2018 Tour de France Stage 15 Results & Recap
Stage 15 of the 2018 Tour de France is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Cort Nielsen wins stage 15\nBy Clara Beard
The momentum of Astana Pro Cycling continued today in Carassonne, as Magnus Cort Nielsen took the stage win the same way as his teammate Omar Fraile did the day before – out of a lengthy breakaway. The Danish rider outsprinted Ion Izagirre (Bahrain Merida) and Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), who had to be content with second and third placed respectively.
Geraint Thomas led the peloton across the line some 13 minutes after the initial breakaway finished in Carassonne, his overall lead in no danger at any time during the 181.5 kilometre stage.
“There was no real stress when Dan Martin attacked,” Thomas said. “We knew we had 7’ lead. I feel pretty cool. A day like today is always funny. You don’t want to push. I’m not thinking of winning the Tour de France. I take each day as it comes, just worry about the next stage. To wear the yellow jersey is unique. I’ve thought of this since I was a kid. I’m kind of used to it after I’ve been in yellow at Paris-Nice, the Dauphiné and a few days at the Tour already last year. The yellow jersey is definitely a confidence booster. It’s a massive honour. I’m having the race of my life. In the Pyrenees, it’ll 50 percent in the legs and 50 percent in the head. I have to stay strong. What I can do in the third week remains an unknown but the third week is hard for everyone.”
It was a hard start to the day in Millau as attack after attack flew off the front, almost every team interested in getting in the breakaway. Finally, after 43 kilometres 29 riders escaped in almost exact same fashion as the day before. They were: Daniel MartĂnez (EF Education First), Silvan Dillier (Ag2r La Mondiale), Nikias Arndt (Team Sunweb), Amäel Moinard and Florian Vachon (Fortuneo - Samsic), Sonny Colbrelli, Ion Izagirre and Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain - Merida), Damian Howson and Daryl Impey (Mitchelton - Scott), Daniele Bennati, Imanol Erviti and Marc Soler (Movistar Team), Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team), Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors), Peter Sagan, Rafal Majka and Pawel Poljanski (Bora - Hansgrohe), Magnus Cort and Michael Valgren (Astana Pro Team), Serge Pauwels (Team Dimension Data), Arthur Vichot (Groupama - FDJ), Lilian Calmejane, Fabian Grellier and Romain Sicard (Direct Energie), Bauke Mollema, Julien Bernard and Toms Skujins (Trek - Segafredo) and JesĂşs Herrada (Cofidis).
Noticably, polka dot jersey wearer Julian Alaphilippe wasn’t part of the breakaway, his legs tired after yesterday’s big effort to finish second.
“It was a nervous start with a hill right after the flag off,” he said. “It was windy too. It put everyone in the red. It was definitely not a relaxed day. I tried to break away for KOM points. I took the first ones available but I didn’t manage to be part of the decisive move. It was a big group including Niki [Terpstra]. My legs weren’t at 100 percent, so I tried to spend the less possible energy.”
Calmejane was the first rider in the break to attack about 10 kilometres after the breakway formed. He rode solo on the col de Sié and was eventually joined by Bernard when they reached the intermediate sprint in Mazamet. It didn’t take long for the better climbers in the chase group to come alive on the final category 1 climb, however, and Majka easily bridged the gap to the two and went ahead solo.
Majka’s effort was brave, but the climber was caught during a strong crosswind section after the descent off the last col. From there, Izagirre attacked taking Mollema and Cort Nielsen along. The three rode away from the rest of the breakaway with about three kilometres left in the stage. \n
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