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Tour de France 2015 review

A look back on the 2015 edition

Vincenzo Nibali on stage 21 of the 2014 Tour de France, Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Chris Froome won the 102nd edition of the Tour de France.

The Team Sky rider sealed a 1min 12sec victory over runner-up Nairo Quintana.

Here's a look back at the race...

THE STAGES

Stage 1: Saturday, July 4 – Utrecht to Utrecht – 13.8km individual time trial

Stage winner: Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing). Race leader: Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing).

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Rohan Dennis, Tour de France 2015, stage one, Utrecht
Image: Rohan Dennis won stage one with a record-breaking speed

Stage 2: Sunday, July 5 – Utrecht to Neeltje Jans – 166km

More from Tour De France 2015

Stage winner: Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal). Race leader: Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing).

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Germany's Andre Greipel (L) celebrates as he crosses the finish line ahead of Great Britain's Mark Cavendish (R) on the second stage of the Tour de France
Image: Andre Greipel prevailed in a bunch sprint on stage two

Stage 3: Monday, July 6 – Antwerpen to Huy – 159.5km

Stage winner: Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Joaquim Rodriguez, Tour de France 2015, stage three, Mur de Huy
Image: Joaquim Rodriguez climbed to victory on the Mur de Huy

Stage 4: Tuesday, July 7 – Seraing to Cambrai – 221.5km

Stage winner: Tony Martin (Etixx - Quick-Step). Race leader: Tony Martin (Etixx - Quick-Step).

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Tony Martin, Tour de France 2015, stage four
Image: Tony Martin took the yellow jersey with a solo win on stage four

Stage 5: Wednesday, July 8 – Arras to Amiens – 189.5km

Stage winner: Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal). Race leader: Tony Martin (Etixx - Quick-Step).

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Andre Greipel, Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan, during stage five of the 2015 Tour de France, a 189.5km stage between Arras and Amiens
Image: Andre Greipel claimed his second win on stage five

Stage 6: Thursday, July 9 – Abbeville to Le Havre – 191.5km

Stage winner: Zdenek Stybar (Etixx - Quick-Step). Race leader: Tony Martin (Etixx - Quick-Step).

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Zdenek Stybar wins stage six of the 2015 Tour de France
Image: Zdenek Stybar won stage six

Stage 7: Friday, July 10 – Livarot to Fougeres – 190.5km

Stage winner: Mark Cavendish (Etixx - Quick-Step). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Mark Cavendish during stage seven of the 2015 Tour de France, a 190.5km stage between Livarot and Fougeres on July 10, 2015 in Fougeres, France.
Image: Mark Cavendish ended his wait for a win on stage seven

Stage 8: Saturday, July 11 – Rennes to Mur de Bretagne – 181.5km

Stage winner: Alexis Vuillermoz (Ag2r-La Mondiale). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Alexis Vuillermoz, Tour de France 2015, stage eight, Ag2r-La Mondiale, Mur de Bretagne
Image: Alexis Vuillermoz became the race's first French winner on stage eight

Stage 9: Sunday, July 12 – Vannes to Plumelec – 28km team time trial

Stage winner: BMC Racing. Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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BMC Racing during stage nine of the 2015 Tour de France, a 28km team time trial between Vannes and Plumelec
Image: BMC Racing won the satge nine team time trial by just 0.62 seconds

Stage 10: Tuesday, July 14 – Tarbes to La Pierre-Saint-Martin – 167km

Stage winner: Chris Froome (Team Sky). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Chris Froome celebrates victory on stage 10 of the Tour de France
Image: Chris Froome won stage 10 solo

Stage 11: Wednesday, July 15 – Pau to Cauterets – 188km

Stage winner: Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Rafal Majka, Tour de France 2015, stage 11
Image: Rafal Majka claimed a 48km solo victory on stage 11

Stage 12: Thursday, July 16 – Lannemezan to Plateau de Beille – 195km

Stage winner: Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Joaquim Rodriguez during stage twelve of the 2015 Tour de France, a 195 km stage between Lannemezan and Plateau de Beille
Image: Joaquim Rodriguez picked up his second win of the race on stage 12

Stage 13: Friday, July 17 – Muret to Rodez – 198.5km

Stage winner: Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Greg van Avermaet and Peter Sagan during stage 13 of the 2015 Tour de France
Image: Greg van Avermaet pipped Peter Sagan to victory on stage 13

