Evenepoel defeats Pogacar at Plateau de Solaison and Vingegaard's withdrawal shakes the Tour

Remco Evenepoel conquered stage 15 of the Tour de France 2026 after surpassing Tadej Pogacar in the final sprint at Plateau de Solaison. The Belgian was the only one able to withstand the pace set by the leader and Isaac Del Toro in the grueling final ascent, before finishing the day with a victory that also reinforces his new second position in the overall standings. The stage was marked by the withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard, who fell in a roundabout with about 18 kilometers to go and had to abandon the race.

Evenepoel's victory over Pogacar in a stage marked by Vingegaard's withdrawal

The Tour reached its second consecutive day of high mountains with a stage of 183.9 kilometers between Champagnole and Plateau de Solaison. The difficulty was concentrated in the last 50 kilometers, with the Col de la Croisette, the Côte du Mont, and an unprecedented finish in the French round: 11.3 kilometers of final ascent with an average gradient of 9%.

The race ended up offering two completely different stories. On one hand, Evenepoel confirmed one of his best performances in a major climb and directly beat Pogacar. On the other, Vingegaard disappeared from the race after a fall that completely changes the battle for the general classification.

Evenepoel withstands UAE's pace and wins the sprint

RECOMENDADO

2026 Tour de France: The Meaning of Each Jersey and How to Win It

Crashes, illness, and other reasons: All the withdrawals from the 2026 Tour de France so far

Vingegaard abandons the 2026 Tour after a hard crash (Video)

Doping controls wake Pogacar and Vingegaard in the early morning

"We don't use it all the time": Pogacar's nutritionist explains how they use lactate in the Tour

The Alps comes into play: Schedule and route for Stage 15 of the Tour

The day's breakaway included 24 riders, among them Tom Pidcock, Adam Yates, Quinn Simmons, Mauro Schmid, Egan Bernal, Ilan Van Wilder, Einer Rubio, and Ben Healy.

Pidcock sought the breakaway again after falling to ninth place in the general classification at Le Markstein. His presence kept UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike controlling the gap. The advantage of the leading group barely exceeded three minutes before the decisive climbs.

The Col de la Croisette, with 4.7 kilometers at 11.2%, drastically reduced the leading group. Simmons, Pidcock, Yannis Voisard, Adam Yates, and Rubio were some of the riders who managed to stay ahead, while the peloton was reduced to about 25 cyclists.

Simmons was the most aggressive. The American champion attacked on the Croisette and tried again at Plateau de Solaison, where he caught and left Mauro Schmid behind. However, his margin was insufficient against the pace of the favorites.

Pidcock also tried to select the chasing group on the final climb, but he couldn't keep up with Simmons and was later caught by the main contenders for the general classification.

When UAE finally took control, Adam Yates worked for Pogacar and Del Toro. The Brit neutralized Pidcock and Voisard before leaving his two companions ready to contest the stage.

Pogacar accelerated while seated, with Del Toro on his wheel, and only Evenepoel could respond. Paul Seixas, Florian Lipowitz, and Juan Ayuso lost contact, while the leading trio caught Simmons with less than five kilometers to go.

The leader worked for much of the ascent, focused on keeping Del Toro in the group. Evenepoel not only resisted but also took turns in the final kilometers and showed that he still had the strength to contest the victory.

Del Toro attacked within the last kilometer, but Evenepoel immediately closed the move. Pogacar then took the lead to launch the sprint on the final slopes, although the Belgian managed to surpass him and raise his arms at Plateau de Solaison.

Evenepoel holds off UAE and beats Pogacar and Del Toro at Plateau de Solaison on the day of Vingegaard's withdrawal.#TDF2026 #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/5B6c9EW7tX

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) July 19, 2026

Vingegaard withdraws from the Tour after a fall in a roundabout

The stage changed completely with about 18 kilometers to go. Jonas Vingegaard fell in a right turn located in a roundabout while Visma-Lease a Bike was working to bring the peloton closer to the breakaway before Plateau de Solaison.

The Dane lost control on his own and after hitting a curb, he lay on the ground. Isaac Del Toro was also involved in the incident, although the Mexican was able to quickly rejoin and continue the stage.

Vingegaard remained on the asphalt with visible signs of pain. Medical assistance placed a sling on his arm, and a few minutes later, his withdrawal was confirmed. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider got into the medical vehicle and ended his participation while occupying second place in the general classification.

A heartbreaking end to his Tour

Jonas Vingegaard's Tour de France comes to an unexpected end as the two-time champion abandons during Stage 15 following a crash in the peloton.

Get well soon, Jonas. pic.twitter.com/mft6WtlmQS

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) July 19, 2026

The fall eliminates Pogacar's main pursuer and completely alters the battle for the podium before the final week.

Evenepoel inherits second place and Del Toro gains ground

Vingegaard's withdrawal makes Evenepoel the new second-placed rider in the Tour. The Belgian, who was already in third place before the stage, also reinforced his position by winning at Plateau de Solaison and leading Seixas and Lipowitz by almost a minute.

Del Toro finished third, six seconds behind, after having returned to the group following the fall. His result allows him to continue advancing in a classification that had already begun to compress after the stage at Le Markstein.

Seixas and Lipowitz arrived together at 58 seconds. Both lost ground to Evenepoel and Del Toro, although they remained in the fight for the top positions.

Top 10 of stage 15 of the Tour de France 2026

1. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – 4:23:09
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – same time
3. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 6 seconds
4. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) – at 58 seconds
5. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – at 58 seconds
6. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) – at 1:57
7. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) – at 1:57
8. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) – at 2:00
9. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 2:00
10. Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) – at 2:16

Top 10 of the general classification

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – 55:41:31
2. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – at 5:00
3. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 5:58
4. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) – at 6:23
5. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – at 6:48
6. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) – at 7:25
7. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) – at 9:38
8. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) – at 10:28
9. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) – at 10:56
10. Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) – at 19:26