20-07-2025
Tour de France 2025 live: Stage 15 route and updates with breakaway specialists and sprinters set to do battle
The second week of the Tour de France concludes with a hilly, lumpy stage as the race travels away from the Pyrenees and sets up an Alpine showdown in the final, decisive week.
Tadej Pogacar takes a commanding lead of almost four and a half minutes over Jonas Vingegaard into today's hilly stage 15 after eking out a few more seconds on the finish line, after Thymen Arensman took the victory on stage 14 for Ineos with a long solo attack.
The route features three categorised climbs on a 169km run from Muret to the medieval city of Carcassonne, and those categorised climbs could put paid to the chances of any sprinters desperate for something to cheer about after a grim sojourn in the Pyrenees. The breakaway specialists likewise will have their eyes on the prize on the flat city-centre finish - but can they hold off the sprinter trains?
Stage 15 preview
Today's stage is a 169km run from Muret to Carcassonne covering some bumpy terrain, so this will be a real test of recovery after the previous three days.
There are three categorised climbs to get over in a lumpy middle of the stage: the cat-three Cote de Saint-Ferreol, the cat-three Cote de Soreze, and the cat-two Pas de Sant. Saint-Ferreol sets the tone, short but sharp at 7% for 1.7km kilometres. The Soreze is longer at 6.2km, averaging 5.5%, but it's the Pas de Sant that might spell doom for the sprinters: 2.9km at an average of 10.2%.
And there's plenty more uncategorised climbing too - including the late climb up the Col de Fontbruno, which isn't marked but follows immediately on from the categorised Pas du Sant. It sees the riders climb to 880m above sea level, before a long, broken-up, 40km into Carcassonne and a flat finish.
If the sprinters' teams have their lead-out trains organised they could gather up any stragglers and make a late chase on that final descent and flat approach - but the likes of Mathieu van der Poel could foil them, with attacks likely to come all day and especially on the last categorised climb. Either way it should make for a fascinating day of racing.
Flo Clifford20 July 2025 11:04
Good morning
Bonjour and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of stage 15 of the Tour de France!
After a trio of exciting stages in the Pyrenees, the GC favourites get a bit of respite - and the sprinters will hope for glory in Carcassonne.
Flo Clifford20 July 2025 11:00
