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Bourg-Saint-Maurice
159 km
Tuesday 21 July
There have been many riders who have suffered set backs in the race for general classification honors but there is no doubt about who the happiest man in Bourg-Saint-Maurice is after stage 16. The winner of the day put almost a minute into the yellow jersey on the day he claimed his first victory in the Tour de France. The top 10 is:
1. Mikel Astarloza (ESP) EUS - 159km in 4h14’20" (37.509km/h)
2. Sandy Casar (FRA) FDJ at 6"
3. Pierrick Fedrigo (FRA) BBO at 6"
4. Nicolas Roche (IRL) ALM at 6"
5. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) SIL at 6"
6. Amael Moinard (FRA) COF at 6"
7. Franco Pellizotti (ITA) LIQ at 11"
8. Stephane Goubert (FRA) ALM at 11"
9. Christophe Moreau (FRA) AGR at 59"
10. Alberto Contador (ESP) AST at 59"
This is the sixth time that Casar has finished second in a stage of the Tour de France.
Astarloza has earned his first stage win in the Tour de France. Bravo to the Euskaltel rider who held off the chasers to win by about eight seconds.
Astarloza is going to win the stage. The chasers have caught Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck and Moinard.
Astarloza has opened up a good gap on his rivals. He has finished in the top 10 of the Tour de France but never won a stage before. He’s inside the final kilometer and looking strong!
There has been another attack in the lead group. Astarloza is well in the lead with 2km to go.
Moinard has attacked with 3km to go in the stage. He has been caught by VDB and Pellizotti and also Astarloza...
The leaders are less than 4km from the finish. They are 1’00" ahead of the yellow jersey and 3’45" ahead of Evans who appears to have lost all hope of a top 10 finish in the 2009 Tour.
Franco Pellizotti has been voted the most aggressive rider in the 16th stage. His group of four are now 1’00" ahead of the yellow jersey.
Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck, Astarloza and Moinard are still in the lead of the stage but they are just five seconds ahead of Goubert, Roche, Casar and Fedrigo.
Roche, Goubert, Casar and Fedrigo are the four riders closing in on the four stage leaders: Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck, Astarloza and Moinard. There are less than 7km to go in the stage and the two quartets are separated by just seven seconds.
There are now 19 riders in the yellow jersey’s peloton that’s being led by a Garmin rider. With 10km to go, this group is 1’10" behind Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck, Astarloza and Moinard.
The four leaders are less than 10km from the end of the stage. They are 15" ahead of four riders and 1’15" ahead of the yellow jersey.
Evans’ group is 3’40" behind the stage leaders. We cannot confirm if Sastre is part of this group or not but the 2008 champion had been with the runner-up on the climb.
Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck, Astarloza and Moinard are still 14" ahead of Fedrigo’s quartet and 1’15" ahead of the yellow jersey’s peloton.
The leading quartet is 15km from the finish. Moinard is losing a little bit of ground as Astarloza is setting a furious pace on the descent. This four is 14" ahead of the Fedrigo quartet.
The are about 16 riders in the yellow jersey’s group that is 1’25" behind the stage leaders.
Goubert, Roche, Casar and Fedrigo are the four who are 15" behind Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck, Astarloza and Moinard.
The yellow jersey’s group is 1’30" behind the four stage leaders: Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck, Astarloza and Moinard with 20km to go.
Fedrigo, Karpets, Anton and Trofimov are 15" behind the four stage leaders. The yellow jersey group has caught Lefevre’s group.
The four in the lead of the stage have an advantage of 22 seconds on a group including Fedrigo.
After his crash, Gomez Marchante is riding again. We don’t have news on Voigt who crashed very heavily while part of the yellow jersey’s group.
Gomez Marchante has also crashed on the descent. There are now 16 in the yellow jersey’s group and they are 1’45" behind the four stage leaders with 25km to go.
There has been a crash. Voigt has crashed. He hit a bump and has landed heavily on the ground. He is now waiting for medical assistance.
The stage is led by four riders: Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck, Astarloza and Moinard. They are 1’55" ahead of the yellow jersey group with 27km to go.
Evans has led a small group over the line, 4’00" behind Pellizotti’s group. The Australian runner-up from the last two Tours is 1’45" behind the Armstrong group.
