Tour de France Stage 15: A New Climb to Shake Things Up
Another tough day in which hot weather should play a role, Stage 15 takes riders across southern France to the foothills of the Pyrenees. Three categorized climbs-including the Category 1 Pic de Nore, which is new to the Tour-serve as the day’s focal point.
The lumpy stage is perfect for a long breakaway. If there’s a small enough time gap from the break to the peloton when riders hit the Pic de Nore, it’s possible we’ll see counterattacks from the pack and a late breakaway form to challenge the earlier one. The Pic summit lies 40K from the finish, so don’t expect a GC battle. But it’ll be another day where Team Sky has to do most of the pacemaking.
If the break survives, the pack finish should be tranquil. If it’s caught and we’re looking at a reduced bunch sprint, things could get a little zestier. There’s a tricky entrance to a roundabout 4K from the finish that teams will want to mind, as it comes outside the 3K-to-go zone where riders are credited with their group’s finish time in the event of a flat or crash. If the pack is racing for the win, the final 10K might be edgy.
Riders to Watch
This is another ideal stage for Peter Sagan to strike out on the front. If he starts the Pic with a lead on the pack, he should still have plenty in the tank if the break is caught, getting him over the summit with the main group and possibly winning a reduced bunch sprint at the finish. We also expect to see riders from Trek-Segafredo, Lotto-Soudal, BMC, and Quick-Step in the move.
When to Tune In
Check in a few minutes before 10 a.m. EST to see the situation at the start of the Pic de Nore. If the time gap is close, it could make for an interesting climb as riders seeking a stage win will attempt to bridge from the pack to the break. If the gap is 5 minutes or more, put it on background for another hour and then see whether the break has survived to the finish or if there’ll be a reduced bunch sprint.
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