LIVE. Tour de France, 15th stage: the riders tackle the fireworks of this Grande Boucle

As COVID-19 threatens the Tour after Tom Pidcock’s withdrawal, organisers have officially imposed the wearing of masks on anyone who comes into contact with riders and team members, including journalists.

After the Peyresourde pass, the runners begin the Menté pass (9.3 km, 9.1% average).

The rider of the Intermarché-Wanty team ahead of Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla), annoyed by the overtaking of the Eritrean who pockets 20 points in the intermediate sprint.

After about thirty km, a breakaway widens the gap with 1’05 ahead of the peloton. 21 riders make up the group, including 3 from the RedBull-Bora-Hansgrohe team.

The Col de la Menté (9.1%, 9.3 km) is getting closer and is already about ten km away. The riders will continue directly, without a valley, with the Col de Portet-d’Aspet (9.6%, 4.3 km).

The two French leaders are gradually losing their lead and letting the peloton come back to them. Bob Jungels (Red Bull – Bora-Hansgrohe) is trying to escape, followed by around twenty riders.

The two French riders David Gaudu and Romain Bardet took the lead ahead of the Spaniard Oier Lazkano, before entering 17 km of valley.

• Peyresourde Pass: 10 pts
• Col de Menté: 10 pts
• Portet-d’Aspet Pass: 10 pts
• Col d’Agnes: 10 pts
• Beille Plateau: 20 pts

With 60 points up for grabs, this is the highest total on this Tour de France.

David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) overtakes Oier Lazkano and Romain Bardet and scores 10 points in the mountain classification by taking the lead at the Col de Peyresourde!

No group is forming at the moment, except at the back. French champion Paul Lapeira (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) already seems to be distanced from the peloton.

As expected, the big thighs of the peloton are already struggling. Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) and Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), in particular, are suffering at the start of this stage.

That’s it, the riders have set off to cover 197.7 km to the Beille plateau. The queen stage of this edition and its five climbs risk causing damage.

Only a few minutes left before the start of hostilities this Sunday, on the roads of the Tour! It will start strong with the climb of the Col de Peyresourde from the first hectometres.

The fictitious start will be given at 11:55 a.m. in Loudenvielle (Hautes-Pyrénées), ten minutes before the actual start scheduled for 12:05 p.m.

With an average speed of 37 km/h, the arrival should take place around 5:22 p.m. at the Beille plateau (Ariège).

Exhausted by a second week run at full speed and a first high mountain stage this Saturday, the big thighs fear not arriving on time this Sunday. Particularly because of the Peyresourde pass from the first hectometres.

1. Tadej Pogacar – 56 points
2. Jonas Vingegaard – 43 pts
3. Jonas Abrahamsen – 36 pts
4. Remco Evenepoel – 30 pts
5. Oier Lazkano – 27 pts
6. Carlos Rodriguez – 22 pts
7. David Gaudu – 20 pts
8. Ben Healy – 17 pts
9. Valentin Madouas – 16 pts
10. Bruno Armirail – 12 pts

The Norwegian, often present at the front since the start of this Tour, gave up his place as best climber to Tadej Pogacar who is 13 points ahead of Jonas Vingegaard.

Faced with this act of incivility, the organizers are reminding people this Sunday of the rules of decency to be respected on the roadsides of the Grande Boucle.

With this victory, the Slovenian has relegated his Danish rival to almost two minutes. The Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel, wearing the white jersey, remains in ambush.

1. Tadej Pogacar
2. Jonas Vingegaard, at 1’57”
3. Remco Evenepoel, at 2’22”
4. Joao Almeida, at 6’01”
5. Carlos Rodriguez, at 6’09”
6. Mikel Landa, at 7’17”
7. Adam Yates, at 8’32”
8. Giulio Ciccone, at 9’09”
9. Derek Gee, at 9’33”
10. Matteo Jorgenson, at 10’35”

The first climb of the day, that of the Peyresourde pass (cat. 1, 6.9 km at 7.8%), is planned from the start of this stage. Enough to see a breakaway of climbers form very early in the day.

Four first category passes then an arrival at the summit of the Beille plateau: this is the program for this mountain stage which has almost 5000 m of positive elevation gain.

Hello everyone! Welcome to this live broadcast to follow together the 15th stage of the Tour de France, surely the most difficult of this 2024 edition.

The actual start will be at 12:05 p.m. in Loudenvielle, in the Hautes-Pyrénées.