2015 Tour de France

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2015 Tour de France
2015 UCI World Tour, race 18 of 28
Map of France showing the showing the path of the race going counter-clockwise starting in the Netherlands, going through Belgium, then around France.
Route of the 2015 Tour de France
Race details
Dates4–26 July 2015
Stages21
Distance3,360.3 km (2,088 mi)
Winning time84h 46' 14"
Results
Winner  Chris Froome (GBR) (Team Sky)
  Second  Nairo Quintana (COL) (Movistar Team)
  Third  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (Movistar Team)

Points  Peter Sagan (SVK) (Tinkoff–Saxo)
Mountains  Chris Froome (GBR) (Team Sky)
Youth  Nairo Quintana (COL) (Movistar Team)
Combativity  Romain Bardet (FRA) (AG2R La Mondiale)
Team Spain Movistar Team
← 2014
2016 →

The 2015 Tour de France was the 102nd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The 3,360.3 km (2,088 mi)-long race consisted of 21 stages, starting on 4 July in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and concluding on 26 July with the Champs-Élysées stage in Paris. A total of 198 riders from 22 teams entered the race. The overall general classification was won by Chris Froome of Team Sky, with the second and third places taken by Movistar Team riders Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde, respectively.

BMC Racing Team's Rohan Dennis won the first stage to take the general classification leader's yellow jersey. Trek Factory Racing rider Fabian Cancellara claimed it on the second, only to lose it after crashing out on the following stage. This put Froome in the lead, after the Tour's first uphill finish. He lost the position to Etixx–Quick-Step's Tony Martin at the end of the fourth stage, but Martin's withdrawal from the race after a crash at the end of the sixth stage put Froome back into the lead. He extended this lead during the stages in the Pyrenees and defended it successfully against attacks from Quintana during the final stages that took place in the Alps.

Froome became the first British rider to win the Tour twice, after his 2013 victory. Peter Sagan of Tinkoff–Saxo won the points classification. Froome also won the mountains classification. The best young rider was Quintana, with his team, Movistar, the winners of the team classification. Romain Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale was given the award for the most combative rider. André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal) won the most stages, with four.

Teams[edit]

Two dark-skinned men riding bicycles.
MTN–Qhubeka's Eritrean riders Daniel Teklehaimanot and Merhawi Kudus, seen here on stage nineteen, became the first black Africans to compete in the Tour de France.

Twenty-two teams participated in the 2015 edition of the Tour de France.[1] The race was the 18th of the 28 events in the UCI World Tour,[2] and all of its seventeen UCI WorldTeams were automatically invited, and obliged, to attend the race.[3] On 14 January 2015, the organiser of the Tour, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), announced the five second-tier UCI Professional Continental teams given wildcard invitations,[4] one of which, MTN–Qhubeka, was to become the first African-registered trade team to participate in the race's history.[5][a] The team presentation – where the members of each team's roster are introduced in front of the media and local dignitaries – took place at Lepelenburg Park in Utrecht, the Netherlands, on 2 July, two days before the opening stage held in the city. Each team arrived in small boats along the Oudegracht canal.[6]

Each squad was allowed a maximum of nine riders, therefore the start list contained a total of 198 riders.[7] Of these, 45 were riding the Tour de France for the first time.[8] The riders came from 32 countries; France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland all had 10 or more riders in the race.[7] Eritrean riders Daniel Teklehaimanot and Merhawi Kudus, both of MTN–Qhubeka, became the first black Africans to compete in the Tour de France.[9] Riders from nine countries won stages during the race; German riders won the largest number of stages, with six.[10] The average age of riders in the race was 29.67 years, ranging from the 21-year-old Kudus to 41-year-old Matteo Tosatto (Tinkoff–Saxo).[11] Of the total average ages, Cofidis was the youngest team and Trek Factory Racing the oldest.[12]

The teams entering the race were:[1]

UCI WorldTeams

UCI Professional Continental teams

Pre-race favourites[edit]

A photograph of Chris Froome.
A photograph of Alberto Contador.
A photograph of Nairo Quintana.
A photograph of Vincenzo Nibali.
The 'big four' general classification favourites. Left-to-right from upper left: Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali.

In the lead up to the Tour, the main contenders for the general classification, known in the media as the 'big four', were Chris Froome (Team Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff–Saxo), Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).[13][14][15][16][17] All had won at least one Grand Tour, amassing a total of twenty Grand Tour podiums.[18] Former Tour de France winners Froome (2013) and Contador (2007 and 2009) returned to the race having crashed out of the 2014 edition.[16][18] The other riders considered contenders were Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing Team), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Joaquim Rodríguez (Team Katusha), followed by AG2R La Mondiale's Jean-Christophe Péraud and Romain Bardet.[13][15][17][19][20]

Froome had shown his form during the season with overall victories at the Vuelta a Andalucía and the Critérium du Dauphiné,[18] a race considered to be the warm-up for the Tour.[21] Contador had earlier in the season won the Giro d'Italia and was aiming to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to achieve the Giro-Tour double. He was also aiming to hold all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously, having won the 2014 Vuelta a España.[22] Thirteen days before the start of the Tour, Contador won the Route du Sud, defeating Quintana by seventeen seconds.[23] Quintana placed second in the 2013 Tour, winning the mountains and young rider classifications.[24] He was absent in 2014 as he concentrated on the Giro d'Italia, which he won.[18] His major victory of the 2015 season was the Tirreno–Adriatico.[24] The defending champion Nibali was considered a contender, although his best result of the season was tenth in the Tour de Romandie, and placed thirteenth at the Dauphiné.[25]

