We are now two thirds the way through the 2009 Tour de France. A total of 15 stages have been raced, with six left to go before the race finishes in Paris on Sunday, July 26.
Just three riders have so far worn the coveted yellow jersey, awarded to the rider who has completed the race in the least amount of time.
Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) won the opening time trial in Monaco on Saturday, July 4, and successfully defended the race lead to wear the jersey for six days. He was then usurped by Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r) after stage seven, the first Italian rider to wear the yellow jersey since Alberto Elli in 2000.
Nocentini went on to head the race for eight stages before Alberto Contador (Astana) snatched the lead after stage 15 on Sunday.
If Contador defends his race lead all the way to Paris, only three riders will have worn the yellow jersey in this year's race. Seven riders wore it in 2008, and four wore it in 2007 - when Contador last won the race.
The rider with the most stage wins is Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) with four. The Manxman is the only rider to have won more than one stage in the 2009 Tour so far.
Unsurprisingly, Cavendish's Columbia-HTC team also heads the table for the most amount of wins per team although it's Astana that leads the team competition for collectively completing the race in the least amount of time.
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Great Britain is the nation with the most amount of stage wins at four, all from Mark Cavendish. France is second with three stage wins from three different riders.
For a complete guide to each stage, take a look at our 2009 Tour de France hub page>>
Overall classification top ten after stage 15
1. Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana in 63-17-56hrs
2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana at 1-37
3. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Garmin-Slipstream at 1-46
4. Andreas Kloden (Ger) Astana at 2-17
5. Andy Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank at