# 2014 Tour of Beijing

The 2014 Tour of Beijing was the fourth and final running of the Tour of Beijing stage race. It started on 10 October in Hebei's Chongli County and ended on 14 October at the Bird's Nest Piazza after five stages. It was the 29th and final race of the 2014 UCI World Tour season.
At the 2014 UCI Road World Championships in September, cycling's governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), decided that its race-organising subsidiary, Global Cycling Promotion, would not continue to organise the Tour of Beijing; the 2014 edition would be the final edition. UCI President Brian Cookson had criticised the subsidiary body during his election campaign, and the Tour of Beijing was not seen as being well-liked by cyclists. According to Cycling Weekly, "Dull routes and an absence of roadside spectators meant the race failed to exhibit much of an atmosphere, and its position at the very end of the calendar made it even less appealing – a long flight eastwards after a whole season's racing is a very tough sell to exhausted cyclists dreaming of the winter off."
Some issues presented themselves before and during the race. On September 10 it emerged that Valentin Iglinsky of Astana Pro Team had returned a positive test for EPO at the Eneco Tour. He confessed to doping to the team and was immediately sacked, three weeks later Valentin's brother, Maxim Iglinsky was provisionally suspended by the UCI for an EPO positive on August 1. It was later announced that Astana withdrew themselves from the Tour of Beijing in line with the Mouvement pour un cyclisme crédible rules, which state that a team with two positives in a short period of time must not participate in the next World Tour event. There was also the prospect of two Grand Tour winners – Alberto Contador and Alejandro Valverde attending the race with serious winning intentions – with Contador bidding to overhaul his fellow Spaniard Valverde's lead at the top of the overall points standings of the World Tour. However, the combination of Valverde's success and Contador's injury at the Giro di Lombardia, the previous race on the calendar, meant that in the end neither cyclist attended the Tour of Beijing. During the race, Beijing was hit with particularly strong pollution problems, and after complaints from cyclists, stage 2 of the Tour was shortened.

## Schedule

| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner |
| 1 | 10 October | Chong Li to Zhangjiakou | 167.0 km (103.8 mi) | Flat stage | Luka Mezgec (SLO) |
| 2 | 11 October | Chong Li to Yanqing | 111.0 km (69.0 mi) | Flat stage | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) |
| 3 | 12 October | Yanqing to Qianjiandian | 176.0 km (109.4 mi) | Medium mountain stage | Tyler Farrar (USA) |
| 4 | 13 October | Yanqing to Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain | 157.0 km (97.6 mi) | Mountain stage | Dan Martin (IRL) |
| 5 | 14 October | Tiananmen Square to Bird's Nest Piazza | 117.0 km (73 mi) | Flat stage | Sacha Modolo (ITA) |

## Participating teams

As the Tour of Beijing is a UCI World Tour event, all eighteen UCI ProTeams were invited automatically and obligated to send a squad. Because of Astana's self-suspension (see above), only seventeen teams were able to attend. With Astana's absence, Vacansoleil–DCM folding at the end of the previous season, and no wild-card team invited, this represented a big decrease from the 20 teams of the 2013 Tour of Beijing.
The seventeen teams that competed in the race were:
* Ag2r–La Mondiale
* Belkin Pro Cycling
* BMC Racing Team
* Cannondale
* Team Europcar
* FDJ.fr
* Garmin–Sharp
* Giant–Shimano
* Team Katusha
* Lampre–Merida
* Lotto–Belisol
* Movistar Team
* Omega Pharma–Quick-Step
* Orica–GreenEDGE
* Team Sky
* Tinkoff–Saxo
* Trek Factory Racing