At the top of the climb, the yellow jersey’s group is 2’15" behind the four stage leaders - Pellizotti, VDB, Astarloza and Moinard.
The points for the col du Petiit-St-Bernard were won by:
1. Pellizotti (LIQ) 30pts
2. Van Den Broeck (SIL) 26pts
3. Astarloza (EUS) 22pts
4. Moinard (COF) 18pts
5. Fedrigo (BBO) 16pts
6. Casar (FDJ) 14pts
7. Goubert (ALM) 12pts
8. Gomez Marchante (CTT) 10pts
Evans is riding with Sastre, 1’25" behind the Contador group.
Van Den Broeck, Pellizotti and Astarloza are about to reach the top of the second climb.
Vande Velde has joined the Armstrong group. Evans and Sastre are closing in on the yellow jersey’s group that is now about 12 strong...
Wiggins’ group has been caught by Armstrong. The six in this group are: Contador, Armstrong, Wiggins, Andy Schleck, Nibali and Kloden.
Contador’s group has dropped Frank Schleck but he’s now following the wheel of Armstrong who is racing to rejoin the Contador group...
Armstrong is showing the style of years gone by. He has dropped all and sundry and is now racing back to the Contador group.
Voigt has been caught by the Contador group and there are now three Saxo Bank riders in this group: Voigt, Andy and Frank followed by Nibali, Wiggins and....
Armstrong has attacked the Evans group and is now racing past Vande Velde and Uran. The Texan is now taking Vande Velde back up to the Contador group.
Evans has cracked and Armstrong is now chasing down the Contador group.
Astarloza has rejoined the lead of the stage. There are now three men at the front of the stage: Pellizotti, Van Den Broeck and Astarloza.
Armstrong’s group is 25" behind Contador’s group.
Andy Schleck is forcing the pace of the yellow jersey group. Contador is able to respond, as is Wiggins, Kloden, Nibali and Frank Schleck.
Armstrong has been dropped and he’s now falling behind Wiggins in the general classification.
There has been an attack by Andy Schleck. It has dropped Armstrong and only four others have been able to respond. Contador is now following Frank Schleck. Wiggins is also there as is Nibali and Kloden.
Nocentini and Zubeldia have been dropped. Now Andy Schleck is on the attack.
With the advantage of VDB and Pellizotti up to 15", they have prompted a reaction from Gomez Marchante and Moinard.
Van Den Broeck has ridden ahead of the lead group and Pellizotti has been able to respond to the surge. There are now two in the lead of the stage.
One of the rider who had been in the lead group, Verdugo, has been caught by the yellow jersey’s peloton.
There are 31 men in the Contador group. Still, Sorensen sets the pace and tucked in behind him are four Astana riders including Armstrong and Contador.
The lead group has been attacked by Moinard. It was a move that gained virtually no ground.
The yellow jersey’s group is now 2’50" behind the stage leaders (which is a group of about 15 riders).
There are five riders from Contador’s Astana team in the yellow jersey’s peloton which is thinning out rapidly now. There has been another surge from Sorensen and the 3’05" deficit is expected to fall quickly now as it appears we could start seeing some attacks from the Saxo Bank squad...
Hincapie is amongst the victims of the pace being set by the Saxo Bank pair.
The two Sorensens from the Saxo Bank team are now setting the pace of the peloton. Tucked in behind them is Haimar Zubeldia and five other Astana riders.
The leaders are all together again. They are 3’25" ahead of the peloton. The team with three men in the lead - Bbox - is now setting the pace at the front of the stage.
There are now three Saxo Bank riders at the front of the peloton that’s closing in fast on the stage leaders. The latest check as the yellow jersey’s group 3’30" behind VDB’s group.
At the front of the stage, Van Den Broeck is surging regularly. He now has Pellizotti, Fedrigo, Moinard, Gomez Marchante, Roche and Lefevre with him at the moment...
Menchov is one of the recent casualties of the pace being set by the two Saxo Bank riders at the front of the peloton.
The leaders are at the 115km mark. The escape by Lefevre has been rendered void. There are now five in the lead group: Lefevre, Fedrigo, Pellizotti, VDB and Anton.
The pacesetting duties of the peloton are being taken care of by Gustav Larsson and Nicki Sorensen.
