Le Tour – Stage 15

Samatan to Pau

Distance: 158.5 kilometers.

This is a short and fast stage that is followed by a rest day. The main action will be after lunch with an intermediate sprint, Category 4 – Côte de Lahitte-Toupière, Category 3 – Côte de Simacourbe, and Category 4 – Côte de Monassut-Audiracq. Contenders can be expected to attack during the entire stage.

Pierrick Fedrigo won the sprint into Pau for the second time in three years. He may be going for a trademark, like Mark Cavendish and Paris.

The leaders only responded when real contenders looked like they were going to do something. Most of the stage was a leisurely ride for the peloton.

A half dozen riders dropped out during the stage, but most will be appearing in the London Olympics and wanted time to get ready.

Bradley Wiggins ( GB – SKY – 101 ) [Yellow]
Peter Sagan ( Svk – LIQ – 057 ) [Green] 356 points
Fredrik Kessiakoff ( Swe – AST – 187 ) [Polka Dot] 69 points
Tejay Van Garderen ( USA – BMC – 009 ) 7 [White]

Team: RadioShack-Nissan ( 011-019 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Pierrick Fedrigo ( Fra – FDJ – 142 )
Combative: Nicki Sorensen ( Den – STB – 179 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Bradley Wiggins ( G B – SKY – 101 )
2 Christopher Froome ( G B – SKY – 105 ) + 02′ 05”
3 Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – LIQ – 051 ) + 02′ 23”
4 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 001 ) + 03′ 19”
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – LTB – 111 ) + 04′ 48”
6 Haimar Zubeldia ( Esp – RNT – 019 ) + 06′ 15”
7 Tejay Van Garderen ( USA – BMC – 009 ) + 06′ 57”
8 Janez Brajkovic ( Slo – AST – 181 ) + 07′ 30”
9 Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 029 ) + 08′ 31”
10 Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 146 ) + 08′ 51”

The Rest of the Top 50:

11 Andréas Klöden ( Ger – RNT – 015 ) + 09′ 29”
12 Frank Schleck ( Lux – RNT – 011 ) + 09′ 45”
13 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – ALM – 079 ) + 10′ 49”
14 Jérôme Coppel ( Fra – SAU – 091 ) + 11′ 27”
15 Christopher Horner ( USA – RNT – 014 ) + 12′ 41”
16 Denis Menchov ( Rus – KAT – 131 ) + 17′ 21”
17 Maxime Monfort ( Bel – RNT – 016 ) + 17′ 41”
18 Egoi Martinez ( Esp – EUS – 035 ) + 18′ 04”
19 Rui Alberto Costa ( Por – MOV – 163 ) + 19′ 02”
20 Chris Anker Sorensen ( Den – STB – 178 ) + 20′ 12”
21 Michele Scarponi ( Ita – LAM – 041 ) + 20′ 32”
22 Eduard Vorganov ( Rus – KAT – 139 ) + 20′ 35”
23 Sandy Casar ( Fra – FDJ – 141 ) + 27′ 03”
24 Peter Velits ( Svk – OPQ – 199 ) + 27′ 37”
25 Alejandro Valverde ( Esp – MOV – 161 ) + 32′ 59”
26 Michael Rogers ( Aus – SKY – 108 ) + 33′ 13”
27 Thomas Voeckler ( Fra – EUC – 021 ) + 44′ 28”
28 Jelle Vanendert ( Bel – LTB – 119 ) + 44′ 45”
29 Ivan Basso ( Ita – LIQ – 052 ) + 45′ 13”
30 Laurens Ten Dam ( Ned – RAB – 157 ) + 45′ 35”
31 Levi Leipheimer ( USA – OPQ – 191 ) + 47′ 17”
32 Peter Sagan ( Svk – LIQ – 057 ) + 47′ 32”
33 Steven Kruijswijk ( Ned – RAB – 152 ) + 48′ 34”
34 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo ( Esp – MOV – 162 ) + 54′ 40”
35 Philippe Gilbert ( Bel – BMC – 004 ) + 56′ 19”
36 Alexandre Vinokourov ( Kaz – AST – 189 ) + 57′ 28”
37 Rein Taaramae ( Est – COF – 081 ) + 58′ 59”
38 Jean-Christophe Peraud ( Fra – ALM – 071 ) + 59′ 50”
39 Gianpaolo Caruso ( Ita – KAT – 132 ) + 01h 00′ 39”
40 Pierrick Fedrigo ( Fra – FDJ – 142 ) + 01h 03′ 43”
41 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti ( Esp – EUS – 034 ) + 01h 04′ 31”
42 George Hincapie ( USA – BMC – 005 ) + 01h 04′ 55”
43 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 107 ) + 01h 05′ 26”
44 Rafael Valls Ferri ( Esp – VCD – 128 ) + 01h 06′ 40”
45 Christian Vande Velde ( USA – GRS – 068 ) + 01h 09′ 16”
46 Mikael Cherel ( Fra – ALM – 073 ) + 01h 09′ 23”
47 Marco Marcato ( Ita – VCD – 125 ) + 01h 10′ 52”
48 Cyril Gautier ( Fra – EUC – 024 ) + 01h 11′ 52”
49 Davide Malacarne ( Ita – EUC – 028 ) + 01h 12′ 30”
50 Michael Schär ( Sui – BMC – 008 ) + 01h 13′ 24”

Out of the race:

DNF Giovanni Bernaudeau ( Fra – EUC – 023 )
DNF Vincent Jerome ( Fra – EUC – 026 )
DNF Kenny Robert Van Hummel ( Ned – VCD – 129 )
DNF Yauheni Hutarovich ( Blr – FDJ – 143 )
DNF Sylvain Chavanel ( Fra – OPQ – 192 )
DNF Brett Daniel Lancaster ( Aus – OGE – 206 )

Note: Wikipedia has a simple article on the Mountain classification used on the Tour. The basic fact is that climbs fall into five types, with the four numbered types decreasing in difficulty as the numbers get larger, and then there is the Hors Catégorie, literally “without category”, which generally makes you look for an elevator or Sherpas.

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