Tour de France 2021 - Stage 15 as it happened: Confident climb by Sepp Kuss in Andorra sees American triumph

The American tosses his glasses into the crowd in celebration of a very well-earned, and well-raced first Tour de France victory. Alejandro Valverde finishes 2nd - not bad for the oldest geezer in the WorldTour - while Wout Poels, the new King of the Mountains, comes through to take 3rd out of a small group.

In the yellow jersey group, Tadej Pogacar has restored his five minute lead as Guillaume Martin falls away from 2nd place. There are a whole lot of mountains stll to come in the third week, not to mention a time trial, but it really does seem like everyone else is playing for podium places at best, at this point.

For assisting one team-mate to the stage win, taking a stack of mountains points for himself and adding something to another rider’s GC challenge the Belgian gets man of the match today, surely.”He’s coming home,” says Carlton Kirby. I think you mean “It’s coming home” Carlton. Oh, he’s referring to Sepp Kuss. As you were.

Valverde isn’t bringing the gap down by any meaningful measure. Demonstrating familiarity with the roads, Kuss pedals into every corner but needs to be careful. He’s got this if he stays upright.

For what feels like the first time in several Tours de France, Rigoberto Uran attempts something. It doesn’t come to much, but is noteworthy for its novelty, if nothing else. Ben O'Connor is brought back into the fold, goes again and is brought back again. As they go over the top of the climb, the yellow jersey has Uran, Mas, Carapaz, Vinegaard, Kelderman and Mas with him.

Sepp Kuss is riding well to maintain his lead as he approaches the top of the climb, but Alejandro Valverde fancies being the second 41 year-old to win a stage of the Tour. He’s running out of road on the uphill, however, and it’s hard to imagine him claiming back upwards of 20 seconds on the descent into Andorra.

Tadej Pogacar sticks to Carapaz’s wheel like a limpet, while Jonas Vinegaard is riding admirably to stay with them in the white jersey and onto the virtual podium. Rigoberto Uran is also with this group and up to 2nd place in the GC as it stands.

It’s looking very good for the American and not so much for many others. Carapaz still has two team-mates with him in the yellow jersey group which is down to eight riders. He’s got to do something soon, surely?

The first part of this climb looks excruciatingly steep and it could be easy for riders to overcook it. Wout van Aert was clearly working for Sepp Kuss on the approach to this climb, who goes clear with Alejandro Valverde. Nibali is another rider who's struggling with these gradients.

And they’re shedding riders, including Wout van Aert.

Michael Woods knows this climb well: “What gives me the most fear is the run-in [to the climb]. If there’s a big group there it’ll be quite hectic. Whoever’s on the front will have a big advantage.”

Quintana has been reeled in and the front of the race now has barely five minutes on the diminished yellow jersey group. Not long ago we were certain this stage was destined to go to the breakaway, but there's a big category 1 climb to come, Carapaz has three team-mates with him and they’re pushing on.

These long, wide, winding descents allow for riders to carry plenty of speed and accelerate out of the bends. Martin is struggling to close the gaps, although he has a Cofidis colleague dropping back to help him. Maintaining second spot on the podium could be beyond him today.

And maximum mountains points over the top of the highest pass in the Pyrenees. He puts himself royally back in contention for the polka dot jersey while Wout Poels, crossing the line in third, officially takes it virtually off the back of Michael Woods.

Arkea Samsic have never won a stage of the Tour de France and Quintana, soloing down the mountain, is now in pole position to deliver them their first.

As we descend the mountain Ineos, the only team with numbers in the peloton, have set things up for a showdown on the final climb.

2km to the top of the climb and Michael Woods makes the first move out of the breakaway. His rivals for that competition, Wouts Van Aert and Poels, go with him, as does Nibali. It’s Nairo who looks the strongest at this altitude, however, and he now leads on his own.

Ineos have instructed their breakaway riders, Dylan Van Baarle and Jonathan Catroviejo, to fall back to the peloton in support of Richard Carapaz.

“I think things are about to change,” says Eurosport’s Rob Hatch, and he suspects Trek-Segafredo are lining up Vincenzo Nibali to make the move that we can expect to alter the dynamic of the breakaway at the very least. We’ve just entered Andorra and Movistar are pushing the pace so hard that several of their riders look to be staying in France. Barely forty riders left in the peloton now, and the gap to the breakaway, has fallen to below seven minutes, from 10 minutes not long ago.

Not quite as many points available on the Category 2, Col de Puymorens as on the previous and next climbs, but there are four riders there keen to contest every one of them. Poels leads it out before Van Aert comes over the top of him to take five points. Michael Woods, wearing the jersey, almost catches Poels on the line before Valverde rolls across for the remainder.

That puts Poels and Woods level at the top of that competition, with Van Aert gaining ground. The Belgian fancies a bit of this competition, while Nairo bides his time.

Back in the peloton, Richie Porte has taken over at the front and he’s forced a significant increase in the pace, with Movistar helping maintain it. Riders are going backwards, including the green jersey, and we seem to have entered a different phase in the race. 13km to the summit of the next climb.