## Stages
### Stage 1
#### 10 October 2014 — Chong Li to Zhangjiakou, 167 km (103.8 mi)

| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Luka Mezgec (SLO) | Giant–Shimano | 4h 22' 58" |
| 2 | Caleb Ewan (AUS) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 0" |
| 3 | Tyler Farrar (USA) | Garmin–Sharp | + 0" |
| 4 | Sacha Modolo (ITA) | Lampre–Merida | + 0" |
| 5 | Nikolas Maes (BEL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 0" |
| 6 | Moreno Hofland (NED) | Belkin Pro Cycling | + 0" |
| 7 | Steele Von Hoff (AUS) | Garmin–Sharp | + 0" |
| 8 | Boy van Poppel (NED) | Trek Factory Racing | + 0" |
| 9 | Davide Appollonio (ITA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 0" |
| 10 | Olivier Le Gac (FRA) | FDJ.fr | + 0" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Luka Mezgec (SLO) | Giant–Shimano | 4h 22' 48" |
| 2 | Caleb Ewan (AUS) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 4" |
| 3 | Julian Kern (GER) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 5" |
| 4 | Tyler Farrar (USA) | Garmin–Sharp | + 6" |
| 5 | Jérémy Roy (FRA) | FDJ.fr | + 6" |
| 6 | Tosh Van der Sande (BEL) | Lotto–Belisol | + 8" |
| 7 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | BMC Racing Team | + 9" |
| 8 | Sacha Modolo (ITA) | Lampre–Merida | + 10" |
| 9 | Nikolas Maes (BEL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 10" |
| 10 | Moreno Hofland (NED) | Belkin Pro Cycling | + 10" |

### Stage 2
#### 11 October 2014 — Chong Li to Yanqing, 111 km (69.0 mi)

| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | BMC Racing Team | 2h 29' 02" |
| 2 | Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) | Giant–Shimano | + 0" |
| 3 | Rui Costa (POR) | Lampre–Merida | + 0" |
| 4 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Team Katusha | + 0" |
| 5 | Dan Martin (IRL) | Garmin–Sharp | + 0" |
| 6 | Pieter Serry (BEL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 0" |
| 7 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 0" |
| 8 | Esteban Chaves (COL) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 0" |
| 9 | Daryl Impey (RSA) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 0" |
| 10 | Mikaël Cherel (FRA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 0" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | BMC Racing Team | 6h 51' 49" |
| 2 | Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) | Giant–Shimano | + 5" |
| 3 | Rui Costa (POR) | Lampre–Merida | + 7" |
| 4 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 11" |
| 5 | Pieter Serry (BEL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 11" |
| 6 | Mikaël Cherel (FRA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 11" |
| 7 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Team Katusha | + 11" |
| 8 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 11" |
| 9 | Warren Barguil (FRA) | Giant–Shimano | + 11" |
| 10 | Julián Arredondo (COL) | Trek Factory Racing | + 11" |

### Stage 3
#### 12 October 2014 — Yanqing to Qianjiandian, 176.0 km (109.4 mi)

| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Tyler Farrar (USA) | Garmin–Sharp | 4h 15' 46" |
| 2 | Luka Mezgec (SLO) | Giant–Shimano | + 0" |
| 3 | Nikolas Maes (BEL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 0" |
| 4 | Moreno Hofland (NED) | Belkin Pro Cycling | + 0" |
| 5 | Maximiliano Richeze (ARG) | Lampre–Merida | + 0" |
| 6 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Team Sky | + 0" |
| 7 | Danny van Poppel (NED) | Trek Factory Racing | + 0" |
| 8 | Boy van Poppel (NED) | Trek Factory Racing | + 0" |
| 9 | Davide Appollonio (ITA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 0" |
| 10 | Caleb Ewan (AUS) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 0" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | BMC Racing Team | 11h 07' 35" |
| 2 | Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) | Giant–Shimano | + 5" |
| 3 | Rui Costa (POR) | Lampre–Merida | + 7" |
| 4 | Daryl Impey (RSA) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 9" |
| 5 | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 10" |
| 6 | Luka Mezgec (SLO) | Giant–Shimano | + 11" |
| 7 | Pieter Serry (BEL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 11" |
| 8 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Team Katusha | + 11" |
| 9 | Mikaël Cherel (FRA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 11" |
| 10 | Warren Barguil (FRA) | Giant–Shimano | + 11" |

