Bonjour and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 15 of the Tour de France. Today is the big one! 🐼The longest stag🤡e of this year's race at 242.5km, the mountain finish atop Mont Ventoux and all on Bastille Day, as France celebrates.  

 Today's stage is expected t✤o b💛e decisive in the battle for the race leader's jersey. Will Chris Froome gain time on his rivals and come under attack and see his lead shrink?

The riders are lining up for the s𝕴tart in Givors, the atmosphere is tense and electric. Everybody knows ꩵtoday is a big day in the 100th edition of the Tour de France.

Chris Froome (Team Sky) wears the yellow jersey for a seventh day. After the attacks on Friday, his lead is now 2:28 on✤ Bauke Mollema (Belkin), with Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) at 2:45.

Today's stage is the longest of the race at 242.5km. However much of the stage (221km) is on flat or rolling roads through the Rhone valley. There are three early category 4 climbs early on to help form the early break of the stage and a cat 3 climb after 143km. However it i🐽s the Geant of Provence: Mont Ventoux that dominates the skyline, the stage and the minds of the riders. 

Mont Ventoux is legendary in c꧅ycling. It is the ninth time the 1912m high mountain hosts a Tour summit finish and the 15th time it features in the Le Tour. 

The riders have now rolled out of Givors and are in the shor𒅌t neutralised section.

Will some French riders attack early in search of glory on Basti🌳lle Day? We will soon find out.

181 riders have st🍒arted the stage according to🍷 Radio Tour.

To read about the history of Mont Ventoux and the Tour de France, read 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:this special feature by Pete Hymas and check out the huge photo gallery. History is always made on൲ Mont Ventoux. 

It is sunny and 24C at the start, with a warm breeze down the Rhone valley expected to help the riders cover the long ride south to💜 the foot of🍸 Ventoux.  

And they're off! The white flag has been dropped and the racing has officially begun. Allez!!!ꦫ 

The first 🌌attackꦅs have been launched after just two kilometres.

World champio🔯n💧 Philippe Gilbert (BMC) and Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil) are the first to go clear.

They have a 20 second gap.

C'est fini. Gilbert and Westra have been caught🍌 after 7km of the stage.

234km remaining from 242km

The s❀peed is high at the moment but more attacks are expected very soon.൩  

227km remaining from 242km

We have another at𓄧tack from Andreas Kloden (Radioshack-Leopard), Kevin Reza (Team Europcar) and Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil).

However B꧑MC leads the chase𓃲 and only De Gendt stays off the front.

De Gendt is fighting hard to stay away.

De Gendt is f🔥irst over the côte d'Eyzin-Pinet but the peloton is about to catch him.

Other riders have jumpeꦺd across to De Gendt but their lead is s🅘till small. 

De Gednt and the others have been caught🥀 but now Pierre Rolland (Team Europcar) accelerates away on the second climb, looking for points and perhaps the break of the day.

Wouter Poels (V🐼acansoleil) joined Rolland but they were swept up on the descent.

212km remaining from 242km

The average speed is close to 50km/h!

The attacks are becoming more serious now. 

There 11 riders i𓆏n a fro🔴nt group and then 13 chasers. 

P🌳eter Sagan (Cannondale) is part of the break, as is Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quic👍k Step) and Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge).

197km remaining from 242km

Ten riders remain in the♒ front group. Is this the break of the d🌜ay?

They are: Peter Sagan (Cannondale), Ma♍rkel Irizar (Radioshack), Pierrick Fédrigo and Jeremy Roy (FDJ.fr), Christophe Riblon (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Alberto Losada (Katusha), Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge), Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil) and Julien El Fares (Sojasun).

El Fares is the first to the summit of the côte de Lens-Lestang, the third climb afte🐽r 44km. But the peloton is still chasing them.

The gap is just 35 seconds.

Race leader Chris Froome (Team Sky) has stopped for a natural break but is being escorted back to the f💞ront by several teammatesꦇ. 

As a result the peloton♎ has eased ♛and is 2:00 behind the attackers. Other riders are in the middle, desperately trying to get across.

Rolland and Christophe Le Me🅘vel (Cofid꧒is) are at 1:15. 

Rolꦦland has caught Marcus Burghardt (BMC) and the two are working together but they are still a minute behind the attackers. 

Team Sky leads the peloton but gap is over four minutes now. It looks like we could have a race for the stage and an overall battle on the slopes ꦰof Vent🐓oux.

Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) and Le M🧜evel (Cofidis) are also in a chase group, 1:30 down on the attackers.

167km remaining from 242km

The riders covered a painful 48🐎.2km/h in the first hour of racing and things h🅘aven't slowed much in this second hour.

Rolland and Burghardt are still at 45🍒 seconds but the peloton is now 7:00 down

Rolland and Burghardt are catching the break after a huge effort. However Le Mevel and Astarloza are going ba🌳ckwa൲rds and will surely give up their chase of the break soon.

162km remaining from 242km

The rider🐭s have now covered 80km. That leaves 162km to go.   

So cruel. Just before Rolland and Burghardt got up to the break, the riders up front acc൩elerated away and the gap is now at 35 seconds. 

Movistar is now helping with the work a🌃t the front of the peloton.

𓆏They are perhaps working to control the break in the hope that Quintana can win the stage at the summit of Mont Ventoux.

Le Mevel and Astarloza have sat up and d♛ecided to wait for the pe💎loton, which is 6:30 down on the attackers.

237km remaining from 242km

Rolland and Burghardt are 🃏also losing ground. They are now a minꦡute behind the ten attackers.

Rolland has also sat up. He and Burghardt were just 15 seconds from the attackers at one point but could not clos♔e the gap. 

There🅠 will be no polka-dot glory for the Frenchman on Bastille Day.

The average speed for the second hour was 50.4 km/h. That's even faster tha🐽n the first hour, giving an average for the r💮ace so far of 49.3km/h! 

Both Rolland and Burghardt have been sweꦑpt up by the peloto🧸n. 

132km remaining from 242km

However the gap between the breakaway and the peloton is do♐wn to just over five minutes now. 

Team Europcar is now leadi𓄧ng the chase. Is ♔that some kind of revenge for the ten not waiting for Pierre Rolland? 

The gap has fallen to 4:30.

At the half ⛄way point of the stage, the racing is finely balanced.

The gap🔥 is down to 3:50 and the peloton seems determined to chase the break.

The climb of Mont Ventoux is expected to a battle amongst the GC contenders, with a clash between Team Sky and Saxo-Tinkoff. &nbs🉐p; 

Team Sky performance manager Rod Ellingworth is confident that ♕the Sky riders are good enough to help Froome win. 

"We’ve brought a good team to the Tour. You can always look back and ask but๊ we’ve got a lot of good guys here. Have we brought the right team? I think we have yes," he told Cyclingnews.

"We’ve been unlucky with Thomas and Edvald too. I’m still confident that we can see it through though. I&rs💙quo;m 100 per cent ꦛconfident."

The hard racing is starting to take its toಞll on the riders in the break. Julien El Fares (Sojasun) has been dropped.

Saxo-Tinkoff road captain Michael Rogers played a key role in helping Bradley Wiggins win the 2012 Tour. He switched teams in the 🍃winter and is p﷽laying an equally important role this year for Contador. 

He told Cyclingnews that the 🌃team want the stage victory and to gain time today on Mont Ventoux.🌊 

"The aim is to win the stage and to take time. I’ve not the wind conditions yet and we’ve not thought that far but the plan iꦿs to take back more time," he told Cyclingnews.

"The morale in the team is really good, and I think the team turned a chapter when we took back a minute on Froome. We&rsquo🎀;🔥re amongst the strongest."

