Stage Details

Stage 15 - Tuesday, July 23: Vaison-la-Romaine - Les Deux-Alpes

Distance:	226.5km
Start Location:	Place Burrus, Vaison-la-Romaine
Start Time:	Flying Start: 10:25 a.m. on D.938 (Gabriellini)
Description:	Course: After a rest day at Vaison-la-Romaine, the survivors of this rugged Tour will start stage 15 with the prospect of seven hours in the saddle on what is the longest stage this year. And if there are heat-wave conditions — which are typical for this pre-alpine area in mid-summer — then it will be a very laborious journey to Les Deux-Alpes. Although none of the day’s seven climbs are particularly steep, they will take their toll. A long breakaway is a certainty, and it’s unlikely to be caught on the final climb — 11km at 6.5 percent — to Les Deux-Alpes. It’s no Alpe d’Huez. History: Only one stage of the Tour has finished at Les Deux-Alpes, but it was a special one, in 1998. The course was completely different from this year’s as it began in Grenoble and headed into the high Alps over the Croix-de-Fer and Galibier passes though stormy, wet and eventually very cold weather. The winner, of course, was Pantani, who broke away on the Galibier 48km from the finish and finished at Les Deux-Alpes 1:54 before runner-up Rodolfo Massi, 5:43 up on then second-overall Julich and 8:57 ahead of a flailing Ullrich — who lost the yellow jersey to Pantani. Favorites: No dramatics like 1998 are expected on this transitional-type stage, so expect the stage win to be fought out by some of the lower-placed climbers like David Moncoutié, Jonathan Vaughters, Unai Etxebarria, Marcos Serrano and Unai Osa.