Stage 15 - Samatan > > > Pau (158.5km)
Monday, July 16, 2012
Km 123.5 - Côte de Simacourbe 1.9 km climb at 6.3% - category 3
Km 129.0 - Côte de Monassut-Audiracq 1.5 km climb at 5.4% - category 4
(Graphics - letour.com & cyclingnews.com)
Stage 15 - Samatan > > > Pau (158.5km)
Monday, July 16, 2012
Stage 15 - Samatan > > > Pau (158.5km)
Monday, July 16, 2012
"A tip of the hat to provincial France, the France of the Tour. Our caravan will set off from Samatan, a large town with 2,200 inhabitants which is the main town of the Gers canton. It will probably be a calm start, as the stage is not particularly tough. A sprint finish would be the logical outcome, and I actually hope it happens, because pure sprinters will not get many chances to shine in this Tour. The finish in Pau will be beautiful, like always. This is the 64th time that the Tour visits this city, which is almost a record. Let us pay homage to this city, which we see as a stronghold and a strategic place."
Calm before the storm
Rather than heading straight into the Pyrenees, this stage is flirting with them, bumping through the range’s foothills as it heads into Pau and the second rest day. There’s a string of climbs in the final third of the stage but they won’t knock all, if any, of the sprinters out of contention if the bunch is compact at that point. The teams that have failed to register any kind of success up to now will need to take advantage of days like this, especially if they don’t have an in-form climber in their ranks. Realistically, this stage and the one to come into Brive-la-Gaillarde will be their last chances to reap some kind of reward.
Allan Peiper: "The question here is how many of the top sprinters can get over the climbs? Matt Goss is a really good climber so he should be there to contend the finish. We’ll have to wait and see."
Overall individual time classification after Stage 15
1. GBR WIGGINS Bradley 101 SKY PROCYCLING 68h 33’ 21’’
2. GBR FROOME Christopher 105 SKY PROCYCLING 68h 35’ 26’’ + 02’ 05’’
3. ITA NIBALI Vincenzo 51 LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE 68h 35’ 44’’ + 02’ 23’’
4. AUS EVANS Cadel 1 BMC RACING TEAM 68h 36’ 40’’ + 03’ 19’’
5. BEL VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen 111 LOTTO-BELISOL TEAM 68h 38’ 09’’ + 04’ 48’’
6. ESP ZUBELDIA Haimar 19 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 39’ 36’’ + 06’ 15’’
7. USA VAN GARDEREN Tejay 9 BMC RACING TEAM 68h 40’ 18’’ + 06’ 57’’
8. SLO BRAJKOVIC Janez 181 ASTANA PRO TEAM 68h 40’ 51’’ + 07’ 30’’
9. FRA ROLLAND Pierre 29 TEAM EUROPCAR 68h 41’ 52’’ + 08’ 31’’
10. FRA PINOT Thibaut 146 FDJ-BIGMAT 68h 42’ 12’’ + 08’ 51’’
11. GER KLÖDEN Andréas 15 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 42’ 50’’ + 09’ 29’’
12. LUX SCHLECK Frank 11 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 43’ 06’’ + 09’ 45’’
13. IRL ROCHE Nicolas 79 AG2R LA MONDIALE 68h 44’ 10’’ + 10’ 49’’
14. FRA COPPEL Jérôme 91 SAUR-SOJASUN 68h 44’ 48’’ + 11’ 27’’
15. USA HORNER Christopher 14 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 46’ 02’’ + 12’ 41’’
16. RUS MENCHOV Denis 131 KATUSHA TEAM 68h 50’ 42’’ + 17’ 21’’
17. BEL MONFORT Maxime 16 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 51’ 02’’ + 17’ 41’’
18. ESP MARTINEZ Egoi 35 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 68h 51’ 25’’ + 18’ 04’’
19. POR COSTA Rui Alberto 163 MOVISTAR TEAM 68h 52’ 23’’ + 19’ 02’’
20. DEN SORENSEN Chris Anker 178 TEAM SAXO BANK-TINKOFF BANK 68h 53’ 33’’ + 20’ 12’’
Results of Stage 15 - Overall individual time classification
1. FRA FEDRIGO Pierrick 142 FDJ-BIGMAT 03h 40’ 15’’
2. USA VANDE VELDE Christian 68 GARMIN-SHARP 03h 40’ 15’’ + 00’ 00’’
3. FRA VOECKLER Thomas 21 TEAM EUROPCAR 03h 40’ 27’’ + 00’ 12’’
4. DEN SORENSEN Nicki 179 TEAM SAXO BANK-TINKOFF BANK 03h 40’ 27’’ + 00’ 12’’
5. BEL DEVENYNS Dries 194 OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 03h 40’ 36’’ + 00’ 21’’
6. FRA DUMOULIN Samuel 83 COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 03h 41’ 23’’ + 01’ 08’’
7. GER GREIPEL André 114 LOTTO-BELISOL TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
8. USA FARRAR Tyler 63 GARMIN-SHARP 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
9. SVK SAGAN Peter 57 LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
10. BEL BOECKMANS Kris 122 VACANSOLEIL-DCM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
11. SLO BOZIC Borut 182 ASTANA PRO TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
12. FRA HINAULT Sébastien 75 AG2R LA MONDIALE 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
13. NED DE KORT Koen 213 TEAM ARGOS-SHIMANO 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
14. AUS CANTWELL Jonathan 171 TEAM SAXO BANK-TINKOFF BANK 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
15. FRA ENGOULVENT Jimmy 93 SAUR-SOJASUN 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
16. NED CURVERS Roy 212 TEAM ARGOS-SHIMANO 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
17. BEL ROELANDTS Jurgen 117 LOTTO-BELISOL TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
18. FRA LADAGNOUS Matthieu 144 FDJ-BIGMAT 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
19. SUI SCHÄR Michael 8 BMC RACING TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
20. SLO BRAJKOVIC Janez 181 ASTANA PRO TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’