The sprinters considered favourites for the points classification and wins on the flat or hilly bunch sprint finishes were Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha), Mark Cavendish (Etixx–Quick-Step), André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff–Saxo) and John Degenkolb (Team Giant–Alpecin).[26][27][28][29][30][31] Kristoff and Cavendish both showed their form during the season coming into the Tour, with eighteen and twelve wins, respectively.[26] Greipel was also a contender, spearheaded by his sprint train, much like Cavendish.[29] Three-time consecutive winner of the points classification Sagan was expected to have a hard time repeating as winner due to the changes in the classification's point structure and also due to the fact he had to ride in support of Contador.[32] Degenkolb, who won the one-day classic races Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix in the season, would take the lead of the Team Giant–Alpecin team due to the absence of the 2014 Tour's four-stage winner Marcel Kittel,[33] who was not selected due to lack of fitness.[34]

Route and stages[edit]

A mountain road switching back on itself.
Stage twenty, the penultimate stage, concluded with the 13.8 km (8.6 mi) ascent of the Alpe d'Huez; it has an average gradient of 7.9% and features twenty-one hairpin turns.[35]

On 8 November 2013, the ASO announced Utrecht would host the 2015 edition's opening stages (known as the Grand Départ).[36][37] It was the sixth time the Tour had started in the Netherlands, a record for a country outside France. The previous five were: 1954, in Amsterdam; 1973, in Scheveningen; 1978, in Leiden; 1996, in 's-Hertogenbosch; and 2010, in Rotterdam.[38] Utrecht paid the ASO a reported 4m to host the Grand Départ.[39] The full route of the Tour was unveiled on 22 October 2014 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. At the event, the race director Christian Prudhomme described it as "atypique" (English: "atypical"), adding "If you do not climb, you will not win the Tour in 2015." The most noticeable differences were the lack of time trial kilometres and the mountainous terrain.[40]

After the first stage in Utrecht, the second stage left the city to finish in the region of Zeeland in the south of the Netherlands. The third began in Antwerp, Belgium, and concluded at the Mur de Huy,[41] a steep climb known for its inclusion in the one-day classic race La Flèche Wallonne.[42] Stage four started in Seraing, before ending in Cambrai, France;[41] it featured seven cobbled sectors with a combined distance of 13 km (8.1 mi).[43] Stages five to nine crossed northern France westwards, beginning in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and ending in Brittany. A long transfer took the race to the south of the country for next three stages through the Pyrenees,[41] which include the Tour's most climbed mountain, the Col du Tourmalet, on stage eleven.[44] Stages 13 to 16 formed a continuous four-stage journey that navigated eastwards to the Alps; four stages took place in and around the mountain range. A second long transfer took the Tour back to the north-east to finish with the Champs-Élysées stage in Paris.[41]

There were 21 stages in the race, covering a total distance of 3,360.3 km (2,088 mi), 298.7 km (185.6 mi) shorter than the 2014 Tour.[45][46] The longest mass-start stage was the fourth at 223.5 km (139 mi), and stage 21 was the shortest at 110.5 km (69 mi).[41] The opening individual time trial was 13.8 km (8.6 mi) – although it was too long to be classified a prologue – and the team time trial on stage 9 was 28 km (17.4 mi).[17][41] Of the remaining stages, seven were officially classified as flat, five as medium mountain and seven as high mountain.[41][47] Stages 3 and 8, although classified as flat, finished at the 204 m (669 ft)-high Mur de Huy and 293 m (961 ft)-high Mûr-de-Bretagne respectively. There were six summit finishes: stage 10, to La Pierre Saint-Martin; stage 11, to Cauterets; stage 12, to Plateau de Beille; stage 17, to Pra-Loup; stage 19, to La Toussuire to Les Sybelles; and stage 20, to Alpe d'Huez.[41][48] On 25 June, it was announced that due to a landslide, the route of stage twenty would be changed, bypassing the Col du Galibier and instead climbing the Col de la Croix de Fer. The stage distance, however, remained intact.[49] The highest point of elevation in the race was the 2,250 m (7,380 ft)-high Col d'Allos mountain pass on stage seventeen.[48] There were seven hors catégorie (English: beyond category) rated climbs in the race.[48][50] The Tour included six new start or finish locations. The rest days were after stage 9, in Pau, and after 16, in Gap.[41]

Stage characteristics and winners[41][50][51]
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
1 4 July Utrecht (Netherlands) 13.8 km (8.6 mi) Individual time trial  Rohan Dennis (AUS)
2 5 July Utrecht (Netherlands) to Zeeland[b] (Netherlands) 166 km (103 mi) Flat stage  André Greipel (GER)
3 6 July Antwerp (Belgium) to Huy (Belgium) 159.5 km (99 mi) Medium mountain stage  Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP)
4 7 July Seraing (Belgium) to Cambrai 223.5 km (139 mi) Medium mountain stage  Tony Martin (GER)
5 8 July Arras to Amiens 189.5 km (118 mi) Flat stage  André Greipel (GER)
6 9 July Abbeville to Le Havre 191.5 km (119 mi) Flat stage  Zdeněk Štybar (CZE)
7 10 July Livarot to Fougères 190.5 km (118 mi) Flat stage  Mark Cavendish (GBR)
8 11 July Rennes to Mûr-de-Bretagne 181.5 km (113 mi) Medium mountain stage  Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA)
9 12 July Vannes to Plumelec 28 km (17 mi) Team time trial  BMC Racing Team
13 July Pau Rest day
10 14 July Tarbes to La Pierre Saint-Martin 167 km (104 mi) Medium mountain stage  Chris Froome (GBR)
11 15 July Pau to Cauterets 188 km (117 mi) High mountain stage  Rafał Majka (POL)
12 16 July Lannemezan to Plateau de Beille 195 km (121 mi) High mountain stage  Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP)
13 17 July Muret to Rodez 198.5 km (123 mi) Medium mountain stage  Greg Van Avermaet (BEL)
14 18 July Rodez to Mende 178.5 km (111 mi) Medium mountain stage  Steve Cummings (GBR)
15 19 July Mende to Valence 183 km (114 mi) Flat stage  André Greipel (GER)
16 20 July Bourg-de-Péage to Gap 201 km (125 mi) Medium mountain stage  Rubén Plaza Molina (ESP)
21 July Gap Rest day
17 22 July Digne-les-Bains to Pra-Loup 161 km (100 mi) High mountain stage  Simon Geschke (GER)
18 23 July Gap to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne 186.5 km (116 mi) High mountain stage  Romain Bardet (FRA)
19 24 July Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to La ToussuireLes Sybelles 138 km (86 mi) High mountain stage  Vincenzo Nibali (ITA)
20 25 July Modane to Alpe d'Huez 110.5 km (69 mi) High mountain stage  Thibaut Pinot (FRA)
21 26 July Sèvres to Paris (Champs-Élysées) 109.5 km (68 mi) Flat stage  André Greipel (GER)
Total 3,360.3 km (2,088 mi)[45]