Not the big one, obviously, but if you think the yellow jersey has had everything his own way, I remind you of

presented to us ten days ago by Dan Lloyd. Up to that point Tadej Pogacar had won a stage in every week of every Grand Tour he’d ridden. That run looks likely to come to an end today. Unless he gets a wriggle on, and we wouldn’t put it past him.

Either Davide Gaudu is on a seriously strong day, or Marc Madiot has been giving them the traitement au sèche-cheveux (hairdryer treatment, probably not a true translation) or a bit of both. The red, white and bleu team haven’t taken a Tour stage since Thibaut Pinot in 2019. Currently riding along a spectacular valley road, the Col de Puymorens soon interrupts the long climb up to the Port d’Envalira which is surely where this break will start to split apart.

The Tour’s data centre tells us that Edvald Boasson Hagen (Total Energie) is off the back on his own, with a gap of almost a minute to the peloton. This could mean curtains if he can’t claw his way back before they start climbing again. Philippe Gilbert has also been labelled (rather cruelly in my opinion) a straggler, but you’d think the veteran Lotto Soudal rider might stand a better chance of returning to the bunch.

The yellow jersey is passed a musette containing, our sources tell us, a cucumber gazpacho starter, pave of hake en papillote for his main course, and a blackcurrant souffle for dessert. Or a few rice cakes, energy bars and a little can of coke. Meanwhile Tim Declercq cools down the green jersey:

In the first fight for polka dots, it looks like Wout Poels from Michael Woods, before Wout van Aert squeezes his way between the pair of them for second place. De Gendt takes four, and Madouas the remaining deux points. Nairo Quintana is nowhere to be seen, but there’s plenty more on offer today, so maybe he’s saving himself?

Current standings in the KOM competition:

1 Michael Woods 60 pts

2 Wout Poels 59 pts

3 Wout Van Aert 51 pts

4 Nairo Quintana 50 pts

5 Bauke Mollema 41 pts

Sir Bradley Wiggins, on the bike and in the bunch, answers the question we raised earlier. Brad has spoken to Dutch TV and apparently Jumbo Visma have no confidence in the white jersey wearer’s ability to compete for the podium. They are now playing for stages, which explains their putting three riders in the break.

“As Jonas Vinegaard is the only rider to have challenged Tadej Pogacar in the mountains…. that seems slightly bizarre to me,” says Dan Lloyd.

As predicted, the Arkea-Samsic sprinter has called it quits. Bouhanni hasn’t had a bad Tour, by all accounts, with four top tens in sprints, but has been having a torrid time since crashing a few days ago. Already ten minutes behind the peloton, he was never going to make the timecut. That leaves his team with just three riders. Taxi for Arkea?

We’re 5km from the top the first classified climb of the day, the not especially challenging Montee de Mont-Louis. For reasons lost on me, but which someone might be kind enough to explain (Twitter: @nickchr1stian) the points are awarded a good 8.5km before the race starts descending again.

The break, still 30 riders strong, is ticking along nicely, but no fireworks just yet.

Yes, the French team is actually present at their home race. Three of their remaining riders, Bruno Armirail, Valentin Madouas and Davide Gaudu are in the breakaway, with only Stefan Kung kicking back in the bunch.

Sorry, what? Ballerini takes 15 points in third.

Michael Matthews is the clear favourite for maximum points. He’s currently second in the green jersey competition, but a fairly insurmountable 92 points behind Mark Cavendish. With two Deceuninck Quick Step riders, Davide Ballerini and Julian Alaphilippe also in the front group, we can expect at least a bit of a competition for it. 20 points up for grabs.

And if that doesn’t adequately underline the point about quite how strong this group is, Vincenzo Nibali, Julian Alaphilippe, Wout Van Aert, Alejandro Valverde, Michael Matthews, Thomas De Gendt, Daniel Martin and Ion Izagirre have won 27 stages between them.

As the race moves onto wider Pyrenean roads, Team UAE Emirates are marshalling the bunch well. Time for riders to do their bottle collection duties, stop for natural breaks, read the paper etc etc.

Nacer Bouhanni is apparently on his own, right at the back of the race, already four minutes behind any other rider. I’d be stunned if he doesn’t climb off sooner rather than later.

After some deliberation, we’ve concluded that, in fact, Nairo Quintana has made it to the front group. As has Julian Alaphilippe. Michael Matthews is as well, though we can expect his race to finish at the intermediate sprint, which comes 76.5km into the stage.

With two groups in front, now separated by about ten seconds, the peloton seems content to let them fight it out among themselves. Paret Peintre is the highest placed on the GC in 13th, at 24 minutes 44 seconds behind the maillot jaune.

Nairo Quintana looks to be the rider to have lost the most from this selection. Currently second in the King of the Mountains competition, with several of those around him up the road, the Colombian could see the jersey disappear out of sight if this stage does go to the breakaway.

The Jumbo Visma leader, currently just outside the podium places, seems to have been abandoned by his most valuable team-mates. We know he’s a big boy but it seems a bit risky to leave him with only Mike Teunissen for company?