Former polka-dot jersey and Tour stage winner♎ is writing s blog for Cyclingnews during the Tour de France.  

His unique insight and knowledge means he gives a🍸 special view on the race.

In his 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:latest  blog here, he talks about Chris Froome Bastille Day, what attacks🐻 he expects to see on the Ventoux and gives his tongue-in cheek awards of the week.  

The break is approaching the four�♛�th climb of the day, the Côte de Bourdeaux. After this Cat 3 climb the only remaining ascent is the Geant, Mont Ventoux.   

The blog is by the great Robert MIllar.

Peter Sagan (Cannondale) continues to ride🐻 a smart race. He is the break of nine riders and so is set to pick up maximum points at the intermediate sprint after 208km. His is virtually unbeatable in the fight for the green jersey but has to make it to Paris to win it.

Sylvain Cha𒀰vanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) is also in the break and could have a chance of victory after working hard for team sprinter Mark Cavend🍌ish.  

100km remaining from 242km

 The rider still face 100km of racing inclu🍎ding the 20.8km cl𒐪imb to the summit. 

Susan jumping in for a few kms, so Steve can prepare to take you up 🧔the Ventoux.

It is surely every French rider's dream to win on Mont Ventoux today on Bastille Day. Thomas Voeckler of Europcar knows that he is d🎀ue to do something big in this year's race....

We are fortunate to have blu🌄e skies, sunshine and warm temperatures today. But it will be signficantly cooler atop the final climb!

76km remaining from 242km

With 76 km to go the gap is 3:40. The group may be caught befo✨re the massive final climb, at this rate.

We are in a heavily agricultural area here, fields of va🐈rious sorts on both sides of the road.

They are now riding by some beautiful purple fields ofꦉ lavendar. Wonder if the riders can catch that wonderful scent?

There is always discussion about how fast the riders go up Mont Ventoux, and what exactly the speed means. You can read about that and other things in 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:today's Tour de France shorts.

66km remaining from 242km

With 66 km to go, the gap has dropped to 3:20.

In case you missed it, here is168澳洲5最新开奖结果: the Cyclingnews preview of this stage.

Movistar is very definitely in ওthe lead of the chase group,h𒐪oping to bring Quintana into good position on the closing climb. Sky is right behind them, though.

Sagan ✅drops back to the team car to pick up a bidon.

The terrai൩n at the moment is flat, but the mountains are looming all around..🍌..

Today too there is an intermediate sprint. I🧸t comes🦋 up in about 18 km, at 208km.

49km remaining from 242km

49m to go, and the gap is holding steady at 3:40.

Chavanel dropsꦑ back to the team car for a short chat. We wonder what he is planning....

Tour organizers have made a big effort this year to ask fans to b🗹ehave themselves on the climb, and not to interfere with ♕the riders. Many riders have joined that campaign, tweeting  their fans to just watch. It will be interesting to see how it all works out.

Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) knows Mont Ventoux well, and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:calls it a "special mountain."

The sprint is approaching. What a perfect opportunity for Sagan to tank up on points for the൲ green jersey.

Steve is coming back, ready t🧸o charge up that climb with you!

37km remaining from 242km

We're gettin🅠g closer and closer to the start of the climb up to Mont Ventoux now.

The break is close to the intermediate sprint, so watch for Peter Sagan to pick up the points and so further extend his lead in the green jersey points compe🌌tition.

Here comes the sprint and Sagan eases⛄ up to the front to take the maximum points ahead of Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma).

Sagan picked up 20 po♔ints for crosꦺsing the line first.

Behind Movist💦ar is still setting the pace, with other teams riding together.

Cavendish 𒊎and Greipel are slightly ahead, fighting for the min💖or points at the sprint.

But both don't really up their speed,⛎ with Greipel crossing the line a🌄head of the Manxman.

The rid𒆙ers can see and almost feel the presence of Mont Ventoux now. It is an imposing mounta🍨in, mythique, legendary.

