Tour de France: Evenepoel wins stage after Vingegaard abandons, Pogacar second

Remco Evenepoel claimed his third Tour de France stage victory on the 15th stage, out-sprinting Tadej Pogacar atop the Plateau de Solaison. The win came on a day marked by the dramatic abandonment of pre-race favorite Jonas Vingegaard, who crashed out after a fall near a roundabout shortly before the final climb.

Evenepoel's victory positions him as Pogacar's primary challenger for the yellow jersey following Vingegaard's exit. The Belgian rider stayed with Pogacar on the steep ascent, ultimately proving stronger in the final meters. Pogacar had attempted to set up his UAE Emirates teammate Isaac Del Toro for the win, but Del Toro could not capitalize, finishing third and losing the white jersey for the best young rider to the Mexican.

The peloton initially rode slowly after Vingegaard's crash, with riders appearing shocked. The stage began with numerous attacks, but a large breakaway group of over 20 riders only formed after nearly 100 kilometers. Visma, Vingegaard's team, had placed two riders in the breakaway, seemingly to support him on the final climb, a plan that was rendered irrelevant by his accident.

Paul Seixas, who had started the day in the white jersey, finished second to last on the stage, conceding the young rider classification to Del Toro. Mads Pedersen had earlier collected points in an intermediate sprint, strengthening his lead in the green jersey competition.