Tour de France 2018 Stage 15: Magnus Cort wins three-up sprint, Geraint Thomas still in maillot jaune

The Tour de France's 15th stage is a hilly to mountainous race in the south of France. Bauke Mollema attacks in the front group 7 kilometres before the line in Carcassonne. Magnus Cort and Ion Izagirre jump to his wheel before the Dane powers to victory in the ensuing sprint ahead of the Basque and Dutchman. Following a 13 minutes hiatus the GC-group finishes bunched, so Geraint Thomas remains in the overall lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 15th stage 2018 Tour de France

1. Magnus Cort (den)
2. Ion Izagirre (spa) s.t.
3. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 0.02
4. Michael Valgren (den) + 0.29
5. Toms Skujiņš (lat) + 0.34
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) s.t.
7. Lilian Calmejane (fra) s.t.
8. Rafal Majka (pol) + 0.37
9. Nikias Arndt (ger) + 2.31
10. Julien Bernard (fra) + 2.38

GC after the 15th stage
1. Geraint Thomas (gbr)
2. Chris Froome (gbr) + 1.39
3. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 1.50
4. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 2.38
5. Romain Bardet (fra) + 3.21
6. Mikel Landa (spa) + 3.42
7. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 3.57
8. Nairo Quintana (col) + 4.23
9. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 6.14
10. Daniel Martin (irl) + 6.54

11. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 9.36
12. Bob Jungels (lux) + 9.53
13. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 10.01
14. Pierre Latour (fra) + 17.28

Race report
Gregor Mühlberger, Adam Yates and Warren Barguil open up a gap at km 20. The main group tracks them down in 15 kms.

Attacks keep flying and it lasts more than one hour of racing before a 29-man group opens a gap: Bauke Mollema, Serge Pauwels, Rafal Majka, Ion Izagirre, Domenico Pozzovivo, Niki Terpstra, Peter Sagan, Greg van Avermaet, Daniel Martínez, Silvan Dillier, Nikias Arndt, Amäel Moinard, Florian Vachon, Sonny Colbrelli, Damian Howson, Daryl Impey, Daniele Bennati, Imanol Erviti, Marc Soler, Pawel Poljanski (Bora – Hansgrohe), Magnus Cort, Michael Valgren, Arthur Vichot, Lilian Calmejane, Fabian Grellier, Romain Sicard, Julien Bernard, Toms Skujiņš and Jesús Herrada .

On the Col de Sié Calmejane heads out alone. He reaches the crest 1 minute ahead of the chasers, but after a solo of some 20 kms he stops his efforts to rejoin the other attackers.

Following an intermediate climbs with 80 kms out Grelllier, Van Avermaet and Skujiņš go clear. Sagan closes the gap with the others in his slipstream. Grellier strikes again and Bernard bridges across. The two French riders open up a gap of 2 minutes on the Pic de Nore. Bernard goes solo when the lead falls below 1 minute. Majka bridges across and leaves him behind. The Pole reaches the crest half a minute ahead of Mollema and Cort. Calmejane, Izagirre, Pozzovivo, Valgren Andersen and Skujiņš are close behind. The peloton is more than 13 minutes in arrears.

Mollema, Cort, Calmejane, Izagirre, Pozzovivo, Valgren Andersen and Skujiņš regroup in the descent and they catch Majka 15 kms before the line.

Mollema strikes with 7 kms to go and Cort and Izagirre jump to his wheel. The ensuing sprint is an easy catch for the 25-year old Dane. Izagirre takes second, Mollema third.

The bunch finishes together, so Geraint Thomas is still the leader on GC.