Lefevre, VDB and Astarloza lead the rest of the escape group by 12".
Lefevre has been caught at the front of the stage by Pellizotti and Fedrigo. Now Astarloza and VDB are trying to bridge to the front group.
There are now two riders from the Saxo Bank team at the front of the Astana squad at the head of the peloton.
Van De Broeck is now trying to bridge the gap to Lefevre at the front of the stage. Verdugo has been dropped from the lead group.
Lang’s efforts with an attack achieved little. He is now back in the peloton.
Lefevre (BBO) is in the lead of the stage with a gain of eight seconds on the remnants of the escape group of 18 riders.
Lang (SIL) has an advantage of 10" on the peloton.
The attacks have begun up front. While a rider from Silence-Lotto (Lang) has moved ahead of the peloton, it’s Laurent Lefevre (BBO) who has flown ahead of the lead group.
The peloton is 4’05" behind the 18 leaders.
Rogers and Monfort (THR) are also amongst the riders dropped early on the second climb.
A number of riders have lost contact with the yellow jersey’s peloton. The latest to drop are: Pozzato, Hutarovich, Hushovd, Klier, Lancaster, Ballan, Rast... and Cancellara.
The peloton has arrived at the foot of the Col du Petit-St-Bernard with a deficit of 4’20" to the 18 stage leaders who, for the moment, are still all together. The Astana team is in control of the bunch and now Popovych is taking over the pacesetting duties.
The Astana team is still in charge of the peloton as it makes its way to the second climb. It is 4’25" behind the 18 escapees.
The points for the intermediate sprint at the 106km mark were won by:
1. Nicolas Roche (ALM) 6pts
2. Nicolas Vogondy (AGR) 4pts
3. Gorka Verdugo (EUS) 2pts
The leaders are now 22.6km from the top of the second climb.
The 18 escapees are about to contest the sprint for points in Saint-Didier (at the 106km mark). This is the second stage this year that’s had only two intermediate sprints.
Of the 18 in the lead, three have previously won a stage of the Tour de France.
Jens Voigt (SAX) won in Sarran in 2001 and in Montelimar in 2006.
Pierrick Fedrigo (BBO) won in Gap in 2006 and in Tarbes this year.
Sandy Casar (FDJ) won in Angouleme in 2007.
The men in the lead of the stage are: Gomez Marchante (CTT), Van Den Broeck (SIL), Voigt (SAX), Ten Dam (RAB), Astarloza, Anton and Verdugo (EUS), Goubert and Roche (ALM), Pellizotti (LIQ), Casar (FDJ), Moinard (COF), Fedrigo, Lefevre and Trofimov (BBO), Karpets (KAT), Vogondy (AGR) and Velits (MRM).
With 60km to go, the 15-man chase group has caught up with Pellizotti and Karpets.
Andy Schleck has punctured in almost every stage of this year’s Tour. He has just copped another flat tire and is waiting for a service from the Saxo Bank team car.
Today’s survey on the official site of the Tour de France asks a question about the rider ranked third overall, Bradley Wiggins (GRM). Be sure to visit LeTour.fr to offer your take on the following query:
Bradley Wiggins is ranked third overall after 15 stages. Will the Garmin rider...
- Be third in Paris?
- Finish higher?
- Drop down the rankings...?
Gomez Marchante, Van Den Broeck, Voigt, Ten Dam, Astarloza, Anton, Verdugo, Goubert, Roche, Casar, Moinard, Fedrigo, Lefevre, Trofimov, Vogondy and Velits are now 55km from Pellizotti and Karpets.
At the 92km mark, the peloton is 4’40" behind. It is led by seven riders from the Astana team. Tucked in behind the yellow jersey (Contador) are riders from the Garmin squad.
The chase group is now 1’00" behind Pellizotti and Karpets. It appears that the Liquigas directeur sportif is suggesting that the King of the Mountains wait for the group of 15 riders.
At the 90km mark, the peloton was 4’50" behind the two stage leaders.
Pellizotti and Karpets are now 1’15" ahead of the 15 chasers: Gomez Marchante, Van Den Broeck, Voigt, Ten Dam, Astarloza, Anton, Verdugo, Goubert, Roche, Casar, Moinard, Fedrigo, Lefevre, Trofimov, Vogondy and Velits.