It is 46 years and one day since Tommy Simpson's tragic death on the climb. He died of exhaustion after consuming 🐎a mix of a amphetamines and alochol.

A lot of people are pos🎶ting photos on social media of the🍸 Simpson memorial, situated two kilometres from the summit.

Mont⛄ Ventoux is packed with spectators, who have ridden up, or slept on its slopes in tents and camper vans.

We are just seven kilometres from the start of the climb. Tea📖m Skyও is back on the front.

Rad🌊ioshack-Leopard is also riding near the front to set up Andy Schleck.

David Lopez, Kans𒐪ta Siutsuo and Geraint Thom🍨as are leading the peloton.

Be🔯hind, some riders and the sprinters are already easing up.

The peloton is lined out in one long line of pai💛n.

Here's a shot of Peter Sagan in the breakaway.

And this 🌳is not the Ventoux but the Col de la 🥃Madeleine.

Up front Chavanel has sur🍃ged clear. He loves to fight for victory but the peloton is only 1:45 behind.

The crowds are huge at the start of the climb. French police have estimated that a million people will line the rouไte of the stage today.

The remains of the break are about to be caught by the peloton. It seems the ove🎃rall contenders will also fight for the stage victory. It should be a battle royale on Bastille Day.

The race is ahead of schedule thanks to a good tail wind. It seems the wind is also a ๊help in the final kilometres♔ of the climb and so that should inspire the attacks.

At the back of the pelౠoton both Tejay van Garderen (BMC) and 🌊Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) have been distanced.

Peter Sagan puts on a show before being caught by the bunch, pulling a wheelie just ♛before he is swept up.

Pierre Rolland has also been dropped. He used a lot of energy trying to get acr🦋oss to the breakaway.

Chavanel has a 🦄grimace of pain but s꧅till holds a lead of 1:35.

Riblon and Irizar are also out front but wi👍ll s𝓀oon be caught.

Froꦺome is spinning a low gear, with his GC rivals clಞose behind him. 

15km remaining from 242km

Omega Pharma is on the front of the peloton, t🍸rying to block the chasers and so help Chavanel.

There are 40 or so riders in the peloton. 

Jan Bakelants (Radioshack) is off the fro🌃nt of the peloton but teammate Andy S𒊎chleck has cracked and been dropped.

13km remaining from 242km

Chavanel's jersey is op𝓡en but his lead is melting in 🌜the sun as the climb begins to hurt him.

Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) jumps away to t✤ry and anticipate expected atta✃cks.

Both Andrew Tala♒nsky and Dan Martin are in the front group for Garmin-Sharp.

Here we go! Quintana has attacked alone!

Nieve has caught Chavanel but Quintana is surely going to pass them all soon. He wants the stage win and the whi🍸te jersey.

Quintana does not seem to be pedalin𓆉g hard but he's very effective and efficient.

Pete Kennaugh is leading the pel💙oton for Froome as Chavanel is caught and dropped.

Contador is just behind Froome and looks fresher as he t☂akes a drink.

Cadel Evans is suffering at the back of the front group but is figh🐽ting hard to stay with the leaders.

Evans has lost the wh๊eels and is out of the saddle.

Upfront Quintana has caught Nieve.

Froome takes a bottle of water 🐬from ꦏa spectator. He is trying to cool down in the summer heat.

10km remaining from 242km

Bakelants is caught by the peloton.

Sky take on bottles with musettes. hydration will 💯be vital in🧸 the last 10km.

Team Sky seem in total control for now...

Ken♚naugh pulls off after doing a great job setting the pace. He comes to an almost complete stop.  Richie Porte is now the only Team Sky rider with Froome.

9km remaining from 242km

Behind Talansky has been dropped as Team Sky's pace continues to spit riders out🅘 of the back.  Kwiatkowski has also been distanced.

Daniel Martin is also losing contact.

