Good morning ladies and gents, boys and girls, to all of you watching around the world, to this the 15th stage of the 2019 Tour de France. Today's 156km-long route takes us from the host city of yesterday's rest day of Nîmes, north-east to the commune of Nyons and an intermediate sprint, before a U-turn and a southern leg to Bedoin. From there, we ascend the legendary Mont Ventoux. One of the toughest and most feared climbs in all of cycling, known for its distinctive unearthly look, The Beast of Provence provides one of the truest tests of a Tour de France winner's credentials. It's rare to see a single-climb stage where cycling fans don't complain about the profile, but Mont Ventoux needs no introduction, nor any Cat 2 hype climbs. The early third week sometimes affects the GC, and sometimes does nothing of note: but you can be sure with this 21km long gargantuan there will be huge statements made and time lost.
On the last mountain stage it was Galta who claimed victory at La Toussuire after a magnificent seventy-kilometre solo ride in the Alps, taking him to 12th on GC. At the top of the standings, Spilak and Taaramäe fought to a stalemate - or not quite, as Spilak took 8 bonus seconds to stretch his lead in the general classification to over two minutes. It would come as little shock to someone recently out of a coma - provided they were a cycling fan of course - to see Sicard, Gesink, and Lecuisinier filling out the rest of the top 5 after that stage, but the rest of the top 10 would be... much more surprising to say the least.
The GC Battle
1
Spilak
Leader
2
Taaramäe
+ 2'05"
3
Sicard
+ 4'46"
4
Gesink
+ 5'44"
5
Lecuisinier
+ 8'11"
6
Dekker
+ 10'52"
7
Kangert
+ 12'45"
8
Barguil
+ 13'10"
9
Keinath
+ 13'26"
10
Nibali
+ 13'42"
11
Wellens
+ 14'02"
12
Galta
+ 14'15"
13
Intxausti
+ 14'51"
14
Haig
+ 16'09"
15
Schelling
+ 16'22"
Today we can only expect the best climbers to either tussle it out for yellow, top 5 or to move up the standings - Intxausti with his reputation and recent form with a lot to gain and has spoken openly about breaking into the top 10 on GC today at the least. It could be tough for the likes of Kangert on such a long and expiosed climb to defend their position, whilst the likes of Wellens, Intxausti and Barguil are no doubt waiting to strike with all eyes below 5th on, well, 6th - though don't rule out the wily Dekker keeping it for today and, perhaps, beyond.
A beautiful day today, but less so if you're outside with some not-to-be-trifled with 70km/h winds here at the start. If they push the same all day we'll have a fearsome crosswind for most of the route, turning into a tail-wind to Bedoin and up Ventoux, before a headwind in the final few kilometres.
No surprise to see the ever-aggressive polka-dot jersey of Nerz as the first attack of the day as the flag drops.
Surprisingly after a rest day nobody outside of these six interested in the break, the peloton don't mind and so our very easily-established morning breakaway members are: Antunes (26th KOM, 7pts) Fraile (11th KOM, 20pts) Stoltz Kruijswijk Nerz (33rd GC, 32'20" | 1st KOM, 138pts | 13th Points, 39pts) Foliforov. They quickly establish a gap and can enjoy the Provence countryside and the warm weather.
Naturally full pacemaking duties at this point of the race go to the yellow jersey's team and Isostar willingly take up the job, with no help coming from their rivals for another 100 kilometres or more. The usual array of favourites and helpers sit in behind the men in lime.
The breakaway pass the intermediate sprint with just 2'40 the gap with 58km to go, it looks like a misspent day for the man in the polka dot jersey - though not entirely so, if you're being positive which I like to be: he moved up to 11th in the Points classification.
It's also started to rain here in Provence, but nothing major and with no descent it shouldn't be too much of a worry for the riders - in fact it may be a nice cooling agent. That said, it is cold here on Mont Ventoux.
Kruiswijk leads now on the forested lower slopes and puts some pressure on his companions, with Stoltz already cracking. 17km to go, the gap holding at about 2'20.
Fraile, though, is the first to attack! The Basque riding for Desigual opens hostilities in the breakaway a long 15km from home!
Nobody goes with him, but he forges on as Stoltz is caught by the peloton.
Ooh, here we go! We said Intxausti and Barguil would have a lot to gain today and they're attacking with still over 14km to go, laying their cards on the table! It looks like an eBuddy rider, most likely the diminuitive Gianluca Brambilla (18th GC, 17'57), trying to follow this move!
The other heads of state either uncaring or wanting to stay within themselves so the trio is let go by Pernsteiner at the head of the pack, and we can see here fairly equal gaps from Fraile to his ex-companions, and these chasers back to the pack of around half a minute, with a minute in the middle of Groups Nerz and Barguil!