Maurice Garin, the winner of the first Tour de France, was born in the town where the leaders currently are (Arvier, at the 88.5km mark of the 16th stage).
This is the fourth time that the Col du Petit-St-Bernard has been part of the Tour’s itinerary. The first was in 1949 when Gino Bartali won first place points at the summit but Fausto Coppi won the stage, took the yellow jersey and, eventually, won the title.
This is a 22.6km long ascent with an average gradient of 5.1 percent. The top of the pass is at an altitude of 2,188m (at 128km).
The peloton has arrived in St-Pierre (83km). This is the site of the feedzone for stage 16. The yellow jersey is 5’00" behind the two stage leaders (who have a 1’20" advantage on the 15-man chase group).
The peloton is currently five minutes behind Karpets and Pellizotti. This means that Karpets is closing in on the yellow jersey, having started the day in 20th place 5’56" behind Contador. At the moment, the Russian is the ’virtual’ second place of the general classification.
At the site of the intermediate sprint (in Sarre, 78.5km) the peloton was led by six riders from the Astana team. Muravyev (AST) had been with the race doctor for a while but otherwise his team is well represented at the front of the bunch that’s now 5’10".
Rolland was once in the chase group but he’s now 3’40" behind the two leaders at the 78.5km mark.
The points for the sprint in Sarre (78.5km) were won by:
1. Franco Pellizotti (LIQ) 6pts
2. Vladimir Karpets (KAT) 4pts
3. Gorka Verdugo (EUS) 2pts - at 2’00"
Gomez Marchante (CTT), Van Den Broeck (SIL), Voigt (SAX), Ten Dam (RAB), Astarloza, Anton and Verdugo (EUS), Goubert and Roche (ALM), Casar (FDJ), Moinard (COF), Fedrigo, Lefevre and Trofimov (BBO), Vogondy (AGR) and Velits (MRM) are the riders in the chase group.
Vogondy, Voigt, Ten Dam, Casar, Roche, Verdugo, Velits, Fedrigo, Tofimov, Van Den Broeck, Gomez Marchante, Gustov, Moinard, Gutierrez... are represented in the group that’s 1’40" behind the two stage leaders are the 73.5km mark.
The two stage leaders are 5km from the first intermediate sprint of the 16th stage. They are 1’50" ahead of the first chase group and we’re attempting to confirm the names of those involved in the second peloton...
Karpets and Pellizotti are at the 67km mark. The chase group includes Fedrigo, Velits, Roche, Goubert, and about 14 others...
Pellizotti and Karpets are 4’00" ahead of the yellow jersey’s peloton at the 62km mark.
The grupetto that includes the quadruple stage winner, Cavendish, is 11’30" behind the stage leaders.
The peloton continues to be led by Yaroslav Popovych and four other Astana riders. Ahead of the yellow jersey is the seven-time champion, Armstrong. At the 59km mark, this group is 3’25" behind Karpets and Pellizotti.
Pellizotti and Karpets are now 1’40" ahead of the second group on the road, this includes Roche, Casar and about 14 other riders although we await confirmation of all involved in the counter-attack.
There are five Astana riders at the front of the peloton, including Alberto Contador in the yellow jersey. At the 55km mark, this group is 3’00" behind Pellizotti and Karpets.
The counter-attack group is 1’30" behind the two leaders. This includes: Roche, Gomez Marchante, Gustov, Voigt, Ten Dam, Anton, Astarloza, Verdugo, Goubert, Gutierrez, Moiinard, Casar, Fedrigo, Trofimov, and Velits.
The King of the Mountains added another 20 points his his climbing tally. He now has 129 points, 28 more than Martinez (who earned nothing at the top of the first climb today).
There is 35km of descending before the riders reach the valley between the big and little St-Bernard climbs.
The leaders have covered 53km so far today. Karpets is making a bid to rise up the GC rankings. The best young rider of the 2004 Tour began the day in 20th place, 5’56" behind Contador.
Karpets is doing the most work at the front. He is leading Pellizotti on the descent and this pair have a lead of 2’40" at the 50km mark.
