So thanks all for your company - enjoy the rest of the weekend. Bye!
Updated
So, that was a pretty nifty day of behaviour. Barguil and Bardet properly put it in, but winners are Mollema, who rode brilliantly and aggressively all day to snaffle his first stage win ... and Chris Froome, just about. He survived a puncture at a terrible time and retains the yellow jersey; the question now is how much the battle back to out of his legs, especially given how tight it is at the top. We’ll find out on Tuesday, after a rest tomorrow - do join us for that.
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Dan Martin, in sixth overnight, suddenly breaks away from a group that includes Froome ... but Froome is among those who respond, and he stays in yellow! Martin moves above Landa.
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Of course, Barguil has extended his lead in the row for the polka dot jersey.
1. Bauke Mollema
2. Diego Ulissi, 0.19
3. Tony Gallopin
4. Primoz Roglic
5. Warren Barguil, 0.23
Victoire de @BaukeMollema !! / Mollema takes the win #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/WnhFiv0TpS
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 16, 2017
Incredible that Mollema held on so comfortably - not easily. The chasing lot never got within striking distance.
BAUKE MOLLEMA WINS STAGE 15 OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE!
What a performance! He’s been brilliant today, and fully deserves that maiden success.
Mollema has absolutely smashed the granny out of this, and he’s grinning to himself as he powers through the last few hunnert metres ...
Mollema is looking nails! One more kilometre and he’s hame!
Gallivan is the fastest sprinter, but Roglic is your time-trial man; at this stage of the Tour, no one knows what they have left, so no one knows what might happen.
Barguil, 14 seconds behind, is looking to have one last dart.
With 5km to go, Mollema leads by 20 seconds. The chasers clawed back the first 20 very quickly but they’re struggling now, and it’s beginning to look like they might not manage it.
Updated
Landa is just taking the piss on everybody. Once he starts to pedal with both legs everybody will be hurting @LeTour
— Michael Rasmussen (@MRasmussen1974) July 16, 2017
You can leave your hat on... 😳 #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/wVYLwx6HaO
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) July 16, 2017
It’s hard to see how Mollema can compete with four riders working together, just 100m behind. Maybe he should let them catch up, then attack again.
The chasing four are organising themselves as they barge through a headwind.
Barguil and Roglic are 20 seconds behind Mollema ... and Ulissi and Gallopin are also in the chase now!
Updated
This is brilliant from Mollema, who is 100m from the top of the Côte de St-Vidal as some clown takes his pants off and runs behind him. Hilarious!
Roglic has made a move.
Froome and Landa are having a schmooze; I wonder what about? Brexit or the weather, probably.
The leading group has split, and the car has just cut in front of Barguil. He shakes his head, because of course he was just about to boust to the front.
Mollema is really putting it on them. Can he hold it down?
Mollema is about 18 seconds clear at the front, but it seems inconceivable that he can lead them home from here.
Change at the front! Mollema leads, with Caruso, Ulissi, Pinot, Pauwels, Benoot, Gallopin, Barguil and Roglic in pursuit.
Quintana is now over a minute behind.
With 28km to go, Bardet must be contemplating another attack. He’ll surely reckon himself with more left than Froome and, as the Ethics of the Fathers teach, אם לא עכשיו, אימתי; if not now, when?
Landa has headed back off towards the front.
Bardet attacks! Froome is going too!
Barguil is going to take the ten points for this climb ... he’s looking strong in the fight to be king of the mountains.
Pauwels is after Barguil, but Barguil looks comfy ... as comfy as you can look when amazingly uncomfy.
Froome is back with the group; can he stay with them through the next climb?
Sky’s Mikel Landa has dropped back from the leading group to try and help Froome-o.
“Cameron Carter-Vickers has the widest arse at Spurs”, offers Nathan Cooper.
It’s quite a selection.
Froome has lost his buddies! He’ll have to go it alone.
Quintana is all sorts. He can hardly stay upright.
Froome is about 30 seconds off Bardet.
And Barguil takes him out!
Martin looks shattered now - he can hardly move! He’ll be caught any second!
We have reached the brown stuff/reality interface.
Nieve, Kiryienka and Henao are doing all they can to get Froome back with the pack, but AG2R are doing all they can to make it difficult; their lad, Bardet, currently lies third.
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So, can Froome find the energy to do the necessary on a new climb? He’ll have expended energy faffing, and is now 45 seconds behind Bardet! Could he lose the yellow jersey today?