If you think the break of the day is settled, think again. Yesterday it took almost 100km for it to establish itself. Chasing the amazing eight is a lively group including Wout van Aert, Alejandro Valverde, Sepp Kuss, Michael Woods, Vincenzo Nibali and Davide Gaudu.

We haven’t seen much of the broad-shouldered Dutchman and today could be a good day for him. Along with Julian Bernard (Trek-Segafredo), Dan Martin (Israel Start-up Nations), Ruben Guerreiro (EF Education-Nippo), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R Citroen), Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) and Sergio Henao (Team Qhubeka NextHash) they join De Gendt at the front of the race.

At the other end, Nacer Bouhanni was one of the first riders to be dropped. Rob Hatch says “it sounds ominous for a few riders today.”

First off the front, and alone for several Ks now, the Belgian might be wondering whether anyone was going to join him. 190km is long way to go on your own. He needn’t be too concerned - an early TDG attack is always going to tempt others. If it does establish, with him in it, expect the others to lean on him a fair bit.

I interviewed him a few years ago in Nice, and he told me he doesn't have to be too coercive with his colleagues: “A lot of guys, once I’m in the breakaway with them, they’ll come and ask me, ‘What is the plan? what are we going to do?’ I don’t have to say anything. I don’t have to force them into a tactic.”

Christian Prudhomme, his head and shoulders out of the car, offers his captive audience a few verses of Je t'aime... moi non plus and… drops the flag. The stage heads just uphill enough to attract the usual breakaway contenders to the front. Thomas de Gendt is there, along with new maillot a pois, Mike Woods, and Nairo Quintana, the rider who he took it off yesterday and who will be looking to reclaim it today. There are a lot of polka dots up for grabs on this stage...

A big bienvenue to today’s Tour de France liveblog. We’ll be keeping you company from kilometre zero to 192, across the ascents and descents of four mighty mountains.

Is today going to be the day that Mark Cavendish becomes the out and out record holder for Tour de France stage wins? Lol, no of course it won’t.

It will, nevertheless, be an important day for the Manxman, who will take a significant step closer to 35 - simply by making it to the finish inside the time cut.

On the last day of combat before the Tour’s traditional Andorran séjour (someone’s been doing their Duolingo - Ed), with almost 5000m of climbing ahead of them, there will be plenty of riders adopting a “do or die approach” to the stage and Cavendish will no doubt expect to be put under pressure by the front of the race. Loyal lieutenants Ballerini, Mørkøv and Declercq will make sure they're by his side from kilometre 0, however, sharing as much of that between them as they can. Let’s hope the latter has recovered from Friday’s tumble.

Yesterday’s big break yo-yo-ed another rider up the GC rankings. Despite finishing in the same group as his nearest rivals, Tadej Pogacar actually saw his lead reduced by a minute, as Guillaume Martin shot up seven places to second spot. There’ll be plenty of riders with their eyes on that particular prize, so the Cofidis man is sure to have a fight on his hands to keep it.

It’s 29 degrees and sunny in Céret. The Souvenir Henri Desgranges is up for grabs to the first rider over the Port d’Envalira. Allez les mecs!

Tadej Pogacar may be the runaway yellow jersey at the Tour de France but questions continue to swirl around UAE Team Emirates’ tactics. Specifically, what on earth are they?

We are used to seeing the Ineos blueprint at Grand Tours – team takes the GC lead, then ruthlessly controls the race from the front of the bunch.

But UAE have been reluctant leaders in 2021, happy to hand over marshalling duties for the early breakaway before coming to the fore later in the stage.

It's an approach that has left Pogacar, who seized yellow on the final competitive stage in 2020 from Primoz Roglic, often isolated – even if he does seem perfectly content when it happens.

“Yet again UAE just let the race happen for that first two hours,” said Eurosport expert Bradley Wiggins.

“They didn’t really control it, take the initiative and really mark their presence. It allowed the race to keep firing off, attacks all the time.”

However, the 2012 Tour champion continued that regardless of UAE’s tactics, Pogacar could likely do it all on his own.

“Pogacar has got such a healthy lead,” he continued.

“I think that once we get into the mountains that he has the legs to mark his dominance and put more time into these guys.

“It’s more of a battle for that podium behind, I think we will see more of a battle for the second and third places tomorrow rather than the win.”

In a chaotic stage through the foothills of the Pyrenees, an assured performance from Dutchman Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) restored a bit of order after a brave and bold solo attack from the breakaway over 40km from the finish.

Mollema was part of a 14-man move which took an eternity to come together after a hectic opening two hours of racing saw the peloton cover a monstrous 100km in south-west France. The 34-year-old attacked on a rolling plateau ahead of the fifth of five categorised climbs that peppered the parcours, catching his fellow escapees napping en route to a second career stage win on the Tour.

Just days after finishing in third place following the historic double ascent of Mont Ventoux, Mollema had time to savour his first Tour stage win since 2017 as he entered the town Quillan after a hard-fought 183.7km stage through the Languedoc-Roussillon region renowned for its majestic Cathar castles.

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