L’Equipe conducted a survey yesterday asking directeurs sportif to nominate the three best and worst descenders in pro cycling. The rider who received the most votes for “best” is Thor Hushovd (CTT) – nominated by 10 teams: Cervelo, Silence-Lotto, Saxo Bank, Rabobank, FDJ, Liquigas, BBox, Quickstep, Milram and Skil-Shimano. Second in the “best” group are Samuel Sanchez (who is not at the Tour) and Fabian Cancellara who both received six votes. While two stage winners this year – Luis Leon Sanchez and Heinrich Haussler – both received four votes.
In the “worst descenders” category, David Moncoutie (COF) stands high above the others with 12 votes. The next “worst” is Frank Schleck (SAX) with seven votes.
The points winners at the top of the first climb were:
1. Pellizotti (LIQ) 20pts
2. Karpets (KAT) 18pts
3. Fedrigo (BBO) 16pts - at 1’15"
4. Casar (FD) 14pts
5. Anton (EUS) 12pts
6. Voigt (SAX) 10pts
7. Astarloza (EUS) 8pts
8. Velits (MRM) 7pts
9. Ten Dam (RAB) 6pts
10. Goubert (ALM) 5pts
The peloton was at the top 2’05" behind Pellizotti.
The two leaders are at the top of the first climb. Pellizotti led Karpets over the Col du Grand-St-Bernard. He wins 5,000 euros for taking the ’Souvenir Henri Desgrange’.
There are 13 men in the second group in the stage. They are: Gomez Marchante and Gustov (CTT), Van Den Broeck (SIL), Voigt (SAX), Ten Dam (RAB), Anton and Verdugo (EUS), Goubert and Roche (ALM), Casar (FDJ), Gutierrez (GCE), Moinard (COF), Fedrigo (BBO) and Velits (MRM).
Voigt is currently driving the pace near the top of the climb.
Near the top of the col du Grand-St-Bernard, Astarloza (EUS) has attacked the yellow jersey’s peloton.
The two leaders are in the final kilometer of the first climb. This has an average gradient of 9 per cent.
Moncoutie has been caught by Contador’s group. And the winner of the stage to St-Girons (LL Sanchez) has been dropped...
The group with Sandy Casar, Gomez Marchante and Laurens Ten Dam is 1’25" behind the two stage leaders.
Cancellara, Martinez, Pasamontes have been caught by the yellow jersey’s peloton that is now 2’00" behind Pellizotti and Karpets.
With 3.5km to climb, the yellow jersey’s peloton is at 2’00". The group with Cavendish is at 5’48".
Hushovd is the latest rider to lose contact with the yellow jersey’s peloton. All the GC favorites are still represented in the group that continues to be led by the Astana team.
Pauriol, Kuschynski and Pasamontes have been dropped from chase group.
With 4km to climb, the group of 24 is 2’00" behind the two stage leaders.
The former leader of the youth classification, Tony Martin (THR) has been dropped by the yellow jersey’s peloton.
Gomez, Gustov (CTT), Van Den Broeck, Cancellara and Voigt (SAX), Ten Dam (RAB), Anton, Verdugo, Martinez (EUS), Goubert and Roche (ALM), Kuschynski (LIQ), Casar (FDJ), Gutierrez and Pasamontes (GCE), Moncoutie, Moinard and Pauriol (COF), Fedrigo, Rolland and Trofimov (BBO), Bouet and Vogondy (AGR) and Velits (MRM) are the riders in the second group on the first climb. They are 1’40" behind Pellizotti and Karpets.
Rogers is not in the group that has just caught the Cancellara group. There are 30 men 1’40" behind the two stage leaders.
There are now 31 riders in the group that’s 1’40" behind Pellizotti and Karpets. We’ll post the complete list once it’s been confirmed.
Karpets and Pellizotti are 1’40" ahead of Cancellara’s group of 16, 2’00" ahead of Rogers’ group of 15 and 2’35" ahead of the yellow jersey’s peloton.
The leaders are now 5km from the top of the col du Grand-St-Bernard.
There is a group of 15 riders in between the early escapees and the peloton. It includes Rogers of the Columbia team and is 35" ahead of the yellow jersey’s group.
Kenny van Hummel of the Skil-Shimano team is holding down the position of ‘Lanterne Rouge’ and it doesn’t appear that any other rider in the peloton will be able to threaten his position as last rider in the general classification. The Dutch rider is 3h02’10” behind Alberto Contador. In distance terms this translates to 123km slower than the current Tour leader after 2,581.5km of racing!