Froome is 8.40 off the lead.
Froome, who has just changed a wheel, has closed the gap on Bardet and Aru.
The peloton has now split, with Froome in the second half. Carruso, his shirt flapping open, is leading the chase for Martin.
1.30 ahead of the chasers, Martin has started climbing the Peyra Taillade, a new element in today’s stage. Meanwhile, the distance to Froome is growing, now at 9.15. Team Sky might have to make a move, even if they reckon they can catch back up on the downhill.
These are some prodigious buttocks. Martin would not be out of place at Spurs who, though they’ve lost Kyle Walker, still have Vincent Janssen, Mousa Dembele, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Harry Kane.
Tony Martin persévère et creuse sur l'échappée / Tony Martin keeps riding and the gap increases #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/9Y3fMtKek6
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 16, 2017
As we were saying earlier, Tony Martin is past it. He’s got a lot of work to do to hang on here, but it’s possible...
Afternoon again all - we’re just hearing about John Kerry’s brilliance as a cyclist, able to pound downhill like nobody’s business.
Special guest this morning for the team meeting. Thanks for being with us @JohnKerry. Enjoy the day next to @wegelius! pic.twitter.com/0W7krFvapw
— Cannondale-Drapac (@Ride_Argyle) July 16, 2017
So, as we dip into the final 50km and approach the big climb, Daniel is back, fed and watered! Thanks for your company ... over to him.
The Peloton is almost nine minutes back, now...
That’s a remarkable field they are riding past: bails creating an hourglass-shaped sheep enclosure with the sun and the moon in there too. Not a sentence I ever thought I’d type. Martin’s descent continues. He has that full minute gap from the rest of the breakaway!
Martin is enjoying himself: tucked up tight and coasting down hill.
The main peloton is a whopping 8.05 back now after Martin’s dash. Is he looking for a minute’s gap from the rest of the breakaway by the foot of the climb?
Clever work from Tony Martin, this. The lone wolf breakaway specialist has given himself breathing space as we move into the last 60km.
The temperature out there looks like it’s rising, incidentally. Up to 29 degrees C, which can’t be fun.
So Tony Martin wasn’t satisfied with the pace and has pulled away from the rest of the breakaway group, with around 65km to go. He’s got a gap of 22 seconds.
Just 69km go, and the peloton deficit is back on the rise: up to 7.12.
Alberto Contador is having a chat with the TV folks. He’s being very sheepish about when the attack is on the way. The peloton’s deficit is sat at 7.01 with 73km to go, but has been as high as 7.15.
No doubt Daniel gave this a nudge earlier, but this is enjoyable. William Fotheringham’s week on Le Tour.
Updated
The deficit of the peloton is up over seven minutes, and rising. Highest its been. That 28-man breakaway looking strong.
Speculation has turned, given tomorrow’s rest day, to how many risks will be taken this afternoon. Peloton’s deficit is sat at 6 mins 19, and there are 83km to go.
Sean Kelly is going off comms, which is a huge shame, because, well, that voice. *Swoons*
Hello, Will here giving Daniel a well-earned breather. Speaking of well-earned breathers, these lucky riders have an 8km climb coming up. Envy doesn’t cover it.
Right, your Will Macpherson is going to guide you through the next little bit ... and here he is!
Er....
But the peloton is now nearly six minutes off the pace.
We’re embroiled in a quiet period.
“Sean Kelly does indeed have a spectacular accent,” tweets Gary Naylor, “especially when he speaks French”.
No way does he call is the Tour de Fronzz, but.
Sean Kelly has a spectacular accent.
100km to go, the peloton 5.45 behind.
And yes, Martin had nipped off, and yes, he was summarily retrieved.
I should note that tomorrow is a rest day, and then we get on with the Alps and stuff. Eeasypeasy.
Has Tony Martin nipped ahead of the leaders? I think he may have done, and then been dragged back.
The aptly-named Tony Gallopin is not especially looking forward to the final climb, but is still eager to get stuck into it. The mentality of a rider, right there.
Again, it seems like those in front will finish in front....
L'écart augmente, 5'40" maintenant / The gap increases, 5'40" now #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/WJPOPmpG8G
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 16, 2017
105km to go, with the leaders 6.13 ahead of yer yellow jersey.
People; the very state of.
