After a day of rest, the Tour resumes without Alberto Contador and Fabian Cancellara.
The 2014 Tour de France rolls on with Stage 11 Wednesday after a much-needed day of rest. The competition resumes without two key riders, Alberto Contador and Fabian Cancellara. Contador crashed out in Stage 10, and Cancellara decided to withdraw on Tuesday. They are just the latest stars to exit, as the Tour has already lost Christopher Froome, Mark Cavendish and Andy Schleck.
The riders who remain will face another difficult stage on Wednesday, covering 187 kilometers from Besancon to Oyonnax. It's relatively flat after three tough mountain stages, but there are three Category 3 climbs and one Category 4 near the end. Vincenzo Nibali will once again wear the yellow jersey, holding a 2 minute, 23 second lead over second-place Richie Porte of Australia. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte, Romain Bardet and Tony Gallopin round out the top five in the general classification standings.
Here's a look at the route, via the Tour's website.
And here's a glance at the terrain riders will traverse.
Stage 11 coverage
TV: 6 a.m. ET, NBCSN
Online:NBC Sports LiveExtra