AUSTRALIAN Trent Lowe began his first Tour de France hoping to learn. But he is now facing the challenge of helping American Christian Vandevelde win the race.

Lowe is a former mountain biker and is the only pure climber in his team.

On Saturday, Spaniard Oscar Freire (Rabobank) won Saturday's 194.5-kilometre 14th stage from Nimes to Dignes-les-Bains from Columbia's Leonardo Duque (Cofidis) and Germany's Erik Zabel (Milram).

Vandevelde (Garmin-Chipotle) was third overall at 38 seconds to Tour leader Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), who led Luxembourg's Frank Schleck (CSC) by one second.

However, come the first Alpine stage - 183km from Embrun to Prato Nevoso in Italy - Lowe, 23, had found that his mission had leapt above just learning.

His US registered team expects him to help Vandevelde fly under the radar and win the Tour.

Asked, as a domestique, if there was one act for Vandevelde that Lowe would dream of pulling off, he said: "Chasing down a dangerous rider."

Lowe rode into the Alps of the Tour placed 69th at 57:13 to Evans - but, for Tour first-timers, finishing is a feat not always judged by places but on impact.

And impact is what Lowe's sports director, Australian Matt White, is looking for.

"We really need Trent to step up and be there for Christian as long as he can on these key stages," White said of the Alpine stages in Italy and in France on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lowe said it took him a few days to find his rhythm. "The first four days I was really nervous," he said.