Stage 15

The road

At the start

Carapaz gone, the Gredos ahead

Richard Carapaz abandoned on the Villuercas five weeks after his Olympic gold, leaving Ineos with Bernal at 4:21, Adam Yates at 4:49 and no plan B. Eiking keeps red; Roglič is 1:36 back and taking seconds at every finish. Today is long and hot: 198 kilometres the length of the Sierra de Gredos, ending six downhill kilometres from a summit.

How it was won

1. 1113 km to go

   Majka makes sense of the day

   After thirty kilometres of hectic racing and a chase that UAE themselves led, Majka attacks on the first climb with Aru and Van Gils, and a strong group of stage hunters forms behind — Kruijswijk, Storer, Verona, both Hamiltons.

2. 284 km to go

   Alone with 87km to go

   Majka drops Van Gils and then Aru on the mid-stage climb and rides away with the finish still eighty-seven kilometres distant. There is nothing tactical about it — a rider who has been a mountain domestique for a decade decides today is his day and rides accordingly.

3. 339 km to go

   The pursuit match on the Mijares

   Twenty kilometres of constant climbing to 1,568 metres. Kruijswijk, the better climber, sets off alone after him and pulls 2:10 back to 1:35 — and cannot finish it before the summit. That failure will cost him the rest of the day.

4. 46 km to go

   Over the last climb

   Majka has extended his lead again and crests with something close to ease. Behind him Yates answers attack after attack and charges clear alone, only for the others to sit a few seconds back and give him nothing.

5. 5At the line

   El Barraco

   Majka wins by 1:27 from Kruijswijk. The general classification is untouched, and the Asturian mountains are waiting.

The result