Race overview[edit]

Grand Départ and journey west[edit]

A man wearing a yellow jersey with his arms aloft.
Tony Martin (Etixx–Quick-Step) waited until stage four to wear the race leader's yellow jersey after he placed second overall after each of the opening three stages. He crashed out of the Tour on stage six.

The race's opening individual time trial stage in Utrecht was won by Rohan Dennis of BMC Racing Team by a margin of five seconds over Etixx–Quick-Step's Tony Martin, with Trek Factory Racing's Fabian Cancellara a further second down. Dennis set the record for the fastest average speed in a time trial at the Tour, with 55.446 km/h (34.5 mph). His win put him in the race leader's yellow jersey.[52] On stage two, crosswinds along the coastal route to the finish in Zeeland caused the peloton (the main group) to split into echelons, resulting in time gaps between riders. The stage ended in a bunch sprint, won by André Greipel, putting him in the green jersey as the leader of the points classification. Dennis was in a group that finished one minute twenty-eight seconds in arrears. Cancellara finished third placed in the stage and took the race lead, profiting from a time bonus missed by Martin, who came in ninth. The general classification favourites that gained time from being in the leading group of twenty-six were Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and Tejay van Garderen; the other favourites finished in the same group as Dennis.[53] On the third stage, the race was neutralised following a major crash 58 km (36 mi) from the finish which put six of riders out of the race, including Cancellara.[54][55] The peloton continued to the final climb, the Mur de Huy, where Joaquim Rodríguez held off Froome to take the stage by one second. Rodríguez was awarded the first the polka dot jersey as the leader of the mountains classification and Froome took the yellow, while also gaining time over the other general classification favourites.[54] It was the third day in succession Martin ended in second place overall, and to three different riders.[56] The partially cobbled fourth stage saw Martin take the victory and the yellow jersey with an attack on the lead group 3 km (1.9 mi) from the finish in Cambrai.[56]

On the fifth stage, a bunch sprint occurred and Greipel got the better of it by beating Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish, respectively.[57] In the sixth stage, Zdeněk Štybar of Etixx–Quick-Step won after escaping on the concluding small ascent in the port city of Le Havre.[58] A crash in the final kilometre forced Martin to abandon the Tour with a broken collarbone, the second yellow jersey wearer to surrender after Cancellara.[55] A record was set after the stage, with Daniel Teklehaimanot becoming the first black African to lead the mountains classification.[59] Although Froome now led the race, no rider wore the yellow jersey on stage seven as Martin had finished the stage and earned the right to wear it.[60] Cavendish won the seventh from a bunch sprint in Fougères, Brittany. Froome was awarded the yellow jersey after the stage.[61] Stage eight, finishing atop the Mûr-de-Bretagne, saw the first French victory of the Tour, with AG2R La Mondiale rider Alexis Vuillermoz launching an attack inside the final kilometre to take the victory.[62] The general classification favourites finished together except Vincenzo Nibali who lost ten seconds. Sagan moved into the green jersey.[63] BMC Racing Team won stage nine's team time trial by one second over Team Sky.[64] The squad of Nairo Quintana, Movistar Team, came in third, four seconds in arrears. Alberto Contador's Tinkoff–Saxo in fourth, twenty-eight seconds down, and Nibali's Astana following, a further seven seconds behind.[65] The first rest day took place the following day in Pau.[41]

Pyrenees and Massif Central[edit]

A group of cyclists riding up an incline being led by one wearing a green jersey.
Tinkoff–Saxo's Peter Sagan (pictured in stage nineteen) held the green jersey from the end of stage eleven to the end of the Tour, claiming his fourth consecutive points classification title.

