Tour de France 2026 Favourites stage 15: All-out on final climb

fotobureau Cor VosIn the 15th stage of the Tour de France, the riders head through the Alps. The route features four categorised climbs, with the final ascent by far the hardest. It is almost certain that the GC contenders will test each other, but whether that will also be for the stage win remains to be seen. (Slideshow route/profile)

First published on 30 June

Given the route, it is quite possible that the breakaway is allowed plenty of leeway, leading to a battle on two fronts. First, the attackers fighting for the stage win, and then the GC contenders trying to put time into each other on the brutal climb to the line.

The opening phase is perfect for an intriguing fight to get into the breakaway. The route gradually rises on false-flat roads over the first 22 kilometres before a short descent precedes the Côte des Rousses 6.6 kilometres at 5.1%). Even after the KOM sprint, the road continues to rise gently for another 9 kilometres.

False flat remains the defining feature for much of the following section as the road drops into the Rhône valley. After a small climb, the riders cross the river and begin the tougher second half of the race. First, the Col de la Croisette (4.6 kilometres at 11.2%) offers a taste of the steep gradients to come on the final climb.

Straight out of the descent, the Côte du Mont (2.1 kilometres at 8.3%) provides a punchy little effort, before the route descends in false-flat fashion towards the the foot of the final climb, which is a brute: 11.3 kilometres at 9.1%. Anyone looking to hurt their rivals will want to do so in the first 4 kilometres, a section that kicks up into the double-digit gradients.

In short, apart from the Col de la Croisette, there is little on the road to the final climb that cannot be controlled by a strong climbing team. So the pre-stage question is: will the GC teams want that? It is hard to say at this point, although we are currently leaning towards a breakaway stage win.

On 14 June, Del Toro crossed the line in celebration on the Plateau des Solaison. That day, the Mexican won the final stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and sealed the overall victory. It was the first edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné to be held under that rather unwieldy name.

How the race unfolds depends on the standings, so we will update this article during the Tour de France.

Favourites 15th stage - 2026 Tour de France

*** Thymen Arensman, Lenny Martinez, Sepp Kuss, Richard Carapaz
** Matthew Riccitello, Isaac del Toro, Egan Bernal, Mattias Skjelmose
* Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Paul Seixas, Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso

Another interesting read: route 15th stage 2026 Tour de France.

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