of Contador and the Schlecks in recent years.

The Frenchman looked almost embarrassed when it was pointed out that following Stage 14, the game has changed: he is no longer borrowing the yellow jersey from one of the favourites. He is one of the favourites. Even L'Equipe is starting to wonder if he can win the race, having largely avoided the issue before now.

Like Stage 12 to Luz Ardiden, Cadel Evans of BMC Racing was impressive. He never forced the pace, but neither did he look uncomfortable. On the big climbs he will be happy not to lose time and look to attack elsewhere.

Voeckler managed to stay in touch because as Matt Rendell said to Basso after the stage, the climb on Plateau de Beille was a phoney war. The real battles will be in the Alps.

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