Stage 15 of Tour de France 2026 took the peloton into the Alps for the first major mountain test, finishing atop the demanding Plateau de Solaison.

Before the climbing began, Alpecin-Premier Tech controlled the race to lead Jasper Philipsen to the intermediate sprint. The Belgian outsprinted green jersey holder Mads Pedersen, reducing the gap in the points classification.

Once the sprint was over, the battle for the breakaway exploded. Several attacks eventually produced a large leading group featuring Tom Pidcock, Adam Yates, Egan Bernal, Ben Healy, Einer Rubio, Quinn Simmons, Tim van Dijke, Victor Campenaerts, Ilan Van Wilder and others. Pidcock was the best-placed rider in the group, sitting ninth overall.

The breakaway built an advantage of almost three minutes while Team Visma | Lease a Bike assumed responsibility in the peloton, setting a hard pace through the day's decisive climbs.

Everything changed with just over 20 kilometres remaining when Jonas Vingegaard crashed heavily in a right-hand corner, bringing down Isaac Del Toro, Sepp Kuss and Felix Grobschartner. While Del Toro, Kuss and Grobschartner were able to continue, Vingegaard was forced to abandon the Tour de France in one of the race's biggest blows.

On the ascent to Plateau de Solaison, Quinn Simmons emerged as the last survivor from the breakaway before being reeled in by the favourites.

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe initially controlled the pace before Tadej Pogacar surprisingly took over at the front, working for teammate Isaac Del Toro.

The relentless tempo quickly reduced the lead group until only Pogacar, Del Toro and Remco Evenepoel remained together. Behind them, Juan Ayuso, Florian Lipowitz, Paul Seixas, Lenny Martinez, Mattias Skjelmose and Tom Pidcock were left chasing.

Inside the final kilometre, Del Toro launched two attacks, but Evenepoel responded comfortably on both occasions. The stage was ultimately decided in a three-man sprint. Evenepoel accelerated with 250 metres remaining and neither Del Toro nor Pogacar could come around him.

The Belgian celebrated his first-ever Tour de France road stage victory, while Pogacar successfully strengthened Del Toro's position on the overall podium after sacrificing his own chances for the stage win. Meanwhile, Vingegaard's abandonment dramatically reshaped the battle for the general classification.

Rúben Silva of CyclingUpToDate reflected on another captivating day at the Tour de France. After the finish, he shared his thoughts on the tactical battle that unfolded throughout the stage, offering his analysis of the key moments that ultimately paved the way for Remco Evenepoel's memorable victory.

Well, what a day... It's hard to grasp just how much has happened in around 12 hours.

Firstly, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard undergo a doping test in the middle of the night, something which race organizers and anti-doping authorities will have to explain as it is not allowed to do so between 11pm and 6am. So we must not forget that, and also question that and the consequences it would've potentially had in the race.

The race was marked by the crash and withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard. Life is not fair, and neither is cycling. In a way, the sport showcases that aspect quite well, in a very dramatic way. Luck is on the side of riders on some occasions, and at times that is not the case, nothing can be done.

I believe Vingegaard could've done quite well today. The steep ascent and the stage 14 plan certainly would've seen him create bigger gaps to his direct rivals, whilst Visma looked perfectly ready to deploy their tactics.

With Vingegaard out, UAE comes in. Tadej Pogacar has this Tour won, baring any similar disaster - today was a reminder that this is not impossible to happen. As I've said from the start of the Tour, Pogacar's battle is with himself, and from now on even more.

On the final climb we could tell that he is fine, he is happy, and he has reached what he ambitioned. He put himself in front to help Isaac del Toro onto the podium and white jersey, and Del Toro had the legs to match.

Remco Evenepoel: He is a killer. Now, right after the stage it hasn't looked overly clear on whether Tadej Pogacar had the legs or not to beat him, but it doesn't change the Belgian's performance.

In 2024 he showed he was the third best climber in the world behind Pogacar and Vingegaard WHEN he is in peak form. He is now in that same form, and in similar circumstances to 2024 Plateau de Beille, he has put in a brilliant climb.

Above all, it certainly shuts up the months of criticism and doubts over his climbing ability. He is not a natural climber such as the other two, he is someone who needs that specific preparation and weight loss. But that is possible, and at this Tour he has looked strong, hungry and psychologically he may be the best of the rest (behind an untouchable Pogacar).

Evenepoel's win was impressive, and one of the best in his career.

Pascal Michiels of RadsportAktuell was equally enthusiastic at the end of the stage. Clearly thrilled by the day's events, he reflected on an unforgettable afternoon of racing and shared his perspective on how the action unfolded and why Remco Evenepoel's victory felt so deserved.

Remco Evenepoel finally delivered the mountain victory Belgium has waited 50 years to celebrate. For Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, this was more than a stage victory. It was the day Remco Evenepoel finally destroyed one of the most persistent doubts surrounding his career.

Belgium has celebrated victories in Classics, time trials, world championships and Olympic races. Its riders have conquered cobbles, Monuments and rainbow jerseys. Yet for 50 years, since Lucien Van Impe's era, the great cycling nation had waited to see one of its genuine general classification leaders defeat the Tour's strongest contenders on a major mountain stage. Evenepoel did exactly that at Plateau de Solaison.

This was not a victory from a breakaway or a tactical gift. The final climb measured 11.3 kilometres at nine percent, and Tadej Pogacar was setting the pace for Isaac del Toro. Only Evenepoel could remain with the UAE pair when the other podium contenders began to crack. Then, after surviving the climb, he countered Del Toro's second attack and beat Pogačar decisively.

For Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, the performance justified everything invested in Evenepoel. The team took responsibility after Jonas Vingegaard's shocking abandonment and refused to allow the race to drift. Evenepoel rewarded that ambition by moving into second overall, five minutes behind Pogačar and almost a minute ahead of Del Toro.

Florian Lipowitz also deserves credit. The German could not follow the extraordinary pace of Evenepoel, Pogačar and Del Toro, but he fought his way to fifth on the stage and fifth overall. He lost only 58 seconds on a climb where Lidl-Trek's Juan Ayuso surrendered far more.

For German cycling fans, this offered a glimpse of Red Bull's future: Evenepoel proving he can win against the very best uphill, while Lipowitz continues developing into a genuine Tour podium contender.

The Tour may have lost Vingegaard, but Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe gained something enormous: the belief that they made the right decision by building their future around Remco Evenepoel alongside Florian Lipowitz.

Carlos Silva from CyclingUpToDate, followed every moment of the Tour de France's stage 15 and was left satisfied after witnessing yet another day of aggressive, attacking racing.

It is a real shame that the Tour de France ended this way for Jonas Vingegaard. Even if he was not on Tadej Pogacar's level in this race, the Dane brought emotion and unpredictability to the Tour. I was genuinely looking forward to seeing what he would do today, especially with Visma | Lease a Bike doing such a strong job positioning him before the final climb. We will never know how the stage would have unfolded had he stayed upright.

Beyond Vingegaard's abandonment, Isaac Del Toro's crash also had a clear influence on the outcome of the stage. The Mexican was visibly not at his best in the final kilometres and, in those circumstances, never looked capable of getting the better of Remco Evenepoel. That does not take anything away from the Belgian's outstanding victory, but it is impossible to ignore the impact the crash had on Del Toro's chances.

At the same time, the race has gained a whole new layer of intrigue. The battle for the yellow jersey now looks all but settled, but the fight for the remaining podium places in Paris is completely open. That promises an exciting final week.

My final point concerns the anti-doping controls carried out in the middle of the night. I am not against out-of-competition testing. Not at all. But if that is the protocol, then it should be applied equally to all the main general classification contenders.

You simply cannot wake up two riders in the middle of the night—with all the consequences that may have for their recovery and allow the rest of their rivals to sleep uninterrupted. What exactly are they suspecting? We deserve answers. I want answers. This is the kind of issue that genuinely frustrates me.

Take Tramadol, for example. Riders are not allowed to use it because it is considered a performance-affecting substance that, according to the authorities, can impair judgement and reaction times, potentially increasing the risk of crashes.

But then explain this to me: how is waking riders in the middle of the night any different? Doesn't that also increase the likelihood that they start a stage tired, less alert and with slower reactions?

Help me understand, because I honestly don't. There has to be consistency in the reasoning behind these decisions, and right now, I simply don't see it.

Juan Lopez of CiclismoAlDia analysed everything that unfolded on the French roads throughout the day and, at the end, shared his reflections on what he had witnessed.

A magnificent stage brought the Tour de France's journey through the Vosges to a close, leaving several important conclusions.

The first is that Tadej Pogacar is human. He worked for Isaac del Toro with the Mexican's place on the podium in mind, wore himself out, and the unthinkable happened: he was denied a mountain stage victory in this Grande Boucle.

A sensational Remco Evenepoel once again showed that, when he is at his very best, he is a world-class rider on any terrain. It was a tremendous victory which, combined with Tuesday's time trial, makes him the clear favourite to finish second overall in Paris.

Jonas Vingegaard's abandonment was deeply unfortunate. It was also regrettable that no one was there waving a flag to warn the riders about that dangerous section. It is a real shame that the Dane leaves the race through the back door on the very day he finally seemed to be feeling better, with his team setting the pace as a unit.

Juan Ayuso suffered more than expected and now finds himself under pressure in the battle for the podium. We will see whether he can rediscover his best sensations in the Alps.

Stage 13 may well prove to be the defining day of the 2026 Tour de France.

The race changed in more ways than one. Jonas Vingegaard's unfortunate crash and abandonment removed the only rider who realistically looked capable of challenging Tadej Pogacar in the high mountains, while also raising serious questions over rider safety after the lack of warning before the dangerous section. Earlier, the controversial overnight doping controls involving both race favourites also left an issue that deserves proper explanation from the authorities.

On the road, however, Remco Evenepoel produced the performance of his career. After years of doubts about whether he could match the very best climbers on the Tour's toughest ascents, the Belgian answered every critic. He did not rely on tactics or circumstance, he simply climbed with Pogacar and Isaac del Toro before proving strongest in the finale. It was a landmark victory for both Evenepoel and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, and one that firmly establishes him as the favourite to finish second overall.

Tadej Pogacar, meanwhile, showed something rarely seen. By choosing to work for Isaac del Toro instead of riding purely for another stage win, he revealed both confidence and humanity. Even if he left without the victory, the Slovenian emerged with his overall lead stronger than ever and now appears to have the yellow jersey firmly under control, barring misfortune.

With the Vosges behind them, the Tour heads towards the Alps with the fight for victory seemingly settled, but the battle for the remaining podium places is only intensifying. Del Toro, Evenepoel, Ayuso, Seixas and Lipowitz still have everything to race for, ensuring that, despite the loss of one of its protagonists, this Tour still has plenty of drama left to offer.