A furious chase to the finish line provided plenty of excitement on Sunday with Team Katusha’s Alexander Kristoff managing to out-sprint the field and claim his second stage win in four days. The Norwegian fast man brought the field to the line and denied a victory from the break within meters of the finish line.
- It was close, really close.The break was strong and at the end it was difficult to bring them back. Luckily we caught them on the line and I’m really happy. This is more than I could expect in this Tour de France. The team was great. In the middle of the race Simon worked in front to control the break and in the final Gatis pulled the group hard. Then Luca took over to help me get the best position, - said a joyful Alexander Kristoff.
Kristoff led the charge to shut down the effort of Jack Bauer within touching distance of the finish line, denying the first ever stage win for a New Zealand rider. Joining Kristoff in the top three were Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) and green jersey wearer Peter Sagan of Cannondale.
- The break was super today. During the stage I was sure we would catch them but in the last kilometers I was really unsure about it. Those guys did a great race, big respect for them. When we entered the final km I saw the break was still very far and I realized we would catch them with only 200 meters to go. All the best sprinters - Greipel, Sagan and Kittel - were still in front and it was a hard sprint. I had a good position and I gave my best to win. Maybe I had more energy than others after mountains. I did not feel well during the stage because I was tired from the mountains, but I decided to fight until the end. This is a perfect race so far for me and I’m glad to bring one more victory to my team Katusha. They support me and trust in me, - said Alexander Kristoff.
Stage 15 (Tallard – Nîmes, 222 km) was a transitional stage for the peloton of 171 riders as the Tour headed south and then west toward the Pyrenees. A duo of riders went clear right from the start in Tallard under clear skies that deteriorated to heavy rain and wind on course later in the 222 km stage. Bauer (Garmin Sharp) and Martin Elmiger (IAM Cycling) held a maximum advantage of more than nine minutes and remained ahead of the field through a final series of roundabouts that led the group into the heart of Nîmes in the shadow of a Roman amphitheater.
Team Katusha directed the chase in the closing kilometers but the two riders continued to stay away, still holding 14-seconds at the red site signifying 1000 meters to go. But finally with 200 meters to go the main group passed Bauer and Elmiger. Alexander Kristoff came right up the middle of the course, building power the entire way, and claimed the victory with a clean set of wheels to Haussler and the other sprinters.
There was no change on the general classification and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) goes into the second and final rest day with a 4:37 lead over Alejandro Valverde of Movistar. Iurii Trofimov is 17th.
Joaquim Rodriguez after today’s stage still holds the polka dot jersey of the best climber of the Tour de France.
Tomorrow is the second rest day at the Tour de France.
Tuesday’s stage 16 begins in Carcassonne and gets right to the business of climbing in the Pyrenees. After 237 km, the longest day in the Tour will end in Bagnères-de-Luchon after the HC climb to Port de Balès tops out with 20km to go and plunges the field into the finish area.
Photo credit: (c) Tim De Waele
