Majka doubles up

22 riders in the lead after the col du Portillon

Sergio Paulinho (Tinkoff), Blel Kadri (AG2R), Tom-Jelte Slagter (Garmin), Yukiya Arashiro and Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Jens Voigt (Trek), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) and Martin Elmiger (IAM) attacked in the second kilometer of racing. They got caught at the beginning of the ascent to the col du Portillon after covering more than 50km in the first hour! Six riders rode away at the initiative of Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) who had the polka dot jersey as his main objective of the day. Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale), Kristijan Durasek (Lampre), Nicolas Roche (Tinkoff), Bauke Mollema (Belkin) and David Lopez (Sky) accompanied him. After Rodriguez took ten points at the Portillon, 16 riders bridged the gap in the downhill: Vassil Kiriyenka (Sky), Jesus Herrada, Jon Izagirre and Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), Rafal Majka (Tinkoff), Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Blel Kadri (AG2R), Tom Dumoulin (Giant), Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto), Amaël Moinard and Peter Velits (BMC), Pierre Rolland, Yukiya Arashiro and Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Fränck Schleck (Trek) and Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis).

Kiriyenka: 34km alone in the mountains

Kiriyenka attacked at the exit of Bagnères-de-Luchon with 56km to go. He stayed away by himself in the ascents to the col de Peyresourde and Val Louron while the peloton was cruising around five minutes behind. The Belarus rider got reined in the last kilometer of the second last climb, where Rodriguez outsprinted Majka. Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) attacked from the yellow jersey group in the downhill.

Majka on the path of Jaskula

Four riders started climbing to Pla d'Adet in the lead: Rolland, Roche, Moinard and Visconti. The Sicilian went solo with 9km to go. Majka came across to him 4.2km before the finishing line while Nibali accelerated and took Péraud with him. Majka dropped Visconti off with 2.5km to go. 21 years after Zenon Jaskula became the first Polish rider to win a stage of the Tour de France precisely at Saint-Lary, the Tinkoff-Saxo climber doubled up after opening his record book on stage 14 at Risoul. Earlier in difficulty, Alejandro Valverde saved his second place on GC behind Nibali who was a brilliant third finisher but Péraud, the only rider able to accompany the yellow jersey, became the French favorite for the final podium in Paris.