Tim Wellens Wins Stage 15 as Pogacar Maintains Tour de France Lead

Tim Wellens secured his first Tour de France stage victory on Stage 15, a 169.3-kilometer route from Muret to Carcassonne, finishing over a minute ahead of Victor Campenaerts and Julian Alaphilippe. Riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Wellens took advantage of a breakaway and capitalized on a day when he was freed from his usual support duties for team leader Tadej Pogacar, who maintained his overall lead despite finishing six minutes behind. Wellens' win marked him as the 113th rider to achieve stage wins in all three Grand Tours, and his tactical move was praised by rivals for its savvy execution. The stage featured a chaotic start with crashes impacting several riders, but Pogacar and his main competitors stayed together to keep the general classification stable. As the race heads into a rest day, the focus remains on Pogacar’s strong position, with a significant lead over Jonas Vingegaard and Florian Lipowitz. The Tour will resume with Stage 16, a challenging route from Montpellier to Mount Ventoux.