Karpets was the winning of the youth classification in his second attempt at the Tour de France (in 2004). Of the escapees, the Russian is the best in the general classification after 15 stages - starting the day ranked 20th, 5’56" behind Contador.
One of the men in the lead of the stage, Vladimir Karpets, has won the Tour de Suisse before. He beat Kim Kirchen and Stijn Devolder in the Swiss race in 2007.
Pellizotti (LIQ) and Karpets (KAT) lead by 1’35". In the 2nd group are 16 riders: Gomez Marchante (CTT), Van Den Broeck (SIL), Cancellara and Voigt (SAX), Ten Dam (RAB), Martinez and Verdugo (EUS), Kuschynski (LIQ), Casar (FDJ), Gutierrez (GCE), Moncoutie (COF), Fedrigo and Rolland (BBO), Bouet (AGR) and Velits (MRM).
Pellizotti (who has spots everywhere today, including his SRM power meter) is in the lead of stage 16 with Karpets. The two are 1’20" ahead of a group of 15 (including Cancellara et al, mentioned earlier). Then comes a group of 12 men who have a lead of just 10" on the yellow jersey’s peloton.
Karpets and Pellizotti are pushing on with their escape. They are 3’00" ahead of th epeloton that has just been attacked by a group of 11 and now there’s another rider in pursuit of the counter-attack.
There are now two riders ahead of 15 riders. Pellizotti and Karpets are 1’10" ahead of 15 and the peloton is at 2’40".
Martinez has been caught by the group of 15 that includes Cancellara, Voigt, Ten Dam, Van Den Broeck, Gomez Marchante, Verdugo, Kuschynski, Casar, Gutierrez, Moncoutie, Fedrigo, Rolland and Velits.
The man who began the attacks today, Bouet is now in pursuit of the two stage leaders.
An interview with Brian Holm, directeur sportif of the Columbia-HTC team, in the Danish media suggested that the former cyclist had a negative perspective on the tactics employed by the Garmin team during the stage to Colmar. “I’m not here to keep Brian Holm happy,” said Matt White about the comments. “We are here to do our race and try and get the best possible result. I don’t really care what he has to say about our tactics.”
“The first climb is the hardest one today,” said Matt White of the Garmin team when asked by LeTour.fr what he thought would happen in stage 16. “I think we’ll see an escape group go early but it’s a little too long (from the top of the final ascent) to the finish for the big hitters to really be able to do something.”
The US-registered formation is ranked sixth in the team classification but the big surprise is the position of one of the British recruits, Bradley Wiggins, on GC. He is ranked third overall. “I’m not sure how he can win the Tour but he’s put himself in a good position in the opening two weeks and we continue to see improvements every day,” said White of Wiggins. “He’s impressing us each day and it was good to see him put some time into some of the GC favorites on the last climb of stage 15.”
The 15 remnants of the early escape are now 1’00" behind Pellizotti and Karpets.
At the 22.5km mark of the stage, the peloton is 2’40" behind the two stage leaders - Pellizotti (LIQ) and Karpets.
The 11 counter-attackers have been reeled in by the yellow jersey’s group.
Six riders have caught the counter-attacking group. The riders involved in this move are: Wegelius (SIL), Niermann (RAB), Millar (GRM), Astarloza and Anton (EUS), Pauriol (COF), Voeckler (BBO), Barredo (QST) and Vogondy (AGR).
The five counter-attackers are 2’30" behind the two stage leaders - Pellizotti and Karpets (as Martinez has been dropped and is now 12" behind in third place). The peloton is 2’45" behind the current King of the Mountains (Pellizotti).
Wegelius, Arrieta, Barredo, Voeckler and Vogondy have attacked the peloton.
Eisel and Cavendish have just ridden back into the yellow jersey’s peloton.
Pellizotti, Martinez and Karpets lead 15 other escapees by 30".
The three leaders are within the final 20km of the first climb. They have a lead on the yellow jersey of 2’32".
There are a number of riders - including Cavendish, Eisel, Renshaw, De Jongh - being dropped early on the first climb.