An interesting decision here from EA Vesuvio to send the Badaling Internation winner Godoy to the front of the pack for some gap limitation - with Intxausti just under 90 seconds behind Keinath, and Barguil just 16 ahead, it does make sense.
Contact between the chasing groups, with two minutes down to the peloton and 44 seconds up to an impressive Fraile! 13km to go and now it's Kruijswijk attacking, not happy with the presence of some favourites in this chasing group!
He manages to bridge across to the leading Spaniard, whilst shelling the tired Foliforov.
Meanwhile in the peloton Zardini joins Godoy up the front to try and bring down this nearly three-minute gap!
And Intxausti easily closes the gap to the leading duo and drops Nerz while doing so, creating a leading sextet!
Here goes Taaramae! A powerful move here from the Estonian, Zardini was tiring after a huge effort trimming 40 seconds off the gap, and now a big, and early, move from second on GC!
And Spilak is right on his tail here not letting his rival go not even for a second here on Mont Ventoux, exciting stuff! Gesink and Sicard best fo the rest, with Wellens and Lecuisinier caught between that duo and the 27-man pack lead by Keinath. The white jersey can practically feel his chances of a podium finish sliding through his fingers after such a good performance on La Toussuire!
Meanwhile up ahead six becomes five as Antunes is dropped.
Sicard now making a big play under the 10km banner to consolidate third, leaving the exhausted Gesink in his dust as he looks to join the big two on course - and in the standings! This could be a huge victory for Romain Sicard and Le Tour de France has come alive early on the fearsome Ventoux!
Behind it's the usual suspects - Dekker, Schelling, Keinath and Nibali - leaving behind the minor GC men, and more importantly Tanel Kangert, who is stuck in the middle of the main bunch!
Back to the head of the race and Barguil and Intxausti are forging on - they know who's coming, and they don't just want a GC boost - they want a stage win atop Mont Ventoux!
The calm style of Thomas Dekker is leaving behind his top 10 rivals and going off in pursuit of Wellens and Barguil ahead of him on the road! He really wants this 6th, and what a rider to still be going hard like this at the age of 34, he's past his peak but aging well is Tommy D!
Spilak and Taaramae have passed Brambilla et al, and Sicard is looking to do the sa-
SIMON SPILAK GOES FOR IT! A counterattack here from the yellow jersey from 9km out, ambitious, yes, risky, hell yes, but this man is looking for a massive stamp of authority with a win in yellow atop one of cycling's most iconic peaks!
Galta attacking here, and he knows full well that is top 10 chances are riding away from him, 50 seconds up the road! Let's see if he can put in another heroic ride to catch up to the Keinath group.
Taaramae has Spilak like for like here, pedal stroke for pedal stroke, bounce for bounce, and inch for inch as they pass Intxausti and Barguil. You want an even more epic battle? Well Zeus obviously loves some epic cycling images, because it's freaking snowing in July, just for these two, just for Le Tour!
A disciplined ride here from Robert Gesink to cut down the gap to Sicard back to just 12 seconds. Meanwhile Dekker and Schelling have caught up to Wellens and Lecuisinier.
The moon has no atmosphere - but the fans and weather on Mont Ventoux show us what it would be like if it did! 7km left and just the bare, sheer majesty of Ventoux awaits Taaramae and Spilak now. What a battle we have here!
Galta has caught Keinath, but the both of them are left behind by Nibali who joins the Lecuisinier group.
This really is a special landscape for cycling racing. Kangert in a lot of difficulty at the far right of screen being dropped by Bogniorno, Haig et al.
5km to go now for the big two as Taaramae still forces Spilak to lead, their gap out to 44 seconds now and one of them can potentially make a big GC statement all the grander with a stage win atop Mont Ventoux, in the snow no less.
Another look at the gaps as the groups for the rest of the race, bar attacks, cracks or....
illegal snacks? Damn me and my poetic mouth.
Taaramae now with his first direct attack on Spilak with 4km left to go, and it's not exactly all-in, but certainly looking to see what Spilak can do!
And whilst it may not have been 200bpm firepower, this is a big move as Taaramae goes for over a kilometre at the Slovenian, this is what racing is all about, mano-a-mano and a true war of attrition between two titans - just like when I wrestled that bear of a cliff in Canada! Spilak showing no signs of difficulty or pain as he stays mere centimetres behind his rival's back wheel. Relentless stuff here from Rein Taaramae, 3km to go!
Until he does, Simon Spilak is indeed human, and Rein Taaramae may just have bested him! The yellow jersey hangs his head, can Taaramae put in another dig to capitalise? Rein Taaramae is giving his all here a few kilometres left and how much time can he make?
