Bonjour and welcome to our live coverage of stage 15 of the 2025 Tour de France 🇫🇷
We're still reeling from the drama of stage 14.
Yesterday's celebrations for Ineso Grenadiers also followed an unexpected turn of events, as the press conference took a focus on a team staff members links with a doping investigation.
But, turning our attention to stage 15 - here's the profile we can look forward to today.
This may not be a mountain stage, but a punchy profile, with a 880m elevation high point only 40km from the finish promises quite a bit of excitement.
With Evenepoel, Skjelmose, Cras and Coquard leaving the race yesterday, the list of abandons is up at 17. Hopefully, we don't see any more.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is keen to go for the breakaway today.
🗣️ "Le scénario idéal pour moi c'est de partir dans l'échappée aujourd'hui" - @mathieuvdpoel 🇳🇱#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/RsK5URG7DFJuly 20, 2025
Just around half an hour until the racing begins for stage 15 and the end of week two at the 2025 Tour de France.
Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto) becomes the 18th rider to leave the Tour this year. He crashed during the national championships and again in the first week and has struggled ever since.
The fight for the break will be huge today. Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) and Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) are also very keen to be in the break.
It's a hot start for the riders of 27°c with cloudy skies and a possibility of rain but it is meant to break into sunshine.
The riders are all set on the start line and ready for the neutral start.
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) is another rider having a go to try and form a break.
The riders are 50km from the intermediate sprint in Saint-Félix-Lauragais.
Multiple more moves going off the front with Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS-Astana) being one of them. The next to go is Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) who is trying to join Powless who has 46" gap.
Fedorov and his fellow countryman Alexey Lutsenko (Israel-Premier Tech) have joined Foss in the chase just 15" behind Powless.
Meanwhile, out front, Van Aert attacks with a huge group following. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) also involved in the green jersey.
Various splits in the peloton as Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech) tries to bridge. Over a minute back to Lipowitz from the peloton.
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) also caught in the crash and are just getting back in now with Onley, Lipowitz, Martinez and others.
Van der Poel launches an attack and drags a huge group up to the leaders. However, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is in the group.
More attacks coming over the top as Vingegaard and co are finally coming back to the Pogačar group.
Vingegaard group isn't back in the Pogačar group yet. They are about 45" back from the yellow jersey.
Tadej Pogačar is in the breakaway along with Van der Poel, Milan, Van Aert, Mohoric, Foss and a lot more as Visma-Lease a Bike chase in the peloton behind.
Attack
Van der Poel, Mohoric and multiple others coming with them but no Pogačar this time. However, he is just 16" behind. Milan and co are +34" down and the peloton with Vingegaard and co at 1'05".
Nine riders now lead the race. Pogačar is now around 18" back with the rest of the GC riders 55" behind the leaders.
Milan has dropped back to the main group and has slipped straight to the back of the bunch with just under 30km until the intermediate sprint.
Pogačar is now trying to sit up to allow his rivals to come back as Vingegaard is attempting to bridge the gap. It is carnage on the course.
Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Rob Stannard (Bahrain Victorious) are trying to get across to the leaders as Vingegaard and the rest finally get back to Pogačar.
The break that is full of former Tour de France stage winners are only 38" ahead of the peloton. This hasn't gone yet but should be strong enough to get a good enough gap eventually.
Ineos Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek leading the peloton to bring them back as they miss the break.
Girmay, Abrahamsen and Stannard have been caught by the peloton.
The peloton are splitting under the pressure set by Ineos Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek.
Average speed so far is 52.23kph. Absolutely mind blowing speed in the early stages for today.
Just 3km to go until the intermediate sprint with the peloton upping the pace as they turn into strong crosswind.
If Van der Poel wins the intermediate sprint and the stage with Milan and Pogačar taking nothing at all, the Dutchman will go into green by around 9 or 10 points.
Van der Poel wins the intermediate sprint ahead of Arnaud De Lie (Lotto). Big points for him in the fight for green.
Laurance caught by the peloton.
The peloton has finally calmed down and look to be happy with the situation at the moment. This gives Vauqulin, Martinez and the others out the back to get in again.