Stage 14: Saturday, July 18 – Rodez to Mende – 178.5km

Stage winner: Steve Cummings (MTN-Qhubeka). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Steve Cummings, Tour de France 2015, stage 14, Mende
Image: Steve Cummings won stage 14 out of the breakaway

Stage 15: Sunday, July 19 – Mende to Valence – 183km 

Stage winner: Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Andre Greipel wins stage 15 of the 2015 Tour de France
Image: Andre Greipel claimed his third win of the race on stage 15

Stage 16: Monday, July 20 – Bourg-de-Peage to Gap – 201km

Stage winner: Ruben Plaza (Lampre-Merida). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Ruben Plaza, Tour de France, stage 16
Image: Breakaway rider Ruben Plaza won stage 16

Stage 17: Wednesday, July 22 – Digne-les-Bains to Pra-Loup – 161km

Stage winner: Simon Geschke (Giant-Alpecin). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Simon Geschke, Tour de France, stage 17
Image: Breakaway rider Simon Geschke won stage 17

Stage 18: Thursday, July 23 – Gap to St-Jean-de-Maurienne – 186.5km

Stage winner: Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Romain Bardet, Tour de France, stage 18
Image: Romain Bardet won stage 18 solo out of the breakaway

Stage 19: Friday, July 24 – St-Jean-de-Maurienne to La Toussuire-Les Sybelles – 138km

Stage winner: Vincenzo Nibali (Astana). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

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Vincenzo Nibali, Tour de France, stage 19
Image: Vincenzo Nibali won stage 19 solo

Stage 20: Saturday, July 25 – Modane to Alpe d’Huez – 110.5km 

Stage winner: Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr). Race leader: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

Report

Thibaut Pinot, Tour de France, stage 20
Image: Thibaut Pinot won stage 20 on Alpe d'Huez

Stage 21: Sunday, July 26 – Sevres to Paris – 109.5km

Stage winner: Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal). Race winner: Chris Froome (Team Sky).

Report

Andre Greipel, Tour de France, stage 21, Champs-Elysees
Image: Andre Greipel won the final stage in Paris

BRIT WATCH

Mark Cavendish finishes Stage 2 of the 2015 Tirreno-Adriatico after being held up by a crash
Image: Mark Cavendish is one of 10 Britons racing at this year's Tour de France

- Mark Cavendish (Etixx – Quick-Step).
- Steve Cummings (MTN-Qhubeka).
- Alex Dowsett (Movistar).
- Chris Froome (Team Sky).
- Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky).
- Luke Rowe (Team Sky).
- Ian Stannard (Team Sky).
- Geraint Thomas (Team Sky).
- Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge).
- Simon Yates (Orica-GreenEdge).

THE JERSEYS

- Yellow: General classification.
- Green: Points classification.
- Red and white polka dots: King of the mountains.
- White: Best young rider.

TIME BONUSES

Ten, six and four seconds will be awarded to the first three riders over the finish line on every stage except for the time trials on stages one and nine.

POINTS ALLOCATION

Points classification

Each stage of the race falls into one of six categories, or "coefficients". Points are awarded in each coefficient in the following way....

Image: Peter Sagan has won the points classification in each of the past three years

- Coefficient one (flat stages): 50, 30, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2 points to the first 15 riders over the line.
- Coefficients two and three (medium-mountain stages): 30, 25, 22, 19, 17, 15, 13, 11, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2 points to the first 15 riders over the line.
- Coefficients four and five (high-mountain stages): 20, 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point for the first ten riders over the line.
- Coefficient six (individual time trial, stage one): 20, 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point to the 15 quickest riders.

Points are also allocated at intermediate sprints in the following way...

- 20, 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points to the first 15 riders over the line.

Mountains classification

Points are awarded in the following way...

Image: Rafal Majka won the mountains classification in 2014

- Hors-categorie climbs: 25, 20, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 points to the first ten riders over the summit.
- Category-one climbs: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point to the first six riders over the summit.
- Category-two climbs: 5, 3, 2 and 1 point to the first four riders over the summit.
- Category-three climbs: 3, 2 and 1 point for the first three riders over the summit.
- Category-four climbs: 1 point for the first rider over the summit.

