The 2015 Tour de France was a three-week Grand Tour cycling race that took place principally in France between 4 July and 26 July 2015; four stages also took place partly or wholly in either the Netherlands or Belgium.[1][2] The first eleven stages took the race from Utrecht, Netherlands to Cauterets in south-west France.[1]Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).
Stage one was an individual time trial that took place around the city of Utrecht on 4 July. It was won by [Rohan Dennis]] (BMC Racing Team), who took the general classification leader's yellow jersey. Stages two and three were sprint stages, won by André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal) and Joaquim Rodríguez (Team Katusha) respectively. After the first three stages; Chris Froome (Team Sky) held the yellow jersey with a one second lead over Tony Martin (Etixx–Quick-Step).[3]
Stage four was the race's first hilly stage and it was won by Tony Martin (Etixx–Quick-Step) who beat his nearest rival, John Degenkolb (Team Giant–Alpecin), by three seconds.[4] This meant Martin would claim the yellow jersey.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). Stages five, six, seven and eight were all sprint stages[1] and they were won by André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal), Zdeněk Štybar (Etixx–Quick-Step), Mark Cavendish (Etixx–Quick-Step) and Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R La Mondiale).[5][6][7][8] After the first eight stages, Chris Froome (Team Sky) was winning the general classification after the previous leader, Tony Martin (Etixx–Quick-Step), crashed on stage seven.[9]
Stage nine was the 2015 Tour de France's only team time trial.[1] The time trial was won by BMC Racing Team by one second over Team Sky and Froome (Team Sky) retained his general classification lead.[10] After stage nine was the 2015 Tour de France's first rest day which was in the town of Pau.[1] Stages 10 and 11 were the first stages officially considered "mountain stages" by the Tour de France.[1] Stage 10 was won by Froome, 59 seconds in front of second place finisher and teammate Richie Porte.[11] Pole Rafał Majka (Tinkoff–Saxo) won the 11th stage by a minute.[12]
- ^ a b c d e f "Route - Sporting aspects, stage cities - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ "2015 Tour de France route". Freewheeling France. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 3 - Anvers > Huy - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 4 - Seraing > Cambrai - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 5 - Arras Communauté Urbaine > Amiens Métropole - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 6 - Abbeville > Le Harve - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 7 - Livarot > Fougères - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 8 - Rennes > Mûr-de-Bretagne - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Zdenek Stybar: A great feeling, but mixed feelings..." Tour de France. July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 9 - Vannes > Plumelec - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 10 - Tarbes > La Pierre-Saint-Martin - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ "Stage 11 - Pau > Cauterets - Vallée de Saint-Savin - Tour de France 2015". Tour de France. Retrieved 15 July 2016.