They're on the first KoM of the day now with Tudor leading the peloton. The gap is plummeting to the break again to just 40".
Attack in peloton
He tries to get across but he doesn't manage it. Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) kicks but Tadej Pogačar and co are onto his wheel.
Michael Storer (Tudor) is the next to go and Simmons tries to follow but the biggest GC names are onto it in a flash.
The peloton has detonated and the GC riders are just in a tiny group. They finally let Simmons, Storer and Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) go but more movs are coming behind.
Lutsenko leads over the top of the climb up front but just 20" back to Tadej Pogačar and the other GC men now.
So many attacks coming from the peloton, still. The lastest moves let by Ivan Romeo (Movistar).
They're on the second climb of the day, the cat 3 Côte de Sorèze. So many riders all over the route with Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) leads the race.
The leading seven are now also starting to split up. The race is in bits but the group including Van Aert, Van der Poel, Groves and more including Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) ar about 43" down.
Rodriguez now kicks on solo from the chase group which now shows that Oscar Onley is in there too. However, the former Spanish champion is solo just 38" down from the leaders and 10" ahead of the chasing group. The peloton are about to catch that chase group.
There are still several groups out in front of the peloton with a gap now of over two and a half minutes. This is the most settled the peloton has been for some time.
The lead group of eight riders have a gap of 35" on the 25 man group.
Norwegian national champion, Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility), is in the gap between the two groups out front. He is 35" from the front and about 10" from the chase group.
Mohoric and his fellow leading breakaway riders are giving their all to try and stay out front.
Multiple riders are trying to counter he chase move to get across to the leaders. Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal-QuickStep), Frank van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) try and move but they are being dragged back again.
Leknessund makes it across to the leaders.
The latest attack from the chase group is from Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Warren Barguil (Picnic-PostNL) and they are just 13" from the leading group of 9 riders.
Vlasov and Barguil join the leaders.
Onto the final climb of the day, the Pas du Sant.
Simmons and Storer lead with Campenaerts and Wellens winching themselves across the gap.
The categorised part of the Pas du Sant is 2.9km long with a max kick of 10.2% in gradient.
Campenaerts and Wellens make it across to Simmons and Storer at the front of the race.
The group including Van Aert, Van der Poel, Groves and others are now a minute and a half down on the leaders.
Storer takes the KoM points on the Pas du Sant but is slowly being dragged back as Simmons kicks clear of Campenaerts and Wellens behind.
Storer lead over the Pas du Sant with Simmons, Campenaerts and Wellens all getting back to him.
The gap back to the peloton is now over six minutes. Up front, Rodriguez, Vlasov, Lutsenko and Barguil are just 19" away from the leading four of Wellens, Campenaerts, Simmons and Storer.
It is very cagey at the front of the race with the chasing quad closing to 16".
Behind, Uno-X Mobiliity and EF Education-EasyPost leading the peloton as Carlos Rodriguez is threatening both Tobias Johannessen's and Ben Healy's positions in the GC so they are riding to protect that.
Rodriguz, Barguil, Vlasov and Lutsenko make it across to the front group with 44km to go.
Barguil did respond well initially but he then pulled out of the line and free wheel briefly as he may be suffering from cramp. Simmons, Campenaerts and Vlasov are trying to close on Wellens but he is going solo and opening up a good gap.
Wellens is looking to add yet more success for his UAE Team Emirates-XRG team at this year's Tour de France.
Wellens now has a bit of descending to do with a tail wind for the most part and now has 11" on the chasers.
This gap is growing out rapidly. Wellens now has over 40" on the rest of the break.
Rodriguez and Lutsenko have still not made it back to the group of Simmons, Campenaerts, Storer, Vlasov and Barguil.
EF Education-EasyPost and Uno-X Mobility are still working hard in the peloton to try and drag the gap down to Carlos Rodriguez who is about 10" off the back of the first chase group out front.
Rodriguez and Lutsenko are looking like they're going to make it back to the first chase group. In fact, Lutsenko drops Rodriguez and rejoins the the leaders with the Spaniard just off the back still.