It is a very sele✱ct 🍌group up front: Porte, Froome, Contador, Rogers, Kreuziger, Mollema, Rodriguez.

Valverde and De Cle🐓rq have also been dropped. Fuglsang 🔯is also fading.

P🍃orte is breaking up the front group. Only Froome and Contador are able to stay with him.

Belkin are trying to get back on with ten Dem an⛄d Mollema but it will be a tough task. Porte seems to enjoying dishing out the pain.

Quintana has dropped Nieve💮 but the Porte 𝄹trio is just 15 seconds behind.

Froome attacks! Contador 🅘tries to stay wit✱h him but blows!

7km remaining from 242km

Can he stay clear all the way to the finish?

Froome is catching Quintana.

The  crowds are huge.

Froome accelerates again and drops Quintana.

Fꦇroome seems able to accelerate sharply and then maintain a high pace.

However Qui🦩n☂tana fights back and comes back up to Froome.

6km remaining from 242km

Contador seems to have asked Nieve for help but they are already🥂 30 seconds behind.

5km remaining from 242km

ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚQuintana is glued to Froome's wheel and will probably not work again after Froome's attack.

There is a strong side wind blowing on this section a𒆙nd Froome seems to have eased.

Froome surges again but Quintana stays with him.

Froome and Quintana are now talking. Froome should be♏ trying to gain time but he also wants to win the stage.

Contador ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚis fading and is now 45 s🏅econds behind Froome and Quintana.

Quintana is like a sphinx. He is determined to win thꦏe stage.

2km remaining from 242km

Quintana is now on the front as the road hugs t💟he bare slopes of Mont Ventou♍x.

Behind riders ar🧔e suffering in the rarified air of the summ꧙it.

There are wallꩲ😼 to wall fans along the roadside, including Didi the Devil.

And Froome accelerates again, this time he s💝eems to have distanced Quintana.

1km remaining from 242km

The finish is in sight. Last Km.

Froome is spinning his gear at almost 100 pedal strokes ꦐa minute.

Froome is riding to victory at the summit of Ventoux. He will also extend is overall lead. ꦑHe proved he is the strongest tod🔴ay.

Froome sweep ri🍒ght and heads to the finish at the very summit of Ventoux.

He danc❀es out of the saddle and celeb♛rates by pointing to the sky and by pointing to his jersey.

Quintana takes second at 29 seconds.

Rodriguez has acceleraꦡted but Nieve holds him off to t🅷ake third at 1:22. Rodriguez is fourth but Contador is further back at 1:40 and finishes with Kreuziger. Mollema is also close and so is Fuglsang.

Rogers,༺ Valverde and Dan Martin also finish 2:30 behind.

Froome raced for almost six hours today.

Froome has extended his overall lead to 4:14 on Mollema. Contador is ꧃third at 4:25.

Quintana moves up to sixth place at 5:47.

Riders♚ are still finishing. Pierre Rolland comes home in the polka-dot jersey, just ahead of Cadel Evans (BMC). They both finish eight minutes down on Froome.

 Andy Schleck finished more than ten-minutes down with ⛄T꧋homas Voeckler just behind him. 

The gruppetto is expect🧸ed to finish 30 minutes behind.

Froome has taken the first British🅰 victory at the summit of Mont Ventoux. 46 years after Tℱommy Simpson died on the slopes of the Geant of Provence.

ꦜFroome struggled to 🦄catch his breath after finishing the stage but can now enjoy the podium ceremony.

Quintana is the new best young rider and so will pull on 🉐the whit⭕e jersey.

Froome took the lead in the mountains competꦜition by winning atop Ventoux.

Well what a day at the 100th⛦ ed💯ition of the Tour de France. 

We will have a full report, huge🌱 photo gallery, videos, news and interviews on gxiᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚaowu.com very soon.

The riders will enjoy the second rest day of this year's Tour de France on M🔥onday. Join us on Tuesday for full live coverage of stage 16 from to Gap.