2010 Tour de France, Stage 11 to Stage 20#Stage 15
The 15th stage of the 2010 Tour de France on July 19, led over 187.5 km from Pamiers to Bagneres- de -Luchon. On this mountain stage, there were two intermediate sprints and four climbs, one of the honorary category, two of the second category and a 4th category. As on the previous day were 175 of the 198 registered participants at the start.
Race course
After the drivers were driven by a three- kilometer neutral zone was at 12:23 clock, the real start. Pawel Brutt attacked first after three kilometers quiet ride, however, he was captured shortly afterwards again. Johan Vansummeren and Jérôme Pineau were the next attacker, but these drivers were subsequently recaptured. One group led by Anthony Charteau fared no differently. One after another attacked a group of five and one of seven drivers who were but also brought back. Due to the high pace tore apart the box, with Andy Schleck, Robert Gesink and Charteau were located in the rear group. The Team Saxo Bank led the two groups but together again. In increase to the first mountain stage, a group of ten people could solve, in which Thor Hushovd and Alessandro Petacchi were. Pierrick Fedrigo won the mountains classification before these two. After that, however, this group has been obtained again from the field. The sprinters' teams controlled on the way to the first sprint the pace, which was in the first hour of the race at 47.5 km / h. However, the leader of the sprint were left empty, as Jeremy Hunt, Damien Monier and Pineau divided the points among themselves. Then a group of Petacchi and Charteau could solve briefly before they too were caught up. Martin Elmiger was the next to attack now, but this was just like the haunting him foursome recaptured. Nicolas Vogondy was the next attacker. He was pursued by a group, which increased gradually to 32 riders. This group was too large to be omitted from the field, and was re-captured. Brian Vandborg and Luke Roberts sat down on it and were followed by eight other riders. These were Vansummeren, Sergei Ivanov, Lloyd Mondory, Alessandro Ballan, Francesco Reda, Thomas Voeckler, Sébastien Turgot and Aitor Pérez. This group was eventually pull, run by Saxo Bank and Omega Pharma-Lotto field. Mauro Santambrogio was while on the tour.
Voeckler won the climbs on the Col de Portet- d'Aspet and the Col de Ares, while the projection of the group at Ares was already almost ten minutes. Turgot drove first on the second sprint. Before the Port de Balès the group reached its biggest lead of just under eleven minutes. Iban Mayoz, Anthony Geslin and Brett Lancaster fell to the beginning of the rise in the field, but all three drivers were able to continue despite injuries. Saxo Bank and Astana again made the pace work in the field. On the climb to the Port de Balès some riders in the leading group had to be demolished, so initially only Ivanov, Vansummeren, Voeckler, Vandborg, Ballan and Pérez remained. This was followed by an attack Voeckler, near which there were only Vansummeren and Ballan. Shortly thereafter Vansummeren could no longer follow Ballan. Voeckler extended his lead on his pursuers, meanwhile, continues.
Also in the field fell behind other drivers. Among them, Nicolas Roche, who lost the connection due to a defect was located. However, his overall in worse positioned teammate John Gadret refused his captain the help and drove on. Schleck attacked his rivals, it formed a group of the first five overall. At this time, the first outliers were recaptured. The group around Schleck took but again tempo down and the chase group could connect again. John Gadret attacked then to twice and was able to solve the second attempt also. Schleck grabbed it at once, pursued by Alexander Vinokourov. Here, he jumped when switching the chain from leaf and Vinokourov took in response to tempo down again. At this time, Alberto Contador attacked, who drove together with Denis Menshov and Samuel Sánchez forward. Despite Schleck's chain problem, the group went through their attack and took the opportunity to remove Schleck time. Meanwhile Voeckler won the last mountain stage, which he repressed Schleck from third place in the mountains classification. He was followed by Pérez and Ballan. At the summit, the group took a Contador also Roberts, who still secured the last ten Berg points before Sánchez. Schleck, who had lost about 40 seconds because of the defect, fought his way back to the front and passed several riders in pursuit. Up to the summit he was able to reduce the gap to about 20 seconds. In the descent, he worked with Jurgen Van Den Broeck, but did not get closer to Contador, Sanchez and Menshov. Vinokourov finished in the downhill on the duo.
Voeckler reached the finish line first and win the stage. 1:20 minutes later, followed Ballan and Pérez, who made up the nearest places among themselves. The group around Contador, who had caught up on the descent more riders from the former breakaway group, reached almost three minutes after Voeckler the goal. Mondory won before Roberts sprint for fourth place. The group led by Schleck at the finish 39 seconds behind the Contador group. Schleck had thus lost the battle for the yellow jersey against the new overall leader Contador by eight seconds. Only his white jersey for his defense. The way in which Contador had taken the lead in the overall standings, sparked criticism. Contador said he did not notice Schleck defect. Nicolas Roche reached the goal with about five minutes behind the group around Contador and thus lost his chances of a place among the top ten in the overall standings. He was angered by the refusal of help Gadret.
Sprints
- Second intermediate sprint in Fronsac ( 136 km ) ( 495 m)
- Target in Bagneres -de- Luchon ( 187.5 km ) ( 645 m)
Climbs
- Côte de Carla- Bayle, Category 4 ( 30 kilometers; 375 m; 3.1 km à 4,1 %)
- Col de Portet- d'Aspet, Category 2 ( 105 km, 1069 m, 5.8 km à 6,8 %)
- Col de Ares, Category 2 ( 126.5 km; 797 m; 6.1 km à 4,7 %)
- Port de Balès, honorary category ( km 166; 1755 m; 19.3 km à 6,1 %)