2012 Tour de France, Stage 11 to Stage 20#Stage 15
(43,2 km / h)
Nicki Sørensen ( SAX)
The 15th stage of the 2012 Tour de France was held on 16 July 2012 and led by Samatan to Pau. With a length of 158.5 km, there was a mountain stage of the 3rd and two 4th category.
Route
The route led predominantly to the west by the departments of Gers, Hautes -Pyrénées and Pyrénées- Atlantiques. The profile was wavy with numerous small climbs. The intermediate sprint was held in Maubourguet (179 m). On the second half of the course three climbs had to be overcome, including a 3rd and two 4th category.
Race course
At that stage yet started 162 of the original 198 riders. Immediately after the race start attacking Yaroslav Popovych, but settled right back down. After 5 kilometers, formed at the head of a six-member group that got away but not crucial, because the field was holding up the pace constant. The outliers were detected after 15 kilometers - with the exception of Dries Devenyns who launched a counter-attack together with Pierrick Fedrigo and Nicki Sørensen. A little later joined five other drivers on the trio. But already at kilometer 24, the group took the field again.
After about 30 kilometers ripped from another quintet. It had caught up a maximum lead of 25 seconds, and was 30 kilometers later. At kilometer 62, another group was successful with its breakaway. Thomas Voeckler, Christian Vande Velde, Pierrick Fedrigo, Samuel Dumoulin and Dries Devenyns broke away from the field. A little later, Nicki Sørensen made to the prosecution, closing at 82 kilometers to the top group. Meanwhile, the pace slowed the field considerably, whereby the residue grew continuously. Sørensen reached the intermediate sprint first; Fastest in the field, which dated back to that time already more than five minutes Peter Sagan was.
Voeckler winning all three climbs of the day for themselves. At kilometer 136, the projection of the top group exceeded the ten- minute mark. About ten kilometers from the finish Sørensen tried to take a decision, but was set back from the other outliers. Six kilometers from the end of the stage started Fedrigo an attack, leaving his companions are; Vande Velde only was able to keep his pace. Behind them were Voeckler and Sørensen another duo, but were no longer zoom. In the sprint for the stage win, Fedrigo prevailed, who had already won the Tour de France 2010 stage to Pau. The box came with a backlog of nearly twelve minutes to the goal, led by André Greipel.
Climbs
Points ratings
Tasks
- 023 - France Giovanni Bernaudeau (EUC ): task during the stage.
- 026 - France Vincent Jérôme (EUC ): task during the stage.
- 129 - Kenny van Hummel Netherlands (VCD ) task during the stage.
- 143 - Belarus Jauhen Hutarowitsch (FDJ ) task during the stage.
- 192 - France Sylvain Chavanel ( OPQ ): task during the stage.
- 206 - Australia Brett Lancaster ( OGE ): task during the stage.