Slovenian Tadej Pogacar has beaten compatriot and overall leader Primoz Roglic to win the 15th stage of the Tour de France, as defending champion Egan Bernal all-but abandoned his crown after a brutal failure.
The Colombian was dropped 13km from the finish at the top of the Col du Grand Colombier, an unforgiving 17.4km ascent at an average gradient of 7.1 percent, and lost 7m 20s on the line.
Two-time runner-up and fellow Colombian Nairo Quintana also lost contact with the leading group, as Roglic's Jumbo-Visma teammates - including Kiwi George Bennett - set a frantic tempo from the bottom of the climb.
But Pogacar was the freshest man in the finale, outsprinting Roglic for victory at the end of a punishing 174.5km trek in the Jura mountains, confirming he was the odds-on favourite's main rival.
Roglic leads Pogacar by 40 seconds and Colombian Rigoberto Uran by 1m 34s, with the race turning into an all-Slovenian affair following Bernal's disappearance.
After two weeks, 20 riders have now withdrawn, with Columbian Sergio Higuita one to fall during this latest stage.
Early in the day, Higuita, placed 16th overall, had his front wheel cleaned out by Luxembourg's Bob Jungels and later withdrew with a broken hand.
Reuters
