2007 Tour de France, Stage 11 to Stage 20#Stage 15

The 15th stage of the 2007 Tour de France on 23 July was 196 km long and took the riders of Foix through the southwestern region of Midi -Pyrénées after Loudenvielle -Le Louron. The sixth mountain stage had a total of five climbs, including with the Port de Balès, which was first used in the context of a Tour de France in attack, one of the highest category ( HC).

As in the course of the previous mountain stages attacked, the stage is initially equal to the first driver and tried to break away from the peloton. Once there was a 20 - man breakaway group have failed to initiate a successful escape, was formed in the ascent to the Col de Port, a new group, but fell apart in the course of the increase. Ultimately, remained for the time being Gorka Verdugo at the top of the race, the driver a ten -strong group with Alexander Vinokourov, Juan José Cobo, Denis Menshov, David Arroyo, Bernhard Kohl, Manuel Beltrán, Stéphane Goubert, Johann Tschopp, Juan Manuel Garate and John Gadret followed. They picked Verdugo before the summit on, thus eleven riders were in the lead. However, the projection was on the main field at the summit, only about half a minute.

In the downhill terrain Tschopp and carbon dissolved briefly of their group, which was now grown to 23 riders, since among other things, Kim Kirchen, George Hincapie and Haimar Zubeldia had broken down in the descent. The two outliers, Kohl and Tschopp, however, were found again by prosecutors at race mile 55. As a result, the projection of the 25 outliers on the peloton increased rapidly to over eight minutes and was not even both in the ascent to the Col du Portet d' Aspet and the Col de Menté smaller, although the group closed in each case reached the culminating point.

Together drove the breakaway group in the climb to Port de Balès before Iñigo Landaluze increased the pace and blew the group. He was only four riders, including follow Johann Tschopp, Bernhard Kohl, David Arroyo and Sergei Ivanov. A little later graduated with Denis Menshov a sixth driver to the leaders, while Ivanov fell back shortly afterwards to his captain Vinokourov to lead the pursuers forward. Through the help of Ivanov several drivers made the connection back to the top, whereupon Tschopp attacked in the group and settled out. Meanwhile, had from the main box out Andrei Kaschetschkin also launched an attack, but as none of them follow the how Tschopp. However, the pace was markedly increased, which is only about 20 riders in pursuit Kaschetschkins remained. Three kilometers below the summit could then catch up to Johann Tschopp Kim Kirchen and dissociate him a few hundred meters before the summit. Also Kaschetschkin had since been overtaken by the favorite group again. Churches finally reached the summit just before Tschopp and Arroyo, who had now been resolved from the chasing group. The chase group came 45 seconds after churches on the culmination of the favorite group followed at a distance of 6:45 minutes.

At the beginning of the descent took Arroyo the leaders churches, and also Tschopp joined shortly thereafter to the two added, but fell back in the first hundred meters of the climb to Col de Peyresourde and was overtaken by the pursuers Vinokourov, Cobo, Garate and Zubeldia. After tightening pace Garate had to be demolished, while the remaining three riders aufschlossen for racing tip. As a result, the driver attacked in the break repeatedly, but no one could settle only Arroyo and churches had to be demolished. Vinokourov then increased again the pace and sat 15 kilometers before the finish line as a soloist at the top, while its underlying counterparty were now also as soloists go. Vinokourov reached the last summit of the day 29 seconds ahead of churches and Zubeldia and went into the 11.5 km long descent to Loudenvielle -Le Louron. In the main field itself stalked the favorites before Alberto Contador attacked again and was able to follow only Rasmussen. They came with 5:27 minutes behind on the Peyresourde, the group with Andreas Klöden, Cadel Evans and Levi Leipheimer further 41 seconds behind.

Alexander Vinokourov finally secured, after the decisive victory in the individual time trial on stage 13 and the collapse of the 14th stage, his second stage win 50 seconds ahead of Kim Kirchen and Haimar Zubeldia. Contador and Rasmussen came with 5:31 minutes behind the stage in tenth and eleventh - finish. The group led by Klöden, Leipheimer and Evans followed with 6:27 minutes behind.

In the individual ratings, there were no changes on the front positions, but the Astana team again took over the lead in the team standings.

As stated on the 13th stage Alexander Vinokourov was also detected in the aftermath of the victory at this stage allogeneic blood doping.

Tasks

• 047 Fred Rodriguez - during the stage, upset stomach with digestive problems and consequences of a fall on the 11th stage
• 064 Cyril Dessel - during the stage
• 109 Christophe Le Mével - during the stage, broken right collarbone after a crash on the descent of the Col de Port
• 151 Filippo Pozzato - before the start of the stage
• 165 Philippe Gilbert - before the start of the stage, upset stomach and fever

Intermediate sprints

First intermediate sprint in Saint- Girons ( 68 km ) (406 m above sea level. NN )

Second intermediate sprint in Marignac ( 127 km ) ( 516 m above sea level. NN )

Climbs

Col de Port, Category 2 ( 27.5 km ) ( 1249 m above sea level, . 11.4 km à 5,3 %)

Col de Portet d' Aspet, Category 2 ( 98.5 km ) ( 1069 m above sea level, . 5.6 km à 6,9 %)

Col de Menté, Category 1 ( 114 km ) ( 1349 m above sea level, . 7.8 km à 8,1 %)

Port de Balès, category HC ( 159.5 km ) (1755 m above sea level, . 19.2 km à 6,2 %)

Col de Peyresourde, category 1 ( 184.5 km ) ( 1569 m above sea level, . 9.7 km à 7,8 %)

* The points of the mountain classification are doubled when the last pass of the stage of the category HC, 1 or 2 corresponds.