Geraint Thomas retains yellow jersey at Tour de France as Magnus Cort Nielsen wins stage 15

Magnus Cort Nielsen won stage 15 of the Tour de France in Carcassone to give Astana back-to-back victories.

Nielsen outsprinted Jon Izagirre of Bahrain-Merida and Bauke Mollema of Trek-Segafredo, the last three survivors of a 29-man breakaway at the end of a 181.5km stage from Millau.

Nielsen’s win came 24 hours after team-mate Omar Fraile won – also from a breakaway – in Mende.

Astana’s Danish rider Magnus Cort Nielsen celebrates his exciting victory on stage 15 of the Tour de France on Sunday

He battled ahead of Jon Izagirre and Bauke Mollema following a late breakaway and held off the duo during sprint finish

He battled ahead of Jon Izagirre and Bauke Mollema following a late breakaway and held off the duo during sprint finish

Following team-mate Omar Fraile's success in Mende on Saturday, Astana have now won back-to-back stages at the Tour

Following team-mate Omar Fraile’s success in Mende on Saturday, Astana have now won back-to-back stages at the Tour

Geraint Thomas enjoyed a relatively straightforward stage and still holds the yellow jersey heading into the second rest day

Geraint Thomas enjoyed a relatively straightforward stage and still holds the yellow jersey heading into the second rest day

The peloton crossed the line some 13 minutes later, with Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome present along with Team Sunweb’s Tom Dumoulin to ensure there was no change at the top of the general classification ahead of Monday’s rest day. 

Thomas continues to lead Froome by one minute and 39 seconds, with Dumoulin a further 11 seconds back.

World champion Peter Sagan was one of 29 riders to get into the day’s break, and he took third place in the day’s intermediate sprint to ensure he now simply needs to reach Paris to win the points classification for a sixth time – mathematically unable to be caught with a full week of the Tour to spare. 

Thomas leads fellow Briton and Team Sky rider Chris Froome by one minute and 39 seconds as he searches for first Tour win

Thomas leads fellow Briton and Team Sky rider Chris Froome by one minute and 39 seconds as he searches for first Tour win

Peter Sagan only needs to make it to Paris in order to win the points classification for the sixth time in his career to date

Peter Sagan only needs to make it to Paris in order to win the points classification for the sixth time in his career to date

Rafal Majka led before being caught by a chasing group of seven riders with approximately 13km left to go of Sunday’s stage

Thomas and Froome, who enjoyed a trouble-free day, cross over a bridge on the sunny route from Millau to Carcassonne

Thomas and Froome, who enjoyed a trouble-free day, cross over a bridge on the sunny route from Millau to Carcassonne

The peloton pass under the imposing Millau Viaduct, which is the highest cable-stayed bridge-road anywhere in the world

The peloton pass under the imposing Millau Viaduct, which is the highest cable-stayed bridge-road anywhere in the world

It was a first Tour de France stage win for the 25-year-old Nielsen, whose previous season highlight was victory atop the Cow and Calf on stage two of the Tour de Yorkshire.

It was clear from early in the day that the peloton was content for the large breakaway to contest stage honours, but the front group began to splinter on the imposing climb of the Pic de Nore, crested some 40km from the finish.

Sagan’s Bora-Hansgrohe team-mate Rafal Majka tried to get away but was reeled in by the summit, and the numbers thinned down considerably on the way down as crosswinds split the group – allowing Nielsen, Izagirre and Mollema to get away and battle it out among themselves.

Stage 15 of the famous bike race ran for 181.5 kilometres and preceded a rest day that gives way to two tough mountain stages

Stage 15 of the famous bike race ran for 181.5 kilometres and preceded a rest day that gives way to two tough mountain stages

The wheat fields and green hills provide an idyllic backdrop as Team Sky's group work hard to maintain Thomas' overall lead

The wheat fields and green hills provide an idyllic backdrop as Team Sky’s group work hard to maintain Thomas’ overall lead

German flags are seen waving as spectators line up in the hills to catch a glimpse of the riders as they weave their way past

German flags are seen waving as spectators line up in the hills to catch a glimpse of the riders as they weave their way past



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