Tour de France 2018 Favourites stage 15: Breakaway boys with fast descent

Stage 15 on the Tour de France is tailor made for the likes of Julian Alaphilippe. The Frenchman is a good climber and an even better descender. Following three intermediate climbs the race concludes with a 34.5 kilometres descent and 7 kilometres on the flat. (Slideshow route/profile)

The 15th stage of the Tour de France is a race for attackers from far out. The route takes in quite some vertical metres with the Pic de Nore standing out. The climb is 12.3 kilometres with an average uphill slope of 6.3%, but after the crest it’s up to the daredevil descenders. From the summit of the Pic de Nore to the line in Carcassonne is 41.5 kilometres. More than 80% is a plunge before the last 7 kilometres are played out on the flat.

Apparently, Tour de France’s 15th stage is a dream come true for attackers with a knack for the downhill. Fast finishers will have a hard time to get over the climbs in the first place, while GC contenders are likely to have the last week of action already in the back of their minds. After all, following the second rest day the Tour heads into the Pyrenees.

Expect GC riders who have seen their ambitions turn sour to be in the break. The likes of Yates, Mollema, Valverde…

Favourites 15th stage 2018 Tour de France

*** Alejandro Valverde, Warren Barguil, Adam Yates, Gregor Mühlberger
** Thomas De Gendt, Bob Jungels, Bauke Mollema, Tejay van Garderen
* Tomasz Marczynski, Rudy Molard, Toms Skujiņš, Julian Alaphilippe