Aitor Gonzalez takes Stage 14

Spain took its first win of the 2004 Tour de France, as Aitor Gonzalez of Fassa Bortolo timed an attack perfectly and time-trialed away from 9 other riders who had been on a long breakaway.

His break companions could only look at each other, waiting for someone else to reel Gonzalez in, while he rode through the streets of Nîmes to the finish. Nicolas Jalabert of Phonak bridged to Christophe Mengin of fdjeux.com when Mengin launched his attack, and Jalabert and Mengin finished 2nd and 3rd on the day.

1) Gonzalez
2) Jalabert
3) Mengin
4) Fedrigo
5) Wrolich
6) Lotz
7) G de G
8) Botero
9) Landaluze
10) Egoi Martinez
11) McEwen
12) Hushovd
13) Hondo
14) O'Grady
15) Zabel

Euskaltel squandered their numerical advantage in the breakaway, and their riders finished 9th and 10th on the day.

The field finished 14:12 back of the 10 man breakaway. As usual, Robbie McEwen came out of nowhere to take the field sprint, ahead of Thor Hushovd, then Danilo Hondo, Stuart O'Grady and Erik Zabel. McEwen picks up sprint points on all the major green jersey contenders.

No effect on the overall GC, the climber's jersey, or the white jersey today.