Yet Another Colombian

If anything was going to happen in the general classification at the end of the second week, it had to happen on stage 15. The route included six climbs, among them, at the end, the Grand Colombier twice from different sides. Because of the finish after a descent, a decisive attack by the GC contenders was still rather unlikely. Those who might do it on this stage are apparently planning the general battles for the third week. Still, this is the Tour, and on a mountain stage a moment’s lapse of attention can have disastrous consequences.

A big fight for the stage was expected from the teams that hadn’t won yet, and the abundance of mountains classification points promised great activity from the contenders.

In the mountains classification it turned into a solo: apart from Poland’s Rafał Majka, nobody that day was in the right condition to fight, and Rafał started building his points tally. He initiated the formation of the breakaway, and then the whole stage went at his dictation, and he also became leader of the mountains classification, though…

 

 

On the Grand Colombier only Katusha’s Ilnur Zakarin backed his attack. Ilnur was clearly aiming for the stage and didn’t even contest the summit.

 

 

On the descent Jarlinson Pantano and Julian Alaphilippe caught the leaders. On the last climb Julian had technical problems and fell behind the leaders. At the summit Rafał attacked and was first to descend toward the finish. On the descent the Colombian caught him. So the pair reached the final kilometer together. At the finish the Colombian was sharper and took the first Grand Tour win of his career! The world got to know yet another Colombian — let us get to know him too: this is Jarlinson Pantano!

 

 

Among the greats, Alejandro and Fabio made something like an attempt at an attack, but nobody took it seriously. The British guard easily neutralized the attempt. As we said, we should expect the general battles only in the third week.

 

 

 

 

Featured image: Yuzuru SUNADA/www.yuzurusunada.com

Inside post thumbnail image: Yuzuru SUNADA/www.yuzurusunada.com

 

Special thanks to the Japanese photographer Yuzuru SUNADA for permission to use his works in our publications.

 

 

 

 

 

Translated from Georgian with the assistance of Claude (Anthropic), reviewed by the Velorbola editors.