Stage ten was the race's first arrival at altitude with the finish at La Pierre Saint-Martin in the Pyrenees. The day's breakaway was caught and passed on the final climb by a select group. Froome attacked with 6.4 km (4 mi) remaining to take the win, with teammate Richie Porte and Quintana a minute in arrears. The stage saw time gaps open up across the general classification leaders. The biggest loser was Nibali, who came in twenty-first, over four minutes behind Froome, who increased his lead to second placed Tejay van Garderen to two minutes and fifty-two seconds. Froome took the polka dot jersey and Greipel the green.[66] Stage eleven was another mountainous stage; it was won by Rafał Majka (Tinkoff–Saxo), who was part of the early breakaway and attacked on the slopes of the Col du Tourmalet. He soloed across the line in Cauterets one minute ahead of second-placed Dan Martin (Cannondale–Garmin). The green jersey returned to Sagan.[67] Rodríguez gained his second victory of the race on stage twelve; he was part of an early twenty-two rider breakaway that reached the final climb to Plateau de Beille. Froome kept his lead intact.[68]

Stage thirteen saw the escapees being brought inside the one kilometre to go marker (known as the flamme rouge). Greg Van Avermaet of BMC Racing Team took the uphill victory ahead of the chasing Sagan.[69] On stage fourteen, a twenty-four rider breakaway reached the final climb, the Côte de la Croix Neuve. After the breakaway had fractured, Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet led over the summit, before Steve Cummings of MTN–Qhubeka overtook them to take the victory at Brenoux Airport on the plateau above Mende.[70] Sagan was part of the breakaway, amassing maximum points at the intermediate sprint. Over four minutes after Cummings had finished, Froome outsprinted Quintana while the other general classification favourites were slightly distanced. Quintana moved into second place overall, displacing Van Garderen.[71] Stage fifteen had for principal difficulty the Col de l'Escrinet climb, which saw most of the sprinters succeeding at passing the climb in the lead group, with the notable exception of Cavendish. Greipel won his third stage of the Tour, followed by John Degenkolb and Alexander Kristoff, respectively.[72] On the next stage, featuring the Col de Manse as the final climb, Rubén Plaza (Lampre–Merida) escaped the leading group of breakaway riders on the ascent. Sagan chased him down the descent, but to no avail as Plaza soloed to victory in Gap.[73] The next day was the second rest day, spent in Gap.[41]

Alps and finale[edit]

A group of cyclists riding up an incline being led by a one wearing a yellow jersey.
Team Sky's Chris Froome (pictured in stage nineteen) held the yellow jersey from the end of the seventh stage to the final stage, claiming his second Tour de France victory.

Stage seventeen, the first of four Alpine stages, saw third placed overall Van Garderen withdraw from the race with illness.[74] The stage was won by Team Giant–Alpecin's Simon Geschke, who escaped from the breakaway with under 50 km (31 mi) remaining to win in Pra-Loup.[75] Fifth placed overall Contador crashed on the descent of the Col d'Allos, losing over two minutes to race leader Froome.[76] On stage eighteen, Bardet attacked the breakaway close to the summit of the Col du Glandon and opened a gap on descent before riding solo to victory in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Bardet moved up to tenth overall and became joint first with Rodríguez in the mountains classification, displacing Froome.[77] In the Tour's queen stage, nineteenth,[78] Nibali broke away from the general classification group close to the summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer to bridge and pass the breakaway group and win at La Toussuire - Les Sybelles. Quintana came in second, forty-four seconds later, with Froome coming in a further thirty.[79] In the Tour's penultimate stage, a select group of riders attacked on the Col de la Croix de Fer and made it to the finish on Alpe d'Huez, where they met the disintegrate early breakaway. Pinot attacked passed the breakaways to take the victory ahead of the encroaching Quintana, who came in second after attacking the chasing general classification group on the Alpe. Quintana gained a margin of eighty seconds over Froome, but it was not enough and had to settle for second place overall.[80]

The final stage in Paris was won by Greipel, his fourth victory of this year's Tour.[81] Froome finished the race to claim his second Tour de France, becoming the first British rider to win the race on two occasions. He beat second-placed Quintana by seventy-two seconds, with his Movistar Team teammate Alejandro Valverde third. Froome also claimed the mountains classification, the first time a rider had won both since Eddy Merckx in 1970.[82] Although he failed to win any stages during the race, Sagan won his fourth consecutive points classification with a total of 432, 66 ahead of Greipel in second.[83][84] The best young rider was Quintana, followed by Bardet and Team Giant–Alpecin's Warren Barguil, respectively. Movistar Team finished as the winners of the team classification, over fifty-seven minutes ahead of second-placed Team Sky. Of the 198 starters, 160 reached the finish of the last stage in Paris.[83]

Classification leadership and minor prizes[edit]

There were four main individual classifications contested in the 2015 Tour de France, as well as a team competition. The most important was the general classification, which was calculated by adding each rider's finishing times on each stage.[47] Time bonuses (time subtracted) returned to the Tour for the first time since the 2008 edition.[85] For all stage finishes, excluding the two time trial stages, the three first finishers of stages earned bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds respectively.[86] Of the reintroduction, race director Christian Prudhomme said: "We want to open up the race, we want the race to be decided on any day of the Tour."[85] If a crash had happened within the final 3 km (1.9 mi) of a stage, not including time trials and summit finishes, the riders involved would have received the same time as the group they were in when the crash occurred.[87] The rider with the lowest cumulative time was the winner of the general classification and was considered the overall winner of the Tour.[47] The rider leading the classification wore a yellow jersey.[88] Rain on the final stage forced the final times of the general classification to be taken on the first crossing of the finish line before the ten laps of the cobbled Champs-Élysées. Riders were required to cross the finish line on the final lap to receive their times.[89]

Points classification points for the top 15 positions by type[47]
Type 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Flat stage 50 30 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Medium mountain stage 30 25 22 19 17 15 13 11 9
High mountain stage 20 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Individual time trial
Intermediate sprint

The second classification was the points classification. Riders received points for finishing among the highest placed in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints during the stage.[47] The points system was also changed. A stage win was worth 50 points instead of 45, second place awarded 30 instead of 35 and third 20 instead of 30. The sprint points rule change aimed to make a stage win more valuable.[85] The points available for each stage finish were determined by the stage's type.[47] The new system was in effect only on the Tour's six stages classified as flat (stages 2, 5, 6, 7, 15 and 21). On seven stages (the cobble stage and six hillier stages, namely stages 3, 4, 8, 10, 13, 14 and 16) the rider who won received 30 points, 25 for the second rider, and so on.[47][90] For the mountain stages (stages 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20) and the individual time trial (stage 1), the winner received 20 points. No points were awarded for the team time trial on stage nine.[47] The leader was identified by a green jersey.[88]

