Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank) won a dramatic stage 14 of the Tour de France, which saw more than 30 punctures after tacks were spread across the road in an act of sabotage.

Sanchez attacked his breakaway companions 12km from the finish to claim victory, while Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) called a truce in the main peloton after a number of riders, including defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), initially lost time having punctured en-masse near the summit of the final climb, the category one Mur de Peguere.

Tour organisers later confirmed a number of tacks had been found on the road on the steep, narrow ascent. Race director Jean-Francois Pescheux said: “One or two spectators had thrown nails onto the road. We don’t know why, but there were around 30 punctures altogether.

“Sky showed they are for fair play. They saw that something had happened and they slowed the peloton so that things could come together for the ride to the finish.”

Sanchez’s victory was his fourth at the Tour de France

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), who initiated the break, won the sprint for second

Wiggins neutralised the stage to allow Evans to regain contact with the peloton

Tacks can clearly been seen embedded in the tyre of this photographer’s motorbike

Sagan has a now near insurmountable lead in the green jersey competition, with the Slovakian on 333 points and Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) a distant second on 236 points

Wiggins has now worn the yellow jersey for seven days