### Stage 4
#### 13 October 2014 — Yanqing to Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain, 157.0 km (97.6 mi)

| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Dan Martin (IRL) | Garmin–Sharp | 4h 12' 14" |
| 2 | Esteban Chaves (COL) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 2" |
| 3 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | BMC Racing Team | + 2" |
| 4 | Rui Costa (POR) | Lampre–Merida | + 2" |
| 5 | Julián Arredondo (COL) | Trek Factory Racing | + 10" |
| 6 | Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 10" |
| 7 | Warren Barguil (FRA) | Giant–Shimano | + 10" |
| 8 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 10" |
| 9 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Team Katusha | + 10" |
| 10 | David López (ESP) | Team Sky | + 13" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | BMC Racing Team | 15h 19' 47" |
| 2 | Dan Martin (IRL) | Garmin–Sharp | + 3" |
| 3 | Esteban Chaves (COL) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 9" |
| 4 | Rui Costa (POR) | Lampre–Merida | + 11" |
| 5 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Team Katusha | + 23" |
| 6 | Warren Barguil (FRA) | Giant–Shimano | + 23" |
| 7 | Julián Arredondo (COL) | Trek Factory Racing | + 23" |
| 8 | Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 23" |
| 9 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 23" |
| 10 | Pieter Serry (BEL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 26" |

### Stage 5
#### 14 October 2014 — Tiananmen Square to Bird's Nest Piazza, 117 km (72.7 mi)

| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Sacha Modolo (ITA) | Lampre–Merida | 2h 40' 10" |
| 2 | Greg Henderson (NZL) | Lotto–Belisol | + 0" |
| 3 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Team Sky | + 0" |
| 4 | Tyler Farrar (USA) | Garmin–Sharp | + 0" |
| 5 | Moreno Hofland (NED) | Belkin Pro Cycling | + 0" |
| 6 | Luka Mezgec (SLO) | Giant–Shimano | + 0" |
| 7 | Davide Appollonio (ITA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 0" |
| 8 | Ben Swift (GBR) | Team Sky | + 0" |
| 9 | Caleb Ewan (AUS) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 0" |
| 10 | Enrique Sanz (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 0" |
| | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) | BMC Racing Team | 17h 59' 57" |
| 2 | Dan Martin (IRL) | Garmin–Sharp | + 3" |
| 3 | Esteban Chaves (COL) | Orica–GreenEDGE | + 9" |
| 4 | Rui Costa (POR) | Lampre–Merida | + 11" |
| 5 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Team Katusha | + 23" |
| 6 | Warren Barguil (FRA) | Giant–Shimano | + 23" |
| 7 | Julián Arredondo (COL) | Trek Factory Racing | + 23" |
| 8 | Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 23" |
| 9 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | + 23" |
| 10 | Mikaël Cherel (FRA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | + 26" |

## Classification leadership table

| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Young rider classification | Team Classification |
| 1 | Luka Mezgec | Luka Mezgec | Luka Mezgec | Tosh Van der Sande | Caleb Ewan | Giant–Shimano |
| 2 | Philippe Gilbert | Philippe Gilbert | Philippe Gilbert | Tosh Van der Sande | Jesús Herrada | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step |
| 3 | Tyler Farrar | Philippe Gilbert | Tyler Farrar | Michał Gołaś | Jesús Herrada | Giant–Shimano |
| 4 | Dan Martin | Philippe Gilbert | Luka Mezgec | Michał Gołaś | Esteban Chaves | Orica–GreenEDGE |
| 5 | Sacha Modolo | Philippe Gilbert | Tyler Farrar | Michał Gołaś | Esteban Chaves | Orica–GreenEDGE |
| Final | Final | Philippe Gilbert | Tyler Farrar | Michał Gołaś | Esteban Chaves | Orica–GreenEDGE |