⚠ Please respect the race & the riders ⚠
— Le Tour de France UK (@letour_uk) July 16, 2017
Do not run alongside the riders. #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/uOa1HpRxzI
70 km into stage 15, the situation settles with 28 riders at the front, 4''20" ahead of the Peloton.#TDF2017 #TDFdata pic.twitter.com/9Vd9NFmg4X
— letourdata (@letourdata) July 16, 2017
The leaders now move through another picturesque village, more or less in single file.
Team Sky still boss the peloton, 5.15 behind the leading 28.
Updated
It’s about 28 degrees on the road, but with a light breeze. However, the finishing section is hot as.
Carruso is the highest-ranked masochist in the leading pack, lying 14th. As such, the peloton, 5 minutes behind and led by Sky, slow down. This looks like a nifty little stage for them.
Something to read, now that you ask? Joy of Six: sporting beauty, featuring Eddie Merckx.
28 riders in the lead group today now, including 🇮🇪's @nicholasroche #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/ntpw5IbESp
— Le Tour de France UK (@letour_uk) July 16, 2017
The Matthews group - a term that will bring you 90s types out in hives - have caught the leaders at 60km. The 28 now read:
Jan Bakelants (AG2R-La Mondiale), Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), Damiano Caruso, Alessandro De Marchi, Amaël Moinard and Nicolas Roche (BMC), Kristjian Durasek and Diego Ulissi (UAE), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data), Tony Martin, Robert Kiserlovski, Maurits Lammertink (Katusha), Tiejs Benoot, Thomas De Gendt and Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Michael Matthews, Warren Barguil and Simon Geschke (Sunweb), Luis Angel Maté and Dani Navarro (Cofidis), Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo), Lilian Calmejane and Romain Sicard (Direct Energie), Dylan Van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Tsgabu Grmay (Bahrain-Merida), Romain Hardy and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Fortuneo-Oscaro).
We’re into the mid-section of today’s pain, with 129km still to go.
Carruso now leads Pauwels, Barguils, Van Baarle and Grmay in that order.
Matthews is after sprint points, so Barguil, flush with his mountain points, will presumably do all he can to facilitate his team-mates.
By the looks of things, the leading group is not going to stay the leading the group; the chasers, led by Michael Matthews of Sunweb, are just 30 seconds behind at 50km.
Team Sky lead the peloton now, 4-odd minutes behind the leaders.
The Central is Massif! That’s what the next banner should say.
The leading group leads by 55 seconds from the 23 chasers.
Froome is now 4.33 off the lead, and looking easy, but with such a crowd at the top he can’t relax. Will he have to defend an attack today?
1.15 behind the leaders are: Jan Bakelants (AG2R-La Mondiale), Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), Alessandro De Marchi, Amaël Moinard and Nicolas Roche (BMC), Kristjian Durasek and Diego Ulissi (UAE), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Tony Martin, Robert Kiserlovski, Maurits Lammertink (Katusha), Tiejs Benoot, Thomas De Gendt and Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Michael Matthews and Simon Geschke (Sunweb), Luis Angel Maté, Dani Navarro (Cofidis), Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo), Lilian Calmejane and Romain Sicard (Direct Energie), Romain Hardy and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Fortuneo-Oscaro)
And Barguil nabs the points, uncontested; Pauwels gets the one.
Updated
Barguil rises on his pedals to assert how little this awful pain is bothering him. The others let him be.
Barguil is pounding on, with his pals alongside doing the same. They’re en route - get the old Français - to the top of Côte de Vieurals, where two more points are on offer. Barguil will be assuming they’re his.
Talking of which, would teleporting be worth it - no Tube, no traffic - if it meant parents, wives, kids and ilk could turn up in your face whenever they fancied?
“L’UBRAC ON ADORE!” announces a huge sign in a field, and it certainly looks a pleasant part of yer Masssif Central. I’d happily teleport there right now.
Updated
The peloton is stung-out; there’s a group between it and the leaders, including Mollema, Di Marchi and Roche.
Two men are rejoining the leaders: Van Baarle and Grmay. Well done them, that cannot have been easy.
Just 157km to go. I ran 10km this morning and you didn’t hear me complaining.
Tim Wellens of Lotto-Soudal quits for this year; he’s been struggling with allergies.