* Points at the finish line are doubled for the summit finishes on stages 10, 12, 17, 19 and 20.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Image: Chris Froome won the Tour de France in 2013

2014: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita).
2013: Chris Froome (GB).
2012: Sir Bradley Wiggins (GB).
2011: Cadel Evans (Aus).
2010: Andy Schleck (Lux).
2009: Alberto Contador (Esp).
2008: Carlos Sastre (Esp).
2007: Alberto Contador (Esp).
2006: Oscar Pereiro (Esp).

CYCLING PHRASEBOOK

Echelons form during Stage 5 of the 2015 Tour of Catalonia
Image: An example of echelons from this year's Volta a Catalunya

- Maillot jaune: Yellow jersey.
- Domestique: Support rider. 
- Rouleur: All-rounder. 
- Puncheur: A rider who excels on short, sharp climbs. 
- Peloton: The main bunch of riders. 
- Breakaway: A small group of riders who escape from the peloton. 
- Grupetto: A group made up of riders who have been dropped from the peloton on mountain stages who work together to make sure they beat the day's time limit.
- Echelon: A diagonal line of riders that forms across the road when the race is hit by crosswinds. The line is diagonal because riders try to shelter from the wind by the side of the rider in front of them. Normally, multiple echelons form.

THE TEAMS AND RIDERS

AG2R-LA MONDIALE
Country: France. Status: WorldTour.
Team: Romain Bardet (Fra), Jean-Christope Peraud (Fra), Mikael Cherel (Fra), Ben Gastauer (Lux), Patrick Gretsch (Ger), Johan Vansummeren (Bel), Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra), Jan Bakelants (Bel), Christophe Riblon (Fra).

ASTANA
Country: Kazakhstan. Status: WorldTour.
Team: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita), Lars Boom (Ned), Andriy Grivko (Ukr), Michele Scarponi (Ita), Jakob Fuglsang (Den), Lieuwe Westra (Ned), Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz), Rein Taaramae (Est), Tanel Kangert (Est).

BMC RACING
Country: United States. Status: WorldTour
Team: Tejay van Garderen (USA), Damiano Caruso (Ita), Rohan Dennis (Aus), Daniel Oss (Ita), Manuel Quinziato (Ita), Samuel Sanchez (Esp), Michael Schar (Sui), Greg van Avermaet (Bel), Danilo Wyss (Sui).

BORA-ARGON 18
Country: Germany. Status: Pro Continental
Team: Jan Barta (Cze), Sam Bennett (Irl), Emanuel Buchmann (Ger), Zak Dempster (Aus), Bartosz Huzarski (Pol), Jose Mendes (Por), Dominik Nerz (Ger), Andreas Schillinger (Ger), Paul Voss (Ger).

BRETAGNE-SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT
Country: France. Status: Pro Continental
Team: Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra), Brixe Feillu (Fra), Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg), Anthony Delaplace (Fra), Armindo Fonseca (Fra), Arnaud Gerard (Fra), Florian Vachon (Fra), Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fra), Frederic Brun (Fra).

CANNONDALE-GARMIN
Country: United States. Status: WorldTour
Team: Andrew Talansky (USA), Dan Martin (Irl), Ryder Hesjedal (Can), Jack Bauer (NZ), Kristijan Koren (Slo), Sebastien Langeveld (Ned), Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltn), Dylan van Baarle (Ned), Nathan Haas (Aus).

COFIDIS
Country: France. Status: Pro Continental
Team: Daniel Navarro (Esp), Nacer Bouhanni (Fra), Christophe Laporte (Fra), Florian Senechal (Fra), Geoffrey Soupe (Fra), Julien Simon (Fra), Luis Angel Mate (Esp), Nicolas Edet (Fra), Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel).

ETIXX – QUICK-STEP
Country: Belgium. Status: WorldTour
Team: Mark Cavendish (GB), Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol), Mark Renshaw (Aus), Zdenek Stybar (Cze), Tony Martin (Ger), Rigoberto Uran (Col), Julien Vermote (Bel), Matteo Trentin (Ita), Michal Golas (Pol).

EUROPCAR
Country: France. Status: Pro Continental
Team: Thomas Voeckler (Fra), Pierre Rolland (Fra), Bryan Coquard (Fra), Cyril Gautier (Fra), Yohann Gene (Fra), Bryan Nauleau (Fra), Perrig Quemeneur (Fra), Romain Sicard (Fra), Angelo Tulik (Fra).

