Tour de France 2008 - Stage 15 - Go Pate!

What an exciting stage! So happy to be home this morning to follow! Great stuff today. Pate gets in the breakaway that sticks. He finishes 3rd on the stage and like Will, he melts my heart in the post-stage interview wishing he would've won it. I wish he would've too for him, but Danny - you finished 3rd in a stage of your first ever Tour. WOW! Way to go!

The stage had some falls to keep us focused. Oscar Pereiro fell on a downward hairpin. Went over the guardrail and fell proably 30 feet to the road below. Ouch. He has at the very least some serious shoulder injuries. There was also an almost slow motion wipe out around a roundabout and the strange sight was to see riders slide out on both sides of it as they went around. It took out most of the Garmin guys but they all appeared to be okay. Will landed and slid on someone's bike but will be sore. C has some new road rash from it. Never good. Menchov also slid out going up the final climb. That's not a sight one see's too often but he was attacking and there was a slight drizzle and then add in a hairpin turn and presto. He got right back on and finished the climb in front of many.

The climb into the finish was exciting to watch. I feel for the riders giving it at the end of the stage. I was cheering for C with smiles and enjoying seeing him there with the "favorites" doing his thing. I love seeing him stay in check with his limits so that he deosn't bomb out. He does his tempo and is just always there. Love it! The Schleck brothers and Carlos were working well. Little Andy buried himself for big brother Frank and in the end it paid off - Frank is now in Yellow. I like those guys and I am happy for Frank. I personally think him wearing Yellow though is a reward to soon set up Carlos for the final podium. We'll have to see how it plays out. :-) Great job today by the Garmin Guys. Great ride by Pate and score for C for a solid finish! Can't wait for Tuesday!

TimesOnline_P.Kimmage: Christian Vande Velde: Christian soldier
Garmin: Jerobaum Jollies
VN: A conversation with Matt White: 'Christian Gets Better and Better'

Live Chatter: CN - VN - DP - PdC1 - PdC2 - Post Thread
PdC_Crashdan: Of Lambs and Snowy Meadows: Exploring Stage 15

Stage 15 - Sunday, July 20: Embrun - Prato Nevoso, 183km
Results
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Crédit Agricole 4.50.44 (37.77 km/h)
3 Danny Pate (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.10
6 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 4.03
9 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 4.41
10 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 4.43
14 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 4.58
31 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia 7.46
48 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia
55 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 14.03
59 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 16.29
63 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
96 Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 20.46
104 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 21.25
105 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 21.57
115 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 25.33
120 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia
126 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
136 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
137 William Frischkorn (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
139 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
DNF Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step
DNF Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
DNS Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia
General classification after stage 15
1 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 63.57.21
5 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.39
6 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 0.49
17 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 9.01
25 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia 19.06
41 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 42.25
46 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia 46.03
51 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 52.37
68 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.12.05
69 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.12.41
71 Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.13.17
89 Danny Pate (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.29.57
90 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole 1.31.23
103 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.44.24
110 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.53.22
111 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia 1.54.02
114 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.58.29
138 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 2.15.02
139 William Frischkorn (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 2.17.05

Garmin: Tour stage 15: 'The Pate' 3rd after epic battle; Vande Velde 10th on stage, moves to 5th overall
CSC-SaxoBank: Frank Schleck In Yellow
BruceHildenbrand: The Alps Baby!
Spinnin'Wheel: Tour de France Stage 15: Mix of Sun and Clouds
VN: Stage 15 was a mixed bag for the Garmin gang
ESPN_B.Ford: Tour takes on new sense of urgency as riders head for Alps
ESPN_B.Julich: Stage 15, not controversy, shows what cycling is all about

VN: Fresh Korn - Into the Alps
ChicagoTribune_CVV: ???

GrahamWatsonPhotos: Stage 15
TeamCSCSaxoBank: Tour de France
TeamGarminPhotos: Tour de France

VeloNews TV:
Tour de France 2008: Stage 15 race highlight.
Stage 15: Pre-race comments from Garmin-Chipotle's Christian Vande Velde.
Stage 15: VN TV RD w/ Team Columbia's George Hincapie.
Stage 15: VN TV RD w/ Garmin Chipotle's Julian Dean.
Stage 15: Garmin-Chipotle's Ryder Hesjedal talks about the crashes during the stage.
Stage 15: Garmin-Chipotle's Danny Pate talks about being in the break and finishing 3rd on the stage.

Versus:
Christian Vandevelde Post-Stage 15 Interview
Danny Pate Post-Stage 15 Interview
Big Crash In Peloton (roundabout slide out)
Vandevelde Pre-Stage 15 Interview

CV TV (formerly TBR):
Danny Pate talks about getting in the right moves and his long day in the break.
George discusses Team Columbia's cards as the tour enters the Alps in this pre stage 15 interview.