The third classification was the mountains classification. Points were awarded to the riders that reached the summit of the most difficult climbs first. The climbs were categorised as fourth-, third-, second-, first-category and hors catégorie, with the more difficult climbs rated lower.[47] Double points were awarded on the summit finishes on stages 10, 12, 17, 19 and 20.[47] The leader wore a white jersey with red polka dots.[88]

The final individual classification was the young rider classification. This was calculated the same way as the general classification, but the classification was restricted to riders who were born on or after 1 January 1990.[47] The leader wore a white jersey.[88]

The final classification was a team classification. This was calculated using the finishing times of the best three riders per team on each stage, excluding the team time trial; the leading team was the team with the lowest cumulative time. The number of stage victories and placings per team determined the outcome of a tie.[47] The riders in the team that lead this classification were identified with yellow number bibs on the back of their jerseys and yellow helmets.[88]

In addition, there was a combativity award given after each stage to the rider considered, by a jury, to have "made the greatest effort and who has demonstrated the best qualities of sportsmanship".[86] No combativity awards were given for the time trials and the final stage.[91] The winner wore a red number bib the following stage.[88] At the conclusion of the Tour, Romain Bardet won the overall super-combativity award,[83] again, decided by a jury.[86]

A total of €2,030,150 was awarded in cash prizes in the race. The overall winner of the general classification received €450,000, with the second and third placed riders got €200,000 and €100,000 respectively. All finishers of the race were awarded with money. The holders of the classifications benefited on each stage they led; the final winners of the points and mountains were given €25,000, while the best young rider and most combative rider got €20,000. Team prizes were available, with €10,000 for the winner of team time trial and €50,000 for the winners of the team classification. €8,000 was given to the winners of each stage of the race.[92] There were also two special awards each with a prize of €5000, the Souvenir Jacques Goddet, given to the first rider to pass Goddet's memorial at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet in stage eleven, and the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col du Galibier in stage twenty.[50][93] Due to a route change the Souvenir Henri Desgrange was replaced with the Col d'Allos in stage seventeen.[49] Rafał Majka won the Jacques Goddet and Simon Geschke won the Henri Desgrange.[67][75]

Classification leadership by stage[94][95]
Stage Winner General classification
A yellow jersey.
Points classification
A green jersey.
Mountains classification
A white jersey with red polka dots.
Young rider classification
A white jersey.
Team classification
A white jersey with a yellow number bib.
Combativity award
A white jersey with a red number bib.
1 Rohan Dennis Rohan Dennis Rohan Dennis no award Rohan Dennis LottoNL–Jumbo no award
2 André Greipel Fabian Cancellara André Greipel Tom Dumoulin BMC Racing Team Michał Kwiatkowski
3 Joaquim Rodríguez Chris Froome Joaquim Rodríguez Peter Sagan Jan Bárta
4 Tony Martin Tony Martin Vincenzo Nibali
5 André Greipel Michael Matthews
6 Zdeněk Štybar Daniel Teklehaimanot Perrig Quéméneur
7 Mark Cavendish Chris Froome Anthony Delaplace
8 Alexis Vuillermoz Peter Sagan Bartosz Huzarski
9 BMC Racing Team no award
10 Chris Froome André Greipel Chris Froome Nairo Quintana Team Sky Kenneth Vanbilsen
11 Rafał Majka Peter Sagan Dan Martin
12 Joaquim Rodríguez Movistar Team Michał Kwiatkowski
13 Greg Van Avermaet Thomas De Gendt
14 Steve Cummings Pierre-Luc Périchon
15 André Greipel Peter Sagan
16 Rubén Plaza Peter Sagan
17 Simon Geschke Simon Geschke
18 Romain Bardet Joaquim Rodríguez Romain Bardet
19 Vincenzo Nibali Romain Bardet Pierre Rolland
20 Thibaut Pinot Chris Froome Alexandre Geniez
21 André Greipel no award
Final Chris Froome Peter Sagan Chris Froome Nairo Quintana Movistar Team Romain Bardet
  • In stage two, Tony Martin, who was second in the points classification, wore the green jersey, because first placed Rohan Dennis wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification. Additionally, Tom Dumoulin, who was second in the young rider classification, wore the white jersey for the same reason.[96]
  • In stage seven, no rider wore the yellow jersey after Tony Martin, who was first in the general classification, withdrew from the race due to injury.[60]
  • In stage nine, Warren Barguil, who was second in the young rider classification, wore the white jersey, because Peter Sagan wore the green jersey as leader of the points classification.[97]
  • In stage ten, Nairo Quintana, who was second in the young rider classification, wore the white jersey, because Peter Sagan wore the green jersey as leader of the points classification.[98] Additionally, Bartosz Huzarski, awarded in stage eight, wore the red number bib as no combativity award was awarded after stage nine.[99]
  • In stages eleven and twelve, Richie Porte, who was second in the mountains classification, wore the polka dot jersey, because Chris Froome wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification.[100][101]
  • In stages thirteen to eighteen, Joaquim Rodríguez, who was second in the mountains classification, wore the polka dot jersey, because Chris Froome wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification.[102]
  • In stage twenty one, Romain Bardet, who was third in the mountains classification, wore the polka dot jersey, because Chris Froome wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification and Nairo Quintana, who was second wore the white jersey as leader of the young rider classification.[103]

Final standings[edit]

