‘In the (Time) Zone'
David Olle, France, +33 66 16 909 87  
Apologies for being in a dead spot (re phone reception) over the weekend, shouldn't happen again.  

Tour de France, July 3 - 25, 2010, Report stage 15
Stage 15    Monday, July 19,    187 km     Pamiers → Bagneres-de-Luchon

Results
1      Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom      4:44:52      
2     Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team     0:01:20     
3     Aitor Perez Arrieta (Spa) Footon-Servetto

General classification after stage 15    
1      Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana      72:50:42      
2     Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank     0:00:08     
3     Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi     0:02:00     

Photos:  http://www.twitpic.com/26u0eo The hitters, about to hit it.  http://www.twitpic.com/26u9fa Today's stage winner starts.

Contador report:  On today's final climb, Schleck dropped his chain shortly after attacking the group of overall contenders near the top of the Porte de Balès, and Alberto Contador ignored one of the unwritten rules of cycling etiquette by immediately attacking the yellow jersey in his moment of difficulty.  Very poor form.  

Skippy report:  Adam Hansen - out stage 1, Simon Gerrans didn't start stage 9, Mark Renshaw DQ'd stage 11.  Stuart O'Grady, Wesley Sulzberger, Robbie McEwen, Brett Lancaster, Matthew Lloyd, Mick Rogers, Cadel Evans & Luke Roberts still in the bike race.  Our host in St Girons very proud to tell us Cadel slept in our room during TdF reconnaissance, one week after this year's Giro.

Cuisine report:  Had dinner with our ‘snout' from HTC Colombia last night, when asked what their team chef does when he arrives at a hotel, the reply was ‘he goes in the kitchen and makes enemies!'.    Kitchens are the same, all over the world.

Tomorrow:  Picking up where it left off, the Tour departs Bagnères-de-Luchon for a four-climb romp to Pau.  It's another descending finish, and the final summit lies nearly 60 kilometers from Pau.  That's not to say that there is anything easy about this stage which connects the Col de Peyresourde, Col d'Aspin, Col de Tourmalet, and Col d'Aubisque, by way of the Col du Soulor.  The riders climb the Tourmalet from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan by way of La Mongie, a 17.1 kilometer ascent with an average gradient of 7.4%.  The first rider to reach the summit of the Tourmalet receives a special prize, the Souvenir Jacques Goddet.  This stage marks the first of two visits by the 2010 Tour to the iconic climb, whose unforgiving gradients forced the riders of the Tour's 1910 edition to carry their derailleur-less bikes on their backs as they trudged the unpaved road on foot.  (from steephill.tv)