Lloyd (SIL), Arrieta (ALM) and Txurruka (EUS) have been caught by the peloton that is now 2’15" behind the leading trio.
From the original group of 21 attackers, four have been dropped: Haussler and Roulston (CTT), Maaskant (GRM) and Geschke (SKS) are no longer part of the group that’s 12" behind Martinez (EUS), Pellizotti (LIQ) and Karpets (KAT).
Lloyd (SIL) and Txurruka (EUS) have chased down Arrieta who attacked the peloton early on the first climb.
Martinez (EUS) has bridged the gap to Pellizotti (LIQ) and Karpets (KAT) at the front of the stage. Now Verdugo (EUS) and Van Den Broeck (SIL) are trying to bridge the gap to the leaders.
Arrieta has attacked the peloton early on the climb of the Grand-St-Bernard.
The rider in the polka-dot jersey has attacked the lead group. He began this move after 2km of climbing. Pellizotti is now being joined in the lead by Karpets.
Before the start of the stage, LeTour.fr contacted the directeur sportif of the Garmin-Slipstream team, Matt White, to find out how they spent the rest day and get his appraisal of what he expects will unfold in the stage to Bourg-Saint-Maurice. “We had a good rest day,” said the Australian, “we took a helicopter – arranged by some ‘logistical people’ – to see the time trial course in Annecy. It was nice to get out of the hotel for a bit and also to get a better understanding of what promises to be an interesting race in a few days time.
“We did the course one and a half times, making sure that we did the climb twice. It was beneficial because the hill is a lot harder than what the profile in the road book would suggest.”
Four of the riders were part of this reconnaissance: Bradley Wiggins (3rd overall), Christian Vande Velde, Dave Millar and Dave Zabriskie. “After a getting a good look at the course, we got back in the helicopter and went back to the hotel for some rest.”
The riders in the lead of the 16th stage early on the first climb are: Roulston, Gomez Marchante and Haussler (CTT), Van Den Broeck (SIL), Ten Dam (RAB), Martinez and Verdugo (EUS), Pellizotti and Kuschynski (LIQ), Moncoutie (COF), Fedrigo and Rolland (BBO), Gutierrez (GCE), Karpets (KAT), Bouet (AGR), Velits (MRM), Geschke (SKS), Cancellara and Voigt (SAX), Maaskant (GRM) and Casar (FDJ).
At the bottom of the climb, the peloton is 2’00" behind.
The leaders have just begun the ascent of the col du Grand-Saint-Bernard. They are two minutes ahead of the peloton.
There are now 21 riders ahead of the peloton (by 1’40"). The move by two Euskaltel riders didn’t last long. They have been reeled in by the bunch that’s led by the Astana team.
Two riders from the Euskaltel team are in a counter-attack. They began their move at the 11km mark and are now in pursuit of the group of 21 that includes two Euskaltel riders already (Verdugo and Martinez).
At the 11km mark, the 21 riders have a lead of 1’10" on the peloton.
Of the 21 in the lead, the best in the general classification after 15 stages is Russia’s Vladimir Karpets of the Katusha team. They are 1’10" ahead at the 9km mark.
The former winner of the white jersey is ranked 20th overall, 5’56" behind Contador.
The 21 escapees now have an advantage of 50 seconds on the peloton.
At the 6.5km mark, the 21 escapees are 40" ahead of the peloton that continues to be led by the Astana team.
Columbia, AG2R, Lampre, Quickstep and Astana are the teams that are not represented in the escape group.
The riders in the lead group are: Roulston, Gomez Marchante and Haussler (CTT), Van Den Broeck (SIL), Ten Dam (RAB), Martinez and Verdugo (EUS), Pellizotti and Kuschynski (LIQ), Moncoutie (COF), Fedrigo and Rolland (BBO), Gutierrez (GCE), Karpets (KAT), Bouet (AGR), Velits (MRM) and Geschke (SKS) are the 19 riders who made the initial move. They have been joined by Cancellara (SAX) and Maaskant (GRM).
They have a lead of 30" on the peloton at the 5km mark.
The riders in the lead include: Pellizotti, Voigt, Bouet (who started the move). They have a lead of just seven seconds.
The peloton is not allowing the early move to gain a rapid advantage. The Astana team is at the front of the bunch.