Legend
A yellow jersey. Denotes the winner of the general classification[88] A green jersey. Denotes the winner of the points classification[88]
A white jersey with red polka dots. Denotes the winner of the mountains classification[88] A white jersey. Denotes the winner of the young rider classification[88]
A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Denotes the winner of the team classification[88] A white jersey with a red number bib. Denotes the winner of the super-combativity award[88]

General classification[edit]

Final general classification (1–10)[83]
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Chris Froome (GBR) A yellow jersey. A white jersey with red polka dots. Team Sky 84h 46' 14"
2  Nairo Quintana (COL) A white jersey. A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Movistar Team + 1' 12"
3  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Movistar Team + 5' 25"
4  Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) Astana + 8' 36"
5  Alberto Contador (ESP) Tinkoff–Saxo + 9' 48"
6  Robert Gesink (NED) LottoNL–Jumbo + 10' 47"
7  Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek Factory Racing + 15' 14"
8  Mathias Frank (SUI) IAM Cycling + 15' 39"
9  Romain Bardet (FRA) A white jersey with a red number bib. AG2R La Mondiale + 16' 00"
10  Pierre Rolland (FRA) Team Europcar + 17' 30"

Points classification[edit]

Final points classification (1–10)[83]
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Peter Sagan (SVK) A green jersey. Tinkoff–Saxo 432
2  André Greipel (GER) Lotto–Soudal 366
3  John Degenkolb (GER) Team Giant–Alpecin 298
4  Mark Cavendish (GBR) Etixx–Quick-Step 206
5  Bryan Coquard (FRA) Team Europcar 152
6  Chris Froome (GBR) A yellow jersey. A white jersey with red polka dots. Team Sky 139
7  Thibaut Pinot (FRA) FDJ 113
8  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Movistar Team 103
9  Thomas de Gendt (BEL) Lotto–Soudal 90
10  Alexander Kristoff (NOR) Team Katusha 90

Mountains classification[edit]

Final mountains classification (1–10)[83]
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Chris Froome (GBR) A white jersey with red polka dots. A yellow jersey. Team Sky 119
2  Nairo Quintana (COL) A white jersey. A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Movistar Team 108
3  Romain Bardet (FRA) A white jersey with a red number bib. AG2R La Mondiale 90
4  Thibaut Pinot (FRA) FDJ 82
5  Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) Team Katusha 78
6  Pierre Rolland (FRA) Team Europcar 74
7  Alejandro Valverde (SPA) A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Movistar Team 72
8  Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) Astana 64
9  Richie Porte (AUS) Team Sky 58
10  Serge Pauwels (BEL) MTN–Qhubeka 55

Young rider classification[edit]

Final young rider classification (1–10)[83]
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Nairo Quintana (COL) A white jersey. A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Movistar Team 84h 47' 26"
2  Romain Bardet (FRA) A white jersey with a red number bib. AG2R La Mondiale + 14' 48"
3  Warren Barguil (FRA) Team Giant–Alpecin + 30' 03"
4  Thibaut Pinot (FRA) FDJ + 37' 40"
5  Bob Jungels (LUX) Trek Factory Racing + 1h 32' 09"
6  Peter Sagan (SVK) A green jersey. Tinkoff–Saxo + 2h 13' 43"
7  Adam Yates (GBR) Orica–GreenEDGE + 2h 15' 24"
8  Wilco Kelderman (NED) LottoNL–Jumbo + 3h 02' 55"
9  Emanuel Buchmann (GER) Bora–Argon 18 + 3h 07' 35"
10  Merhawi Kudus (ERI) MTN–Qhubeka + 3h 09' 24"

Team classification[edit]

Final team classification (1–10)[83]
Rank Team Time
1 Spain Movistar Team A white jersey with a yellow number bib. 255h 24' 24"
2 United Kingdom Team Sky + 57' 23"
3 Tinkoff–Saxo + 1h 00' 12"
4 Kazakhstan Astana + 1h 12' 09"
5 South Africa MTN–Qhubeka + 1h 14' 32"
6 France AG2R La Mondiale + 1h 24' 22"
7 France Team Europcar + 1h 48' 51"
8 United States BMC Racing Team + 2h 41' 46"
9 Switzerland IAM Cycling + 2h 42' 16"
10 Netherlands LottoNL–Jumbo + 2h 46' 59"

UCI World Tour rankings[edit]

Riders from the WorldTeams competing individually, as well as for their teams and nations, for points that contributed towards the World Tour rankings.[104] Points were awarded to the top twenty finishers in the general classification and to the top five finishers in each stage.[105] The 238 points accrued by Chris Froome moved him up to second in the individual ranking, behind Alejandro Valverde. Despite Movistar Team's strong showing, Team Sky took over the lead of the team ranking due to Froome's points. With three riders in the top ten, Spain remained the leaders of the nation ranking.[106]

UCI World Tour individual ranking on 26 July 2015 (1–10)[107][108]
Rank Prev. Name Team Points
1 1  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team 482
2 16  Chris Froome (GBR) Team Sky 422
3 2  Alberto Contador (ESP) Tinkoff–Saxo 407
4 15  Nairo Quintana (COL) Movistar Team 365
5 3  Richie Porte (AUS) Team Sky 314
6 7  Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) Team Katusha 292
7 6  Geraint Thomas (GBR) Team Sky 283
8 4  Rui Costa (POR) Lampre–Merida 275
9 5  Simon Špilak (SLO) Team Katusha 269
10 9  John Degenkolb (GER) Team Giant–Alpecin 265

