Tour de France - report stage 15

Cadel Evans loses yellow jersey as Frank Schleck leads with Bernard Kohl third and Evans fourth. The stage was won by Simon Gerrans (Credit Agricole) from a lead group of three.

A day of two races, the first the fight for stage honours and the second, the battle for the Tour de France.

Simon Gerrans follows Pate and Martinez - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Cadel Evans is dropped by the 'big guns' - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Frank Schleck in yellow - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Battle for the stage
A lead group featuring Simon Gerrans (Credit Agricole), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel), Danny Pate (Garmin Chipotle) and Jose Luis Arrieta (Ag2r) built a lead of over 16 minutes at one point and gained some advantage when heavy rain hindered any organised chase on the descent of the Col Agnel early in the stage. It was here where Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne) hit Robert Hunter (Barloworld) and went over a barrier suffering a number of broken bones. Later, a crash at a roundabout saw many riders fall and this too slowed the chase.

The battle for the stage saw Martinez attack on the 4th category Col de Morte and again on the Prato Nevoso, Gerrans and Arrieta were both dropped although the former was able to bridge the gap each time he was dropped whilst Martinez and Pate set the pace. In the final kilometre Australian Gerran's jumped clear to win.

Battle for the Tour
Behind this fight was the real battle of France. Team CSC/Saxo Bank in the connecting valley had set a torturous pace and when they hit the Prato Nevoso a lead group went clear featuring the main protagonists, except for Damiano Cungeo (Lampre) who was dropped once more.

Andy Schleck (CSC/Saxo Bank) sat on the front of the group firing them up the lower slops of the climb, within a few kilometres Frank Schleck (CSC/Saxo Bank), Dennis Menchov (Rabobank), Carlos Sastre (CSC/Saxo Bank) and Bernard Kohl (Gerlosteiner) had all attacked, added and abetted by Christian Vandevelde (Garmin Chipotle), Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel).

At one point Menchov had built a gap only to fall on the damp Italian road. Featuring strongly was Kohl and he with Sastre, Alejando Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) and Frank Schleck pulled away. Evans failed to respond to yet another change of pace. At start of the climb had he been exposed and he seemingly only had so much in his tank and that had been drained to almost empty a few times.

Kohl crossed the line in fifth one second ahead of Valverde and then Menchov and Frank Schleck, the later three had been unable to hold the Austrian's wheel.

Evans deficit increased in the final kilometre and he finished in 13th spot, and he had lost the lead by eight seconds to Frank Schleck and one second behind Kohl, who now leads the King of the Mountain competition.

It was one of those 'bloody hell' stages, true sporting drama - welcome to the Alps!

1 Simon Gerrans 86 Credit Agricole 4h 50' 44"
2 Egoi Martinez 24 Euskaltel - Euskadi 4h 50' 47" @ 00' 03"
3 Danny Pate 199 Garmin Chipotle 4h 50' 54" @ 00' 10"
4 Jose Luis Arrieta 102 Ag2r-La Mondiale 4h 51' 39" @ 00' 55"
5 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 4h 54' 47" @ 04' 03"
6 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 4h 54' 47" @ 04'
7 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 4h 54' 56" @ 04' 12"
8 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 4h 55' 07" @ 04' 23"
9 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 4h 55' 25" @ 04'
10 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 4h 55' 27" @ 04' 43"
11 Roman Kreuziger 65 Liquigas 4h 55' 30" @ 04' 46"
12 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 4h 55' 34" @ 04' 50"
13 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 4h 55' 34" @ 04' 50"
14 Andy Schleck 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 4h 55' 42" @ 04'
15 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 4h 56' 18" @ 05' 34"
16 Sylvester Szmyd 78 Lampre 4h 56' 26" @ 05' 42"
17 Sandy Casar 161 Francaise Des Jeux 4h 56' 27" @ 05' 43"
18 Stephane Goubert 107 Ag2r-La Mondiale 4h 56' 28" @ 05' 44"
19 Tadej Valjavec 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 4h 56' 30" @ 05' 46"
20 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 4h 56' 30" @ 05' 46"
26 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 4h 57' 32" @ 06' 48"

General Classification (Yellow jersey)
1 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 63h 57' 21"
2 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 63h 57' 28" @ 00' 07"
3 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 63h 57' 29" @ 00' 08"
4 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 63h 57' 59" @ 00' 38"
5 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 63h 58' 00" @ 00' 39"
6 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 63h 58' 10" @ 00'
7 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 64h 00' 09" @ 02' 48"
8 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 64h 00' 57" @ 03' 36"
9 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 64h 01' 32" @ 04' 11"
10 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 64h 01' 55" @ 04' 34"
15 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 64h 05' 04" @ 07' 43"

Sprint (Green jersey)
1 Freire Oscar 133 Rabobank 219 Pts
2 Hushovd Thor 81 Credit Agricole 172 Pts
3 Zabel Erik 151 Team Milram 167 Pts
4 Kirchen Kim 41 Team Columbia 145 Pts
5 Duque Leonardo 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 137 pts
6 Hunter Robert 58 Barloworld 110 Pts
7 Valverde Alejandro 31 Caisse d'Epargne 107 Pts
8 Mcewen Robbie 6 Silence - Lotto 105 pts
9 Feillu Romain 124 Agritubel 94 Pts
10 Dean Julian 193 Garmin Chipotle 88 Pts

Mountains (Polka Dot jersey)
1 Kohl Bernhard 115 Gerolsteiner 85 Pts
2 Lang Sebastian 117 Gerolsteiner 60 Pts
3 Martinez Egoi 24 Euskaltel - Euskadi 50 pts
4 Gerrans Simon 86 Credit Agricole 50 Pts
5 Schleck Frank 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 46 pts
6 Arrieta Jose Luis 102 Ag2r-La Mondiale 40 Pts
7 Voeckler Thomas 149 Bouygues Telecom 39 Pts
8 Pate Danny 199 Garmin Chipotle 37 Pts
9 Sastre Carlos 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 35 pts
10 Menchov Denis 131 Rabobank 34 Pts