Tim Wellens claimed his first ever Tour de France stage win with a decisive solo attack on stage 15 of the 2025 edition, pulling clear from a breakaway group on the Pas du Sant climb and holding his advantage all the way to Carcassonne. The Belgian champion gave UAE Team Emirates their fifth stage victory of the race, underlining their stranglehold on the Tour as Tadej Pogačar retained the yellow jersey with no drama.
The 169.3km stage from Muret to Carcassonne looked ideal for a strong breakaway – a transitional day between the high mountains and the second rest day, with 2,400m of climbing packed into three categorised ascents. With the general classification riders enjoying a day of relative calm after three hard summit finishes, the fight to get in the move was predictably fierce.
Despite average speeds over 48kph, a sizeable group eventually formed after the first hour of racing, with more than a dozen riders pushing clear on the flatter mid-section. This group included Wellens, Victor Campenaerts, Wout van Aert, Neilson Powless, Clement Russo, Kaden Groves, Arnaud De Lie, Alexey Lutsenko and Pascal Eenkhoorn, among others. Julian Alaphilippe had crashed early and was off the back, but would later bridge to the chase.
Mathieu van der Poel, in the green jersey hunt, won the intermediate sprint in Saint-Félix-Lauragais and briefly closed the gap to Jonathan Milan. The Italian, however, was visibly struggling in the heat and hills, finishing the stage 22 minutes down but inside the time cut.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Charly LopezThe breakaway takes shape
On the Côte de Sorèze, the second climb of the day, a more refined lead group emerged. Storer, Simmons, Campenaerts and Wellens looked strongest, with riders like Leknessund, Barguil and Rodriguez giving chase. As the road tipped up again on the Pas du Sant – the final categorised climb – the leading quartet stretched their gap, with Wellens clearly biding his time.
With 43km to go, cresting the climb and spotting his opportunity, Wellens launched his winning move. The descent was fast and technical, and with the others hesitant to chase immediately, his gap ballooned to nearly two minutes through the flatter terrain.
A chase fails to organise
Campenaerts, Simmons and Storer regrouped behind, with Rodriguez, Vlasov, Lutsenko and Alaphilippe also chasing, but no one was able to sustain a coordinated pursuit. Campenaerts eventually pushed on alone to limit the damage, but Wellens was simply too far ahead.
The Belgian had time to high-five fans on the barriers and celebrate down the final straight in Carcassonne. Campenaerts followed at 1:28, while Alaphilippe, unaware he was sprinting for third, crossed the line nine seconds later with his arms raised in error. The Frenchman had fought bravely after his early crash, even riding with a dislocated shoulder, but had been misinformed due to a radio failure. He was later diagnosed and expected to undergo x-rays during the rest day.
UAE dominance and Pogačar’s control
Tadej Pogačar, wearing yellow, rolled in 6:07 behind alongside Jonas Vingegaard and the rest of the GC contenders. With all attacks neutralised early after a crash held up riders including Florian Lipowitz and Vingegaard, there were no changes in the general classification.
Pogačar continues to lead Vingegaard by 4:13, with Lipowitz third at 7:53. Wellens, who joined UAE’s Tour squad primarily as a domestique, had the rare luxury of freedom on a day not targeted by his team leader.
“This is a very special victory,” Wellens said at the finish. “Not many riders win at the Tour de France. I had the opportunity, I took it, and I had the legs to finish it.”
His victory also made him the latest rider to complete the Grand Tour stage win set, having already claimed two stages each at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España. At 34, and after riding much of the race in support of Pogačar, it was a deeply satisfying moment.
“I am more happy for him today than when I win,” said Pogačar. “Beyond happiness.”
The Tour resumes on Tuesday with a 171.5km stage to Mont Ventoux, as the race heads back into the high mountains.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Charly Lopez2025 Tour de France Stage 15 result
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