Evenepoel claims stage victory as Vingegaard withdraws from Tour de France
Remco Evenepoel moves into second place overall after winning stage 15, while Jonas Vingegaard’s exit reshapes the general classification standings.
Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel secured his third Tour de France stage victory on Sunday, defeating race leader Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish at the conclusion of the 15th stage. The win came after a grueling 11-kilometre climb, with Evenepoel edging out the reigning champion to take the stage honours. The result shifts the dynamics of the overall general classification, moving Evenepoel into second place in the standings.
The stage was marked by a significant incident involving Jonas Vingegaard, who held second place in the general classification prior to the day’s racing. Approximately 20 kilometres from the finish at the Plateau de Solaison, Vingegaard crashed in a roundabout. The incident also involved several of his Visma-Lease a Bike teammates and Mexican rider Isaac Del Toro. Vingegaard was treated by an ambulance for a right arm injury and a suspected broken collarbone, subsequently forcing him to abandon the race.
With Vingegaard out of contention, Pogacar extended his overall lead to five minutes. Evenepoel’s stage win allowed him to close the gap significantly, taking second place in the general classification. He currently holds a lead of almost a minute over the next closest challenger, while French teenager Paul Seixas sits another 25 seconds behind.
Mexican rider Isaac Del Toro finished third, six seconds behind the winner. The result saw Del Toro climb from seventh to third in the overall standings and claim the best young rider’s white jersey. He took the jersey from Paul Seixas, who had won it on the previous day. Seixas finished fourth in the stage, nearly a minute behind Evenepoel, and retained the white jersey after the stage.
Other notable movements in the classification included German rider Florian Lipowitz, who finished fifth on the wheel of Seixas. Spanish rider Juan Ayuso had a difficult day, dropping to sixth overall after losing almost two minutes to Del Toro and a minute to Seixas. Ayuso had previously lost the white jersey to Seixas on Saturday, marking a challenging period for the Spanish contender in the current race structure.
