2015 Tour de France stage 21

Nine laps to go

Nick Roche and Sky.

 

Chris Froome and Peter Sagan.

 

Romain Bardet borrows the polka dot kit from Froome.

 

Jan Bakelants.

 

Eight laps to go

Froome.

 

Alberto Contador.

 

Seven laps to go

 

Sky.

 

John Degenkolb.

 

Six laps to go

Three man break: Kenneth Van Bilsen, Florian Vachon, and Nelson Oliveira.

 

Jan Barta tries to bridge.

 

Lotto Soudal comes to the front: Marcel Sieberg, Jens Debusschere, Andre Greipel, and Sagan.

 

Mark Cavendish (far right) and Alexander Kristoff (far left).

 

Joaquim Rodriguez.

 

Five laps to go

Europcar gets organized for Bryan Coquard (center).

 

Contador, Tyler Farrar, Michael Matthews, and Edvald Boasson Hagen.

 

Ryder Hesjedal.

 

Froome and Sky.

 

Four laps to go

 

The break’s advantage tumbles quickly.

 

Giant Alpecin.

 

Matthias Brandle.

 

Three laps to go

Thomas Voeckler pulls in front of Lotto Soudal.

 

The peloton.

 

Two laps to go

Cyril Gautier and Lotto Soudal.

 

Daniel Oss, Serge Pauwels, Sep Vanmarcke, and Tyler Farrar.

 

Vincenzo Nibali.

 

As the peloton flies by, Matteo Bono and Davide Cimolai pull to the side for a wheel swap. Click here for a 95 second video.

 

Bono frantically changes Cimolai’s back wheel.

 

He sends the sprinter on his way.

 

The Lampre car drives by and pauses just long enough for the mechanic to toss a spare wheel out the door.

 

Bono sets about replacing his own back wheel.

 

He tries to give wheel to a race vehicle and eventually the broom wagon picks up the flat tire for him.

 

Bono on his way.

 

Full gas peloton.

 

Bell lap!

Kenneth Van Bilsen goes solo and is chased by Rohan Dennis.

 

Oliveira and Vachon.

 

The front of the bunch.

 

Bardet and Pieter Weening.

 

Katusha and Giant.

 

Winner Anacona, Christophe Riblon, Mathias Frank, Talansky, and Nairo Quintana.

 

Cummings, Roche, and Hesjedal.

 

Adam Yates ahead of Sky.

 

Jose Herrada.

 

Jets fly over the course.

 

The peloton goes through the 3km mark.

 

The last 370 meters!

Katusha is lined up.

 

Greipel, Coquard, and Vanmarcke.

 

Ramunas Navardauskas, Christophe Laporte, and Jan Bakelants.

 

Warren Barguil rounds the corner and checks to see if Degenkolb won.

 

A moment later, Koen de Kort sees that Greipel took the prestigious win.

 

Dan Martin and the bunch roll in leisurely.

 

Smiles all around as Hansen is about to finish his 12th grand tour and Greipel wins his 4th stage. Hansen, Tim Wellens, and Lars Bak.

 

Sky.

 

Herrada, Quintana, Adriano Malori, and Winner Anacona.

 

The Tour may have ended with Froome winning his 2nd title but, don’t worry, my Tour posts are not yet done.