The 183kms from Mende to Valence of Stage 15 of the 2015 Tour de France, though full of climbs early, should be another chance for the sprinters to take victory. Will Sagan get that elusive stage win?
Three of the climbs fall before the intermediate sprint at 108.0kms in Aubenas. The hardest climb of the day is hat 126.5kms, meaning the riders have over 50kms to get back together if they can’t hold on the climb, lining up for a sprint.
Km 9.5 – Côte de Badaroux4.6 kilometre-long climb at 5.1% – category 3
Km 69.5 – Col du Bez2.6 kilometre-long climb at 4.4% – category 4
Km 73.5 – Col de la Croix de Bauzon1.3 kilometre-long climb at 6.2% – category 4
Km 126.5 – Col de l’Escrinet (787 m)7.9 kilometre-long climb at 5.8% – category 2
With the Alps looming, the sprinters probably won’t have another opportunity to shine until Paris. However, the Rhone valley can always cause chaos if the winds are high. If it doesn’t go to the sprinters, the break could stay away depending on the make up, however with so many teams still not getting anything out of this Tour, the odds of organization are slim.