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ An Algerian-Moroccan squad participated in the 1950 Tour de France when only national and regional teams were allowed to enter.[5]
  2. ^ Stage two's finish line was on the artificial island of Neeltje Jans although it was officially named as the wider region of Zeeland.[50]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Teams – The riders, videos, photos – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  2. ^ Wynn, Nigel (14 October 2014). "UCI WorldTour calendar 2015". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  3. ^ UCI cycling regulations 2015, p. 110.
  4. ^ Brown, Gregor (14 January 2015). "MTN-Qhubeka to become first African team to compete at Tour de France". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b Ryan, Barry (3 July 2015). "The 1950 Tour de France and the forgotten first African team". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  6. ^ Frattini, Kirsten (3 July 2015). "Utrecht welcomes 2015 Tour de France contenders". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Start list – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  8. ^ "Tour de France 2015 – Debutants". ProCyclingStats. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  9. ^ Cummings, Basia (10 July 2015). "Daniel Teklehaimanot: 'I'm proud to be an Eritrean riding the Tour de France'". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  10. ^ "The history of the Tour de France – Year 2015 – The stage winners". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Tour de France 2015 – Statistics". ProCyclingStats. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Tour de France 2015 – Average age". ProCyclingStats. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  13. ^ a b Scrivener, Peter; Jennings, Patrick (3 July 2015). "Chris Froome expects 'epic battle'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  14. ^ Fotheringham, Alasdair (3 July 2015). "Chris Froome feels in fine form to win Tour's battle of the 'galacticos'". The Independent. Independent Print. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  15. ^ a b Fotheringham, William (20 June 2015). "2015 Tour de France: Meet the contenders that should make it a classic". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Chris Froome, Alberto Contador back in control as André Greipel wins second stage". ABC Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  17. ^ a b c Clarke, Stuart (22 June 2015). "Four things we learned from the Tour de France warmup races". Cycling Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  18. ^ a b c d "Leading Tour de France contenders". Eurosport. Discovery Communications. Reuters. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  19. ^ Wilcockson, John (4 July 2015). "The Top 10 Tour Contenders". Peloton Magazine. Move Press. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  20. ^ Yost, Whit (8 June 2015). "What's up with the 2015 Tour de France Contenders?". Bicycling. Rodale, Inc. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  21. ^ Clarke, Stuart (18 June 2015). "Which is the best Tour de France warmup race?". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  22. ^ "Alberto Contador eyes Giro-Tour double". BBC Sport. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  23. ^ Hood, Andrew (24 June 2015). "Contador downplays Route du Sud win ahead of Tour". VeloNews. Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  24. ^ a b "Quintana to tune up for Tour de France at Route du Sud". Cyclingnews.com. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  25. ^ "Vincenzo Nibali confident he is peaking at right time". Sky Sports. Sky plc. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  26. ^ a b Brown, Gregor (24 June 2015). "Kristoff leads sprinters to Tour de France". VeloNews. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  27. ^ Elton-Walters, Jack (1 July 2015). "Who will win the battle of the sprinters at the Tour de France?". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  28. ^ "Top 5 sprinters to watch for the Tour de France". Cyclingnews.com. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  29. ^ a b Fotheringham, William (30 June 2015). "Mark Cavendish's path cleared by Kittel's absence". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  30. ^ Blazin' Saddles (24 June 2015). "Sprint kings: Who will take the green jersey at the 2015 Tour de France?". Eurosport. Discovery Communications. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  31. ^ Henrys, Colin (2 July 2015). "Tour de France 2015: green jersey favourites – form guide". Road Cycling UK. Mpora. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  32. ^ "Tinkoff–Saxo target yellow and green with Contador and Sagan". Cyclingnews.com. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  33. ^ O'Shea, Sadhbh (3 July 2015). "Degenkolb to lead Giant-Alpecin at the Tour de France". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  34. ^ O'Shea, Sadhbh (25 June 2015). "Marcel Kittel will not ride Tour de France". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  35. ^ Liggett, Raia & Lewis 2005, p. 203.
  36. ^ Brown, Gregor (8 November 2013). "2015 Tour de France to start in Utrecht". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  37. ^ Liggett, Raia & Lewis 2005, p. 16.
  38. ^ "Utrecht – Grand Depart Tour de France 2015". Holland.com. 9 December 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  39. ^ Brown, Gregor (4 November 2014). "Utrecht pays a reported €4m for Tour de France start". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  40. ^ "Analysis: A Tour route with a difference". Cycling Weekly. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "2015 Route – Sporting aspects, stage cities – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  42. ^ Pickering, Edward; Sidwells, Chris (20 April 2015). "The Mur de Huy: where La Flèche Wallonne will be won or lost". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  43. ^ "Tour de France 2015 stage 4 preview". Cycling Weekly. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  44. ^ Sidwells, Chris (15 July 2015). "Icons of cycling: the Col du Tourmalet". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  45. ^ a b "The history of the Tour de France – Year 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  46. ^ "The history of the Tour de France – Year 2014". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  47. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Race regulations 2015, p. 37.
