Tour de France 2015: Majka solos to victory in stage 11

The stage to mountain village Cauterets takes the riders over six cols, including the famous Aspin and Tourmalet. At the last col Rafal Majka attacks in the front group and he solos to victory. Daniel Martin finishes second, while Chris Froome is still comfortable in yellow. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 11th stage Tour de France

1. Rafal Majka (pol)
2. Daniel Martin (irl) + 1.00
3. Emanuel Buchmann (ger) + 1.22
4. Serge Pauwels (bel) + 2.06
5. Thomas Voeckler (fra) + 3.33
6. Julien Simon (fra) s.t.
7. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 5.10
8. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 5.19
9. Chris Froome (gbr) + 5.21
10. Alberto Contador (spa) s.t.

11. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
13. Tejay van Garderen (usa) s.t.
14. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t.
15. Robert Gesink (nld) s.t.
17. Tony Gallopin (fra) s.t.
21. Warren Barguil (fra) 5.53
23. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 6.11

GC after stage 11
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 2.52
3. Nairo Quintana (col) + 3.09
4. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 3.59
5. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 4.03
6. Alberto Contador (spa) + 4.04
7. Tony Gallopin (fra) + 4.33
8. Robert Gesink (nld) + 4.35
9. Warren Barguil (fra) + 6.44
10. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 7.05

11. vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 7.47
12. Mathias Frank (swi) + 9.26
13. Samuel Sanchez (spa) + 10.27
14. Pierre Rolland (fra) + 13.57
15. Andrew Talansky (usa) + 16.33

Race report
Lieuwe Westra, Michal Kwiatkowski, Bob Jungels and Edvald Boasson Hagen are in the lead from the start. Cannondale doesn’t like these riders to break away and after a 47 km’s raid the quartet is brought back.

The intermediate sprint catapults Pater Sagan back into the green jersey and a moment later a front group of fifteen riders takes shape, with Bardet and Pinot aboard. Sky pulls the peloton and with 70 km’s done this break is over as well.

More escapees try their luck but its only when Voeckler, Majka, Pauwels, Buchmann, Morabito, Démare and Simon give it a go the break of the day takes shape. Dan Martin and Andrey Grivko opens the chase, but at the lower slopes of the Aspin Martin is left alone in his efforts. He gobbles up the dropped Démare and joins the front of the race, before he takes most KOM points at the top of the Aspin.

While climbing the Tourmalet Majka goes solo. He is the first to crest and once inthe valley he enjoys a 1 minute gain over Pauwels, while Martin and Buchmann are half a minute down. The decimated pack follows at over 5 minutes.

The mountain king of last year’s Tour de France brings victory home, with Dan Martin second, Buchmann thirth and Pauwels fourth. After an attack at the closing climb to Cauterets Bauke Mollema puts time into Vincenzo Nibali and the winners of last year’s Tour is now eleventh in the overall.