Romeo and Van Aert are attacking another chase group on the road but they are over two minutes down on Wellens.
Simmons and Vlasov are the next to try after Campenaerts is dragged back. Storer brings it back together again.
10km to go
While his teammate is riding to victory at the front, Tadej Pogačar and his team have had a much more relaxed second half of this stage after the ear;y chaos. His team aren't even riding in the bunch as EF Education-EasyPost and Uno-X Mobility are worried by Carlos Rodriguez in the GC fight.
What a superb ride it has been by Tim Wellens as he heads into the final 6km with a gap of almost two minutes on the chasers.
Into the final 4km for Wellens as he is about to head into the finish town of Carcassonne.
The first chase group briefly sits up before Barguil has one last go. They can all follow and the Van Aert group are about to drag them back. And, I imagine, the Alaphilippe group won't be far away.
Wellens already punching the air as he is just over 2km from the line.
Campenaerts attacks the chase group and finally gets a gap. Lutsenko is trying to chase but it looks like the elastic is finally breaking and it may be a Belgian one-two a day before their national day.
Tim Wellens of UAE Team Emirates-XRG wins stage 15 of the Tour de France 2025 and completes his Grand Tour stage win set after wins in the Giro and the Vuelta.
And it is a Belgian one-two as Campenaerts holds on for second place.
Alaphilippe stops Van Aert from taking a clean sweep of the podium for the Belgians but he also celebrated. Surely he knew Wellens and Campenaerts were out front?
Ben Healy leads the peloton about six minutes down on Tim Wellens and that is week two of the Tour de France 2025 done and dusted.
Alaphilippe apparently did think he won the stage and refused interviews after the stage.
GC after stage 15
1. Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates-XRG 54:20'44"
2. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Visma-Lease a Bike +4'13"
3. Florian Lipowitz (GER) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe +7'53"
4. Oscar Onley (GBR) Picnic-PostNL +9'18"
5. Kevin Vauquelin (FRA) Arkea-B&B Hotels +10'21"
6. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe +10'34"
7. Felix Gall (AUT) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale +12'00"
8. Tobias Johannessen (NOR) Uno-X Mobility +12'33"
9. Carlos Rodriguez (ESP) Ineos Grenadiers +18'26"
10. Ben Healy (IRE) EF Education-EasyPost +18'41"
After a chaotic day, make sure to have a read of our post race report...
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2025 gravel national champions index
A guide to who is wearing the jersey of a gravel national champion and when the title battles take place -
UCI Gravel World Series: Nicole Frain and Mads Würtz Schmidt claim solo victories at Houffa Gravel
Esmée Peperkamp and Loman Mathijs take runner-up spots in Belgium -
'Can somebody launch me?' - Visma-Lease a Bike delighted after Jonas Vingegaard catches Vuelta a España rivals napping with powerful surprise attack
Dane's acceleration 10 kilometres from line completely unplanned, team say
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'I felt a lot better than on the previous mountain stages' – Jonas Vingegaard back in full flight for 40th career victory at Vuelta a España despite mistimed attack
'Maybe I didn't do my homework good enough, because I thought it was closer to the finish' says Dane after making gains on all GC rivals with solo move -
'They got the surprise factor' - João Almeida forced into damage limitation mode at Vuelta a España after Jonas Vingegaard launches devastating mountain attack
Portuguese racer points to lack of team support in pursuit of Danish favourite -
'He told me to grow some balls' – Tom Pidcock makes big GC gains at Vuelta a España but frustrates João Almeida in the process
Brit said he was unable to pull through against Portuguese rider's pace as Jonas Vingegaard beats both to stage victory in Valdezcaray
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Vuelta a España standings 2025 – general classification after stage 9
Torstein Træen continues as race leader after flat sprint stage keeps things the same on GC -
As it happened: GC race ignites on aggressive summit finish to Valdezcaray on stage 9 of the Vuelta a España
Alfaro to Estación de esquí de Valdezcaray, 195km -
Bretagne Classic: Arnaud De Lie sprints to victory in Plouay
Emilien Jeannière is second and Olav Kooij takes third in dynamic finale