The official Tour site confirms that mountain result: “Result of cat. 1 KOM at Montée de Naves d’Aubrac, km 28.5:
Warren Barguil, 10 points
Serge Pauwels, 8
Damiano Caruso, 6
Dylan Van Baarle, 4
Tsgabu Grmay, 2
Robert Kiserlovski, 1
Interesting use of, commas.
Froome’s group is now - are now - one of the two - are 2.46 off the lead. He’ll be down with that.
Barguil takes the ten points at the top of Montée de Naves d’Aubrac, extending his lead as he bids to sort the hills.
“This is like missing a step on a staircase,” tweets Gary Naylor.
Did the Tour go to Yorkshire? They never said. So doughty, humble and understated, them lot.
Barguil, current King of the Mountains, is still banging out the Ks at the front, and looking pretty not horrifically distressed about it all.
A few minutes ago, Contador went to the front of the peloton and had a go at speeding things up, but it didn’t work and he’s now back in the pack.
“Despite the name, I’m French,” tweets Alistair Connor. “If you’re against making any effort of pronunciation, just call it “the Tour Of France”.
Ah, but that’s it’s name, an actual proper noun. The other day, I heard someone refer to thoritho.
Barguil is really putting it in. Already, it looks hard for anyone to catch the leading three, but of course it’s eminently possible.
Mollema’s break is fragmenting the peloton.
5km from the top of the climb, Pauwels, Carruso, Van Baarle and Grmay were the only ones able to follow Barguils; only Carruso and Pauwels could stay with him.
Still Carruso and Pauwels leading the way.
Along with Burghardt, Sieberg and Martin have also been dropped. Martin, they reckon, is now well passed his best. Oh, and Mate is with them too.
Updated
Bauke Mollema of Trek-Segafredo has left the peleton for a shy at the leaders. Barguil, meanwhile, keen for the ten points available at the top of Montée de Naves d’Aubrac, is putting it in.
Updated
This is the leading group:
Warren Barguil (Sunweb), Dylan Van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Robert Kiserlovski and Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin), Tsgabu Grmay (Bahrain-Merida), Giampaolo Caruso (BMC), Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data), Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Soudal), Angel Luis Maté (Cofidis).
Marcus Burghardt (Boar-Hansgrohe) has just been dropped.
It’s not too hot today, at the same time as being hot.
The leaders will soon begin the first appalling climb of the day. The peloton has given up trying to catch them.
The riders are now bousting through a village; Caruso of BMC is the highest-ranked rider in the leading group, 14th at 11.26, and behind him is Sunweb’s Barguil (Sunweb), 15th at 14.50.
A left-hand turn resolved a blockage in the peloton, and now a larger group is in pursuit of the leaders.
Froome is nicely ensconced in about 15th place.
Question: if you’re not French, is it in any way acceptable to call the Tour de France the Tour de Fronzz?
Clue: NO.
Kittel leads the peloton, chilling in the middle as though bossing it. The gap is 1.12, and Ulissi of UAE Team Emirates has had enough, breaking to chase.
The scenery is lush today: sparkling emerald green water like we’re in Oz, lots of trees. Contador is in the peloton, we discover, and the leading group are now 46 seconds in front. Causo, Pauwels, Burghardt and Martin are at its front.
There’s a break of ten or so riders now, 19 seconds in front of the main group.
We’re moving through Le Clocher, a pretty little village, as we learn that, at this stage, this is the closest Tour in history. Marcel Sieberg leads, Barguil second.
Updated
I have literally no idea how it’s possible to ride so close to someone in front, behind and on either side without crashing into them, or at least tickling them. But here we are!
There were talks of an early break, but no such thing as yet. It all looks pretty pleasant for the now.
Oh, that’s cute! The starter waves his flag three minutes early, presumably having had enough of the adverts. Tony Martin has taken it on.
Of course, Froome is now back in yellow, which increasingly suits his complexion as he piles on the Vitamin D.
The lads are on their way out....
Preamble
There’s nothing like a nice Sunday bike-jaunt, and Laissac-Sévérac L’Eglise to Le Puy-en-Velay is nothing like a nice Sunday bike-jaunt. The Col de Peyra-Taillade aspect, which introduces itself with 31 of the 181.5km remaining and making its debut in this term’s Tour, donates gradients of up to 14% and its summit is more than 1000m above sea-level; just what you need. But for those of us reclining in our comfy chairs, all this means numerous opportunities for breakaways and kerfuffle; this should be a bazzer.
Start: 12.10pmBST
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