Tour de France: Jarlinson Pantano wins 15th stage as Chris Froome continues to enjoy overall lead

JARLINSON Pantano showed he is a master of the descent by taking the 15th stage of the Tour de France as Chris Froome reinforced his overall advantage.

Jarlinson Pantano celebrates his impressive stage 15 victory.

COLOMBIAN Jarlinson Pantano showed he is a master of the descent as he claimed his maiden Tour de France win in the 15th stage, while overall leader Chris Froome enjoyed a relatively quiet day in the saddle.

Pantano outsprinted breakaway companion Rafal Majka (Tinkoff) at the end of a 160km trek in the Jura mountains to give his IAM Cycling team, who will be folding at the end of the season, a first victory on the Tour.

Australia’s Richie Porte finished three minutes, seven seconds behind Pantaano and sits in seventh sport on the general classification table.

“I dreamt of this all my life, I’m so happy,” said Pantano.

“Majka had won several Tour stages (three) and I was wary of him in the finale but I had good sensations. I knew that if I was catching him in the descent I’d have a good chance to win.”

Froome retained the overall lead after his Team Sky easily controlled feeble attacks from top-10 riders Fabio Aru, Alejandro Valverde and Romain Bardet.

Bardet’s attack, however, hurt Tejay van Garderen, who lost 1:28 to the leading riders and slipped from sixth to eighth overall as his hopes of a podium finish in Paris took a serious knock.

Tour leader Chris Froome wasn’t unduly pressured during stage 15.

Froome leads Dutchman Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) by 1:47 and third-placed Adam Yates (Orica-Bike Exchange) by 2:45.

A 30-man group broke away on the first of the six ascents of the day, up to the Col du Berthiand.

It featured seven Tour stage winners including 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali, Frenchmen Alexis Vuillermoz, Pierre Rolland and Thomas Voeckler, Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, Majka as well as Spain’s Ruben Plaza.

The16th stage is a 209km ride from Moirans-en-Montagne to Bern. The peloton will then enjoy a rest day before the final week in the Alps.

Originally published as Tour de France: Jarlinson Pantano wins 15th stage as Chris Froome continues to enjoy overall lead