Stage 15 – Predictable Sprinter Stage.

As predicted, the stage into Valence had an early breakaway group.  Peter Sagan animated the attack and took maximum points at the intermediate sprint, leaving André Greiple to fight for mop-up points.  15-point advantage to Sagan to pad his Green Jersey lead. 

Also, as predicted, the sprinters’ teams pushed the pace of the peloton, and captured the attackers well before the finish.  However, because the first part of the stage was hilly, Mark Cavendish fell behind the peloton, and therefore missed out on the sprint finale.

The usual suspects (minus Cavendish) lined up for the final sprint, and André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) stormed across the line for his third stage win in this year’s Tour.  John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) took 2^nd, followed closely by Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) 3^rd, Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) 4^th and Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN-Qhubeka) 5^th.  The peloton was so compact that 64 riders were given the same time as Greipel, including all the GC contenders.  So no change in the GC standings (again, as predicted). 

Sagan was awarded the Most Combative prize today for his efforts in the breakaway, and at the finish line.    

With premium points for the stage victory, Greipel outscored Sagan at the line, for a net gain on the day of 17 points.  This still leaves Sagan with a 44-point lead for the Green Jersey.  Sagan is much more likely than Greipel to score intermediate sprint points in the next five stages which all have substantial climbs before the sprint.  If Sagan is shepherding Contador near the end of any of those stages in the Alps, he could also harvest some points at the finish.  Greipel will be lucky to finish those stages at all.  Let’s assume Sagan can add another 27 points to his lead during the next five stages – not beyond possible.  That would mean that even if Greiple scored a 70-point shut-out over Sagan in the final stage to Paris (impossible!), Sagan would still win the Green Jersey.  Of course we can’t crown him King of Sprinters yet – he has to still finish the Tour – but Sagan in Green is now a foregone conclusion.  Yet, he’s still unsatisfied – he desperately wants a stage win.  He will be riding in support of Contador, all this coming week, but don’t be surprised if Sagan tries something audacious in the mountains to steal that elusive stage win.  

Here's an interesting question:  Would Sagan trade the Green Jersey for Greipel's three stage wins?

Today's stage finished in Valence, a city on the Rhône River south of Lyon.  This is the brand-new LDS (Mormon) chapel in Valence.  When I was there almost 50 years ago, the tiny branch met in a small converted store-front, with the missionaries' apartment in the back.  That little branch is now a vibrant, growing ward, part of the Lyon Stake.

Elisse and Ariel Davis, riding the Lyon public bicycles through the Croix Rousse tunnel.  November, 2014.

In anticipation of the climbing stages coming up this week, here are some photos of cyclists struggling up the very steep Second King during the recent Three Kings Cycling Event sponsored by North Salt Lake.  (June 2015.)