Result: FDJ rider Pierrick Fedrigo emerged victorious on the 15th stage of the Tour de France, meaning the event has now been won by a Frenchman on four occasions this year. In addition, overall race leader Bradley Wiggins finished nearly 12 minutes behind him.
How it happened: Fedrigo beat American Christian Vande Velde, who came second, with another Frenchman Thomas Voeckler finishing third, 12 seconds behind them.
With 6.5 km remaining, Fedrigo surged ahead, followed closely by Vande Velde, as they left the chasing pack behind.
Fedrigo comfortably out-sprinted the American thereafter – a result that means Vande Velde is still winless as an individual in nine participations.
The big winner: Bradley Wiggins holds a comfortable 2min 05sec lead over teammate Chris Froome, so he should still be relatively satisfied with today’s outcome, in spite of his less-than-vintage performance.
What about the Irish? Nicolas Roche came 26th, nearly 12 minutes behind Fedrigo. He remains in 13th place overall, and is now 10minutes and 49 seconds behind the leader overall. Dan Martin finished in 136th place, and is now 65th overall.
Who is wearing what jersey?
- Yellow (Overall): Bradley Wiggins
- Green (Points): Peter Sagan
- Polka-Dot (Mountains): Fredrik Kessiakoff
- White (Young Rider): Tejay Van Garderen
So what happens tomorrow then? Tomorrow, the cyclists will have a much-needed rest day, before they participate in the last two mountain stages in the Pyrenees on Wednesday.