There is a group of 15 riders with a lead of about 150 meters on the peloton. It includes the leader of the climbing classification, Franco Pellizotti (LIQ).
The rider with the number-one ’dossard’, Carlos Sastre (CTT) is positioned at the rear of the peloton as the attacks continue up front.
Bouet (AGR) and Roulston (CTT) are about to be joined by a group of about eight others including Laurens Ten Dam (RAB) and Jens Voigt (SAX).
Maxime Bouet attacked at the 200m mark of the 159km stage. He has been joined in the escape by a Cervelo rider.
The official start of the 16th stage - from Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice - was at 1.03pm.
Juan Manuel Garate (RAB) made a point of coming up to the front of the peloton in the neutral zone. He has been known to attack early in stages like this one. The bunch is about to arrive at the official start.
With three riders in the top nine positions of stage 15, the Astana team won the team category in Verbier by 2’51” (from Saxo Bank – which had three men in the top 37). The efforts of Contador, Kloden and Armstrong elevated the Kazahk-backed squad up to first in the team rankings. It now leads AG2R by 1’17” and Saxo Bank by 2’14”.
There is a new leader of the youth classification for the first time since the end of stage three. Andy Schleck (SAX) finished second to Contador (AST) in Verbier and moved up the overall rankings from 10th to fifth. The Luxembourg champion is back in the white jersey that he won in the year of his Tour debut (2008). His advantage over former leader Tony Martin (THR) is 41”; but in between Schleck and the German is Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali (LIQ), 25” behind the ‘Best Young Rider’.
There was no change to the top order of the points classification after stage 15. Thor Hushovd (CTT) has maintained his 18 point advantage over the quadruple stage winner Mark Cavendish (THR), 218pts to 200. The Spanish sprinter Jose Joaquim Rojas is ranked third in the race for the green jersey with 126pts.
The 159km stage from Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice is the shortest of the non-time trial stages in the 96th edition of the Tour. It also boasts the highest mountain pass: the first climb of the day - the col du Grand-Saint-Bernard which is 2,473 high with the top at the 40.5km mark. The ascent is 24.4km long with an average gradient of 6.2 per cent.
On the final climb of stage 15, Franco Pellizotti (LIQ) was poised to strike in a bid for double-points at the top in Verbier but the Italian failed to follow the GC riders who launched a volley of attacks after strong lead-out work from the Liquigas, Milram and Saxo Bank teams. Pellizotti did not earn a single point in the final ascent of the previous stage but he still leads the climbing classification with 109 points, eight more than former polka-dot jersey wearer, Egoi Martinez (EUS). In third place is the winner of the stage to Tarbes, Pierrick Fedrigo (BBO) with 65 points.
The peloton has just started rolling in the 5.5km neutral zone. Alessandro Ballan, in his rainbow jersey as the reigning world champion, was beside compatriot Franco Pellizotti who is wearing the polka-dot jersey again today on the front row.
Alberto Contador (AST) is the third rider to wear the yellow jersey in the 2009 Tour de France. The winner of stage 15 has an advantage of 1’37” on his team-mate Lance Armstrong and is 1’46” ahead of British revelation Bradley Wiggins, the pursuit specialist who is riding a three-week race with a focus on the GC for the first time. Another Astana rider is ranked fourth: Andreas Kloden is 2’17” behind Contador while the reigning Best Young Rider, Andy Schleck (SAX) is five overall at 2’26”.
The former race leader, Rinaldo Nocentini (ALM) is now in sixth place with a deficiti of 2’30” to the 2007 Tour champion.
No riders have quit the Tour during the second day of rest. There are still 162 men in the race. The peloton is lined up at the site of the ’depart fictif’ in Matigny with Alberto Contador in the yellow jersey for the first time since he stood on the podium in Paris as the champion of the 2007 Tour de France.
The peloton will roll through a short neutral zone before arriving at the site of the official start. This is expected to be at around 1.00pm.
The peloton is to return to France after a rest day in Switzerland. The 16th stage is scheduled to start at 12.55pm and will take in three countries: the Swiss start, then into Italy before arriving in France. It is a 159km journey that takes in two major mountain passes. The weather is mild with overcast conditions at the start and temperatures of about 25 degrees Celsius in Martigny.
Live coverage of the stage will commence shortly.
