Alexander Kristoff Wins Tour de France Stage 15

Alexander Kristoff Wins Tour de France Stage 15

Alexander Kristoff Wins Tour de France Stage 15

📅21 July 2014, 11:00

Norwegian Alexander Kristoff has won his second stage of the Tour de France finishing first in the 222km 15th stage from Tallard to Nimes. Kristoff pushed through a sprint finish to prevent New Zealander Jack Bauer from taking the stage as he came within 100 metres of winning.

Bauer had spent almost the entire race in an escape after a breakaway group formed with over 200km remaining. After 25km the group already had a lead of more than eight minutes which grew to almost nine before the chase began.

The gap was reduced to three minutes with 60km of the race left but the chase was disjointed. With 8.5km left the breakaway group still had a 45 second lead and it seemed like they might hold on. Bauer had spent almost the entire race alongside Swiss champion Martin Elmiger and the two were collaborating right until the end and when they launched the sprint the peloton was right on their heels.

Unfortunately for Bauer despite his immense power and stamina he was caught in the last 100m and crossed the finished line in tenth place exhausted and in tears. Australia’s Heinrich Haussler finished second and Slovakia’s Peter Sagan came in third.

Race leader Vincenzo Nibali had quite a calm day in the saddle and finished thirty-first to keep his 4:37 lead over Spain’s Alejandro Valverde while Romain Bardet remains in third at 4:50.

Tomorrow is a well-earned rest day for the riders before the final week of the tour which features three mountainous stages in the Pyrenees. They will resume cycling on Tuesday in the 237.5km Stage 16 from Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon.