Stage 15 might have had an argument with Stage 11 to be the queen stage. But we gave it to 11 on a split decision. However, that means 15 is pretty tough. It ends with an HC climb to Fuente del Chivo, immediately before that a Cat 1 (the Puerto de Palombera), those two finish off 211k that also includes 5 other categorized climbs, a One, a Two, 2 Threes and a four. That means a maximum of 79 KOM points so once again a rider with zero points at the start of the stage could theoretically seize the jersey today.
The GC guys top the favorites list with Herklotz getting the top spot.
12k gone, we quickly gets some big names off the front including KOM leader Warchol and Formolo. They are part of a 10 rider group at 1’32. Another 6 trying to come across. But Puma are organized on the front now and 16 looks like it might be the limit.
Puma shut down alll the additional attacks so 16 is the limit. The front group of 10 have started the first climb, the Cat 4 Puerto de Panderruedas (4.5k at 5%). They have 41 seconds on the other 6 and 2’06 on the peloton. The front ten are: Storer Bartl Rucigaj Mavrikakis Eenkhoorn Nesset Warchol Slagter Formolo Seibeb
Plenty of climbing talent in that group and the next 6 are no slouches: Preidler Lastra Sosa Vosekalns Rubio Schlegel
Top 3 in the KOM all represented assuming the groups come togetehr. Warchol (1st) and Sosa (3rd) are better climbers but Vosekalns has two teammates. Preidler is the best on GC at 7’56. No descent for him to shred to the finish this time.
Formolo shows his punchy skills to take the points at the top ahead of Storer and Mavrikakis, no points for any of the top KOM guys. 2’52 to the peloton.
As the front group reaches the 2nd climb (Cat 2, 9.6k at 6.5%) it is up to 14 and their lead is 4 minute with 179k to go. Rubio and Sosa managed to get dropped on the first climb and are still 55 seconds down. Preidler could not resist showing off by soloing across on his own ahead of the rest on the descent.
About 2k later Sosa pulls Rubio across, waste of energy for the King Power rider, he was snoozing on the prior ascent.
At the top Formolo again takes maximum. Bartl denies Vosekalns 2nd. Schegel and Warchol take the rest of the points. Warchol’s lead in the KOM down to 66-62. Sosa still on 56. Lead over the pack is 5’07.
The lead goes out to 6 minutes before the peloton cross the top but Puma work in the valley to keep it there. Ahead the break are about to start the next climb, the Cat 3 Puerto de San Glorio (6.1k at 5.3%)
Formolo goes early on this climb and easily takes the maximum points. Sosa picks up 2nd ahead of Schlegel. Just 6 points separate the top 3 (66-62-60), Formolo up to 5th already on 37 points (he started the day with 16).
The break rolls through the sprint point at the bottom of the descent with a lead of 8’15, it maxed at about 8’30. Seibeb is back with them but he was dropped for much of the descent as he clearly doesn’t like the downhill stuff. Mavrikakis also did a little bit of yo-yoing. In about 10k they start the first Cat 1 of the day which is 13k at 5.7%. Peloton still all together with the full Puma team on the front.
5k to climb for the break. Their lead up to 9’04. The first rider has been dropped from the peloton ( Nyoni).
500 meters to the top and Nesset launches the first attack.
But he can’t hold off Formolo who again takes 1st. Vosekalns gets up for 2nd (12 points) Warchol settles for 5th (6) No points for Sosa. Vosekalns has the lead back 74-72, but still plenty of points to come. Seibeb, Rubio and Storer were dropped but look like they should get back on.
By the time Brändle leads the peloton over the gap is 11’24. There is a long descent and stretch across the valley now and Puma still has a number of riders to chase. 100k to go for the peloton. Seibeb, Rubio and Storer have not yet been able to rejoin the front 13.
By the time Puma reach the second sprint at the base of the valley they have the lead down to 9’50. Cavagna is the only Puma rider dropped at this point. The pack has split with just 49 riders in the front group but it should come back together. Ahead the break are all back together and on the second Cat 3, which is 6.5k at 6.1%.
2k to climb, the Minions are fading away, Slagter is the last one left and he is in trouble. Sosa, Storer and Seibeb also dropped. First chase group is at 9’21, and the split might be permanent, as the remaining riders are losing not gaining ground. But Puma is paying a price for their work and a lot of their riders are towards the back. Arensman is the only member of the top 25 on GC to miss the split.
Eenkhoorn launches the first attack at the top of the Cat 3 but Formolo is too quick for them and makes it 5 for 5 on the climbs. Warchol grabs second which gives him the KOM jersey back. Formolo up to 59 points, 17 behind Warchol but just 1 behind Sosa for 3rd. Peloton at 9’12. 16k to the start of the Cat 1 which marks the beginning of the end.
Stork is last man standing for Puma as he leads a 35-rider chase group over the top of the Cat 3, the gap is 9’32. We will see if Puma gets help from other teams again.
9 riders start the Cat 1 Puerto de Palombera with a 1’32 lead over 3 chasers (Lastra, who was dropped over the top of the last climb, Slagter and Vosekalns) and a 8’09 lead over the Red Jersey group where cycleYorkshire are helping with the chase, Stork having been dropped. The Puerto de Palombera is 14.7k at 5.4%, it is followed by an 8k descent and then the Fuente del Chivo which is 18k at 5.85, 41k to go, in total. The 9 survivors are: Bartl, Rucigaj, Mavrikakis, Eenkhoorn, Nesset, Warchol, Formolo, Preidler, and Schlegel.
Puma get more help from their friends, Tinkoff flood to the front and with only 2k gone in the first climb, the break’s lead is down to 6’47. The Tinkoff riders are Vlasov, Rybalkin, Foliforov and Rikunov.
5k to climb for the break, all 9 still together. Peloton at 5’47 with Conci assisting the Tinkoff boys. That group down to 21 with Williams (18th) the highest placed rider dropped, other than Arensman. Williams is paying for helping with the chase.
900 meters and Nesset attacks the break. Rucigaj and Barl have been dropped. Preidler looks on his last legs. Gap to the chase out to 6’28 as the chasers eased off.
Again, Formolo uses his kick to take maximum points. Nesset second, the rest gapped but Warchol will take 3rd. Formolo now second in the KOM on 75 to Warchol’s 86.
Conci leads the pack over 7 minutes down. With Preidler dropped the best placed rider on the GC in the front group is more than 10 minutes down.
The front 3 from the last KOM reach the final climb with a 47 second lead over Mavrikakis, Schlegel and Eenkhoorn and 1’18 over Preidler, it seems like the stage winner will be one of these three or come from the chase. Their lead is now 6’46 as Tinkoff have gone to the front on the flatter terrain between the climbs. 17k to go.
Warchol launches the first attack but the other two match him.
With Tinkoff easing off on the chase and the gap back to 6’23 Latour is again the fist GC man to attack. Up front the first 3 have slowed and the next 3 are almost back to them.
Kudus at first tries to respond to Latour but then decides to relent and leave the chasing to Conci (Lastra coming back from the break is the Grieg rider). In the break the front 6 are back together.
Latour is brought back but immediately tries again. This time Godoy goes with him. The break is 4’40 ahead. They have 11.7k to go and Preidler has rejoined.
After another great turn from Conci, Herklotz goes to the front himself. Latour has dropped Godoy and has 35 seconds over the red jersey group. The break is back to the 9 who started the last climbs together but their lead is down to 2’05 over Latour, they seem to have lost all momentum.
10k banner. Formolo with a last throw of the dice. Concil is leading the chase of Latour again, bet Heklotz is glad someone brought a decent mountain domestique.
Nesset sets off after Formolo and just after Latour reaches the remnants of the break. Mamykin had taken over the chase for the Red Jersey group. The gaps are Formolo -> Nesset, 22 seconds, Nesset -> Latour Group, 36 seconds, Latour Group -> Red Jersey group 19 seconds. Formolo has 9k to climb.
As soon Mamykin closes the gap to Latour group Wellens launches an attack, a number of others follow with Kudus first to respond.
And for the first time this race the pressure is on Heklotz as the Wellens group gets a gap. With Wellens in addition to Kudus are Almeida, Godoy, Choi Latour and Sivakov
Formolo is caught and Sivakov, Wellens and the irrepressible Latour attack again. Quintana is the first of the top GC names to be dropped from the Herklotz group. Heklotz has limited the gap to 30 seconds.
Morton helps out Herklotz and most of the attackers are brought to heel. Sivakov, Wellens and Latour still have 25 seconds. Kirsch has been dropped.
5k to go. Herklotz and Kudus work together to control the attack, right now they have just 35 seconds.
Morton also helps out and with just over 3k to go Herklotz decides it is time to go on the offensive Godoy is dropped and Tenorio and Geoghegan Hart are about to follow him out the back.
Heklotz, Morton and Kudus make the junction. Almeida and then Choi were dropped on the way across. 209k gone out of 211k and we have the top 6 on GC together for the closing ceremonies.
1.3k to go, Herklotz setting the pace, Wellens and Latour begin to fade.
Around the final hairpin Herklotz pries open a gap. Did someone say something about him being under pressure?
With 600 meters to go the three chasers get back up to him but then he stands on the pedals again.
With 400 meters to go Herklotz feels he can celebrate stage win #4.
The gap extends to 13 seconds before Kudus takes 2nd then it is Morton (s.t.) and Sivakov (s.t.). Wellens settles for 5th on 25 seconds but he tried to make a race of it today. Latour 6th (+0’53)
Almeida comes past Choi in the last 500 meters for 7th. Both on +1’36.
Tenorio and Geoghegan Hart wrap up the top 10 on +2’45.
No change in the podium positions on GC. Latour, Wellens and Sivakov are separated by just 6 seconds in 4th to 6th.
Herklotz is up to 4th in points, and just 7 points behind 2nd. Herklotz is also up to 5th in the KOM with the GC guys taking the points on the final climb Warchol maintains his 11-point lead over Formolo and 12-point lead over Vosekalns.
Almeida’s lead in the U25 has ballooned to 16’45 so he is looking safe there but just 20 seconds separate first and second in the teams with EA now slightly ahead of Tinkoff, who may have paid for their work today.
The final sprint stage tomorrow before 4 consecutive days of climbing.
Vuelta a Espana 
