Kiwi rider Jack Bauer breaks down after falling just short of dream Tour de France victory

JACK Bauer has spoken of his “bitter disappointment” after narrowly missing out on a “childhood dream” Tour de France stage win.

Le Tour de France 2014 - Stage Fifteen

JACK Bauer has spoken of his “bitter disappointment” after narrowly missing out on a “childhood dream” Tour de France stage win.

The Garmin-Sharp rider formed part of a two-man breakaway on stage 15 alongside IAM Cycling’s Martin Elmiger, and although the odds were heavily stacked against them on a largely flat route, they managed to take a 13-second lead into the final 1km.

Jack Bauer breaks down after nearly pulling off a Tour de France stage win.

Elmiger succumbed to the chasing sprinters with around 400m to go, but Bauer put up a braver fight and was only denied victory inside the last 100m, eventually finishing 10th.

The 29-year-old New Zealander, who normally works as a support rider, was so devastated by the outcome that he slumped to the ground with his head in his hands and had to be consoled by team-mates.

“It would have been a career defining moment. I could retire tomorrow. I would be a happy man,” Bauer said.

“So I guess I saw that all coming true in the last kilometre and then I realised it wasn’t coming true in the last 50 metres so my meltdown was pretty embarrassing but I just had no control over myself at that point.”

ack Bauer was almost inconsolable.

“It’s just bitter, bitter disappointment.

“It’s a childhood dream to win a stage of the Tour. For a domestique like myself, I’m normally working for others.

“This was my first chance to be up the road, and me and Martin realised we had a chance for the win. I faked to be tired, but felt I had more punch left. I left it until 400m to go. I thought I had it, but then I realised in the last 50m that I had nothing.”