FDJ.FR
Country: France. Status: WorldTour
Team: Thibaut Pinot (Fra), Sebastien Chavanel (Fra), Arnaud Demare (Fra), Alexandre Geniez (Fra), William Bonnet (Fra), Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra), Steve Morabito (Sui), Jeremy Roy (Fra), Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra).

GIANT-ALPECIN
Country: Germany. Status: WorldTour
Team: Warren Barguil (Fra), John Degenkolb (Ger), Roy Curvers (Ned), Tom Dumoulin (Ned), Simon Geschke (Ger), Koen de Kort (Ned), Georg Preidler (Aut), Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned), Albert Timmer (Ned).

IAM CYCLING
Country: Switzerland. Status: WorldTour
Team: Matthias Brandle (Aut), Sylvain Chavanel (Fra), Stef Clement (Ned), Jerome Coppel (Fra), Martin Elmiger (Sui), Mathias Frank (Sui), Reto Hollenstein (Sui), Jarlinson Pantano (Col), Marcel Wyss (Sui).

KATUSHA
Country: Russia. Status: WorldTour
Team: Joaquim Rodriguez (Esp), Alexander Kristoff (Nor), Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus), Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita), Marco Haller (Aut), Luca Paolini (Ita), Tiago Machado (Por), Giampaolo Caruso (Ita), Alberto Losada (Esp).

LAMPRE-MERIDA
Country: Italy. Status: WorldTour
Team: Matteo Bono (Ita), Davide Cimolai (Ita), Rui Costa (Por), Kristijan Durasek (Cro), Nelson Oliveira (Por), Ruben Plaza (Esp), Filippo Pozzato (Ita), Jose Serpa (Col), Rafael Valls (Esp).

LOTTONL-JUMBO
Country: Netherlands. Status: WorldTour
Team: Wilco Kelderman (Ned), Laurens ten Dam (Ned), Robert Gesink (Ned), Paul Martens (Ger), Steven Kruijswijk (Ned), Tom Leezer (Ned), Sep Vanmarcke (Bel), Bram Tankink (Ned), Jos van Emden (Ned).

LOTTO SOUDAL
Country: Belgium. Status: WorldTour
Team: Lars Ytting Bak (Den), Thomas de Gendt (Bel), Jens Debusschere (Bel), Tony Gallopin (Fra), Andre Greipel (Ger), Adam Hansen (Aus), Greg Henderson (NZ), Marcel Sieberg (Ger), Tim Wellens (Bel).

MOVISTAR
Country: Spain. Status: WorldTour
Team: Nairo Quintana (Col), Alejandro Valverde (Esp), Jose Herrada (Esp), Adriano Malori (Ita), Gorka Izagirre (Esp), Winner Anacona (Col), Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp), Imanol Erviti (Esp), Alex Dowsett (GB).

MTN-QHUBEKA
Country: South Africa. Status: Pro Continental
Team: Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor), Steve Cummings (GB), Tyler Farrar (USA), Jacques Janse van Rensburg (RSA), Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA), Merhawi Kudus (Eri), Louis Meintjes (RSA), Serge Pauwels (Bel), Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri).

ORICA-GREENEDGE
Country: Australia. Status: WorldTour
Team: Adam Yates (GB), Simon Yates (GB), Simon Gerrans (Aus), Michael Matthews (Aus), Michael Albasini (Sui), Daryl Impey (RSA), Luke Durbridge (Aus), Pieter Weening (Ned), Svein Tuft (Can).

TEAM SKY
Country: Great Britain. Status: WorldTour
Team: Chris Froome (GB), Luke Rowe (GB), Ian Stannard (GB), Geraint Thomas (GB), Peter Kennaugh (GB), Richie Porte (Aus), Leopold Konig (Cze), Wout Poels (Ned), Nicolas Roche (Irl).

TINKOFF-SAXO
Country: Russia. Status: WorldTour
Team: Alberto Contador (Esp), Peter Sagan (Svk), Daniele Bennati (Ita), Roman Kreuziger (Cze), Matteo Tosatto (Ita), Rafal Majka (Pol), Ivan Basso (Ita), Michael Valgren (Den).

TREK FACTORY RACING
Country: United States. Status: WorldTour
Team: Julian Arrendondo (Col), Fabian Cancellara (Sui), Stijn Devolder (Bel), Laurent Didier (Lux), Markel Irizar (Esp), Bob Jungels (Lux), Bauke Mollema (Ned), Gregory Rast (Sui), Haimar Zubeldia (Esp).

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