And now Sicard here catching Intxausti and Barguil who are both riding very well, in fact all four riders in frame, Robert Gesink for Berg Cycles just behind this trio, are riding very well, disciplined and within their limits.
And there is daylight now between the yellow jersey and the would-be King, just 8 seconds but Taaramae will look to twist the knife in here!
Another look at the gaps here as Reis is doing very well, whilst Nibali, Keinath and Galta are struggling!
A consummate ride here from Rein Taaramae, already over 40 seconds ahead of Spilak with bonuses, he could eat up half or more of his deficit if the Slovenian doesn't fins a second wind! 1.6km to go.
Under the flamme rouge goes Taaramae, not long now as he stretches his lead to 40 seconds over Simon Spilak!
600m to go, the gritty Spilak is looking like keeping this to a minute or less (48 seconds now) but Rein Taaramae will take a memorable stage win - and make a big statement in epic fashion here on a snowy, windy, stunning day on Mont Ventoux.
Speaking of gritty performances, Robert Gesink was left for dead by Sicard with a long way to go, and lost a huge chunk of time very quickly, but has gained it back over the last 10km and is now on equal footing with the Frenchman! What a calm (not to mention insanely strong) ride from the Berg man - the experience of a Grand Tour winner shines through.
Rein Taaramae can soak in his second stage win of the race, and a huge one here as the snow falls on Mont Ventoux! He's halved his gap ahead of the Pyrenees, and in some eyes may have just made himself Tour de France favourite again, what a ride! He was absolutely relentless in attacking Spilak, and ruthless once he got away. Chapeau!
Simon Spilak stops the clock at 52 seconds and will lose exactly one minute to his rival Taaramae. To his credit he put in a solid ride once dropped to keep the gap under a minute as few others could, but this is a mental blow and a blow to his position, he now has just 65 seconds in hand with three brutal Pyrenean stages coming.
Intxausti here leaving his companions behind in the sprint for bonus seconds!
A super strong day here for Beñat Intxausti, third place and best of the rest which will see him in the top 10. He has around 15 seconds to the trio of Barguil, Gesink and Sicard.
Warren Barguil is going from strength to strength in this Tour de France, always aggressive after his fourth on La Planche des Belles Filles, and two straight best-of-the rest group results in the last two summit finishes. He'll be ruing his early time losses, but could go as high as sixth today! Sicard and Gesink fight to a stalemate, it looked like the Frenchman could really make that third spot his own today when he went with 10km to go, but it was a stunning comeback from the Dutchman, and so they remain less than a minute apart in an equally tight battle as that for yellow!
Great stages for this next trio, Dekker will keep sixth as they come in about 90 seconds behind Barguil, which is amazing for him. Wellens and Schelling in particular will be pleased with their results that, dependent on Nibali's time in the latter case, will see them in the top 10 later today.
Less pleased will be Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier, now over five minutes behind Sicard and almost out of the podium picture - in fact he's got more to worry about in the case of Dekker (who gains 30 seconds here!) and Barguil approaching the top 5! A shame to see the white jersey and one of France's podium hopes faltering like this after a strong day yesterday. However he is still a growing rider, and he will fight for his spot in the top 5, and come back in future years ready for that podium I'm sure.
Brambilla loses six minutes to Taaramae and two to Schelling and Wellens, a great ride from him as he gains time on many contenders for those 10th-15th spots and shows the team colours with an ambitious ride. He should overtake Haig for 15th!
Nibali comes in with a resurgent Reis (who could climb into the top 25) disappointed as he loses his top 10 spot today. Hopefully he can recover the form he found in the early stages of this race to stay in that fight. The top climbers such as Intxausti and Wellens are coming for these riders who had a strong first week (such as Nibali, Dekker and Kangert, who loses his top 10 spot surely) but aren't as good on long mountains such as this.
Galta + 8'33, not a bad ride after yesterday's efforts.
Keinath + 9'03, unfortunately losing his top 10 spot as well.
Tanel Kangert comes in a shade under ten minutes down with the main group of minor GC contenders (including Haig and Bongiorno) and will lose his top 10 spot. A valiant battle from the underdog Estonian (luckily that country has plenty to cheer today) but his run is seemingly over. Not all gloom for Gazelle, as Karnulin and Formolo already came in and could move into the top 20 as well, strengthening their grip on the Team's Classification!
Spilak doesn't look as pleased as he did the last few days accepting his yellow jersey for another day, and that's because his grip on it is much less secure with Taaramae looking very strong, and now just 65 seconds behind him as they look to the Pyrenees, which start in just three days with a brutal trip over the Tourmalet, where that gap could easily be shut - or opened. We're perhaps not giving the Slovenian enough credit - Taaramae has had shockers too so far in this Tour de France. If there's one thing I can predict, it's that whoever wins, this battle will be one for the ages.
