"I was already quite tired after the first two hours" - Wout Van Aert 4th after a day spent in breakaway
Cycling
Even though riders didn't visit high mountains on the fifteenth stage of Tour de France, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Visma | Lease a Bike colours were again in the spotlight. While UAE rider Tim Wellens won with a 40km solo, Visma riders Victor Campenaerts (2nd) and Wout Van Aert (4th) were also important players in today's stage.
"It was flat out all the way, and quite chaotic at the beginning," begins Van Aert afterwards. "Especially with the crash that Jonas [Vingegaard] was involved in. It was difficult to choose the right tactics, because we wanted to be in the breakaway, but also slow down so Jonas could get back into the peloton. So it was a bit tricky."
"I think we did well, the communication was good. I found myself in the leading groups. Actually, we were controlled all day, it took a lot of effort and communication. I was already quite tired after the first two hours of pulling all the time."
In the end Victor Campenaerts played his cards better among the Belgian Visma duo and arrived 2nd. Having teammate up the road was ultimately also an advantage for Van Aert, he admitted: "I think he was stronger on the climb, so it was good to have him in front of me, I was also able to stay in the group. In the final, it came down to power, which gives me an advantage as a heavier rider."
After tomorrow's rest day, the 'bees' will get back to work for team leader Jonas Vingegaard who remains second overall after two weeks. "Yes, we are still in the race for the podium, that's true. But with the speed we are riding at the moment, it is really difficult to close a gap of 20 to 30 seconds. You have to be attentive all the time, because it is hard to make up time," he concluded on whether Tadej Pogacar can be dethroned.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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