  48. ^ a b c "Tour de France 2015 – stage by stage". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  49. ^ a b "Stage 20 : Modane – L'Alpe d'Huez... via the Croix de Fer – News Pre-race – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  50. ^ a b c d "Tour de France 2015: Stage-by-stage guide". The Daily Telegraph. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  51. ^ "The history of the Tour de France – Year 2015 – The stage winners". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  52. ^ Woodpower, Zeb (4 July 2015). "Dennis sets record speed to claim first maillot jaune in Utrecht". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  53. ^ Woodpower, Zeb (5 July 2015). "Greipel wins storm-swept stage to Neeltje Jans". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  54. ^ a b Woodpower, Zeb (6 July 2015). "Rodriguez wins on the Mur de Huy". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  55. ^ a b Fotheringham, Alasdair (11 July 2015). "Tony Martin's crash injuries show multiple pile-ups are an unpleasant feature of the race". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  56. ^ a b MacMichael, Simon (7 July 2015). "Tour de France Stage 4: Tony Martin attacks to finally get into yellow". road.cc. Farrelly Atkinson. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  57. ^ MacMichael, Simon (8 July 2015). "Tour de France Stage 5: André Greipel takes second win, Mark Cavendish third". road.cc. Farrelly Atkinson. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  58. ^ "Stybar wins stage 6 on short, punchy hill in Le Havre". Cyclingnews.com. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  59. ^ "UCI World Cycling Centre: former trainee Teklehaimanot makes Tour de France history". Union Cycliste Internationale. 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on 18 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  60. ^ a b "Chris Froome not wearing yellow jersey". BBC Sport. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  61. ^ Austen, Ian (10 July 2015). "At Tour de France, Mark Cavendish Sprints to Stage 7 Win". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  62. ^ "Stage 8: Vuillermoz takes first French victory of 2015 Tour". VeloNews. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  63. ^ Westemeyer, Susan (11 July 2015). "Vuillermoz wins on the Mûr-de-Bretagne". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  64. ^ Wynn, Nigel (12 July 2015). "Chris Froome retains Tour de France lead as BMC win team time trial". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  65. ^ "BMC win team time trial in Plumelec". Cyclingnews.com. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  66. ^ "Froome crushes competition in first major summit finish". Cyclingnews.com. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  67. ^ a b Fletcher, Patrick (15 July 2015). "Majka goes on solo romp to win in Cauterets". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  68. ^ Wynn, Nigel (16 July 2015). "Chris Froome safe in Tour de France lead as Joaquim Rodríguez wins stage 12". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  69. ^ Weislo, Laura (17 July 2015). "Van Avermaet wins uphill sprint in Rodez". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  70. ^ Fotheringham, William (18 July 2015). "Steve Cummings grabs Tour de France stage while Chris Froome stretches lead". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  71. ^ Benson, Daniel (18 July 2015). "Cummings soars to victory in Mende". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  72. ^ Windsor, Richard (19 July 2015). "André Greipel makes it three as he wins Tour de France stage 15". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  73. ^ "Tour de France stage 16: Plaza gives Lampre–Merida a win in Gap". Cyclingnews.com. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  74. ^ "Tejay van Garderen pulls out of race". Sky Sports. Sky plc. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  75. ^ a b Bull, Nick (22 July 2015). "How Simon Geschke saved Giant-Alpecin's 2015 Tour de France". Cycling Weekly. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  76. ^ Woodpower, Zeb (22 July 2015). "Col d'Allos crash all but ends Contador's Giro-Tour de France double dream". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  77. ^ Powlison, Spencer (23 July 2015). "Romain Bardet wins stage 18 with bold move". VeloNews. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  78. ^ "The Shark is back in business". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. 24 July 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  79. ^ Wynn, Nigel (24 July 2015). "Vincenzo Nibali wins stage 19 of Tour de France as Chris Froome under pressure". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  80. ^ Powlison, Spencer (25 July 2015). "Pinot wins Tour stage 20 on Alpe d'Huez, Froome holds on in yellow". VeloNews. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  81. ^ "André Greipel claims final sprint, Chris Froome wins the 102nd Tour de France – News stage 21 – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. 26 July 2015. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  82. ^ "Chris Froome completes historic British win". BBC Sport. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  83. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Classifications stage 21 – Sèvres – Grand Paris Seine Ouest > Paris Champs-Élysées – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  84. ^ "McEwen: Tour de France course made Sagan unbeatable in green". Cyclingnews.com. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  85. ^ a b c Hood, Andrew (24 October 2014). "Tour de France resurrects time bonuses, reshuffles points competition". VeloNews. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  86. ^ a b c Race regulations 2015, p. 38.
  87. ^ Race regulations 2015, p. 33.
  88. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Race regulations 2015, p. 30.
  89. ^ "Rain neutralises Tour de France finish". Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo!. Agence France-Presse. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  90. ^ "The changing face of the Tour de France's green jersey". Cyclingnews.com. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  91. ^ Race regulations 2015, p. 23.
  92. ^ Race regulations 2015, pp. 19–24.
  93. ^ Race regulations 2015, p. 24.
  94. ^ "Tour de France 2015 – Leaders overview". ProCyclingStats. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  95. ^ van den Akker, Pieter. "Informatie over de Tour de France van 2015" [Information about the Tour de France from 2015]. TourDeFranceStatistieken.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  96. ^ "Classifications stage 1 – Utrecht > Utrecht – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  97. ^ "Classifications stage 8 – Rennes > Mûr-de-Bretagne – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  98. ^ "Classifications stage 9 – Vannes > Plumelec – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  99. ^ "Van Garderen poised to take yellow during TTT to Plumelec". Cyclingnews.com. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  100. ^ "Classifications stage 10 – Tarbes > La Pierre-Saint-Martin – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  101. ^ "Classifications stage 11 – Pau > Cauterets – Vallée de Saint-Savin – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  102. ^ "Joaquim Rodríguez Oliver – Team Katusha – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  103. ^ "Classifications stage 20 – Modane Valfréjus > Alpe d'Huez – Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 27 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  104. ^ UCI cycling regulations 2015, pp. 56–57.
  105. ^ Race regulations 2015, p. 27.
  106. ^ "UCI WorldTour: Froome wins the Tour de France". Union Cycliste Internationale. 26 July 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  107. ^ "UCI WorldTour Ranking – 26 July 2015". Union Cycliste Internationale. 26 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  108. ^ "UCI WorldTour Ranking – 21 June 2015". Union Cycliste Internationale. 21 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2015.

Bibliography[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]