Tour de France 2016: Stage 15 Route, Live Stream and TV Coverage
Chris Froome of Team Sky maintained a healthy lead at the top of the general classifications, going into Stage 15 of the Tour de France on Sunday after compatriot Mark Cavendish won a sprint finish to secure his fourth stage win in 2016.
The Dimension Data speed king claimed the 30th overall Tour win of his career, as the yellow jersey remained on Froome's back.
The reigning champion holds a one-minute 47-second over Bauke Mollema as the GC contenders attack the upcoming 160-kilometre classic mountain stage from Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz.
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Here is how you can catch all the action:
Date: Sunday, July 17
Start Time: 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m ET
Route: Bourg-en-Bresse—Culoz
Stage Profile: Mountain
Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK), NBC Sports App (U.S.)
TV Info: ITV 4, Eurosport 1 (UK), NBC Sports Gold (U.S.)
For the full Tour de France schedule, visit CyclingNews.com.
Stage 15 Preview
The Tour reclaims its place in the mountains on Sunday as the difficulty level jumps in Stage 15. The latest leg of cycling's greatest race takes on a day exclusively full of tough climbing as the GC faces its most exhaustive challenge so far.
Eurosport provided a profile of the mountain stage with its punishing gradients:
"Join us tomorrow LIVE on Eurosport 1 @ 11.30am for the shark-tooth stage 15. This is what's in store. Don't miss it! pic.twitter.com/lvNq1xkUwI
— Eurosport UK TV (@EurosportUKTV) July 16, 2016"
Stage 14 was claimed by Cavendish as Team Sky opted to protect their lead rider heading back into the mountains.
The Isle of Man-born Olympian has recovered his best form during the current Tour as he once again proves to be one of the planet's most destructive sprinters.
Despite Cavendish's recent success, it is Froome who is front and centre as he skips through each checkpoint on his way to victory.
The slower pace of Stage 15 should suit the yellow jersey's endurance skill set, but the huge descents toward the finish offer a dangerous challenge to the whole field as they chase every second.
Sky Sports Cycling provided the latest GC standings:
Contenders Nairo Quintana of Movistar and Richie Porte of BMC each lost two minutes to Froome in the recent time trial, but Sky directeur sportif Nicolas Portal still believes the race is yet to be won, taking nothing for granted.
"We've taken an advantage but it's clear that the Tour isn't over just yet," Portal insisted, according to Barry Ryan of CyclingNews.com. "Chris [Froome] has done a super TT today, he's gained time on all of his rivals and that's perfect for us, but we know that Nairo [Quintana] is always good in the final week."
Quintana is almost three minutes behind the lead now, but he does have the power and cadence to succeed in the mountains.
However, Froome would have to experience catastrophic failure to not remain comfortably clear of the Colombian machine. Quintana is positioned fourth at present, and the rest of the field will fall out of contention over the next few stages as the gap becomes too large to breach.
Journalist Michael Hutchinson believes the leader firmly has the edge as the race heads toward the latter stages:
Froome has once again proved to be a master tactician in this year's Tour as he avoids the dangers that have scuppered previous bids.
The race is much more than just climbing and speed, and it's become an art rejecting the interference of zealous crowds at each race—a skill Froome has learned over the grand tour campaigns.
Team Sky have a superior contingent in their ranks, and the cyclists have done an amazing job supporting the lead in his bid to remain in yellow.
If Froome once more rides into Paris in procession with his colleagues from Team Sky, it will again prove how cycling has developed into one of the most expansive and technical team sports on the planet, despite the individual sacrifices needed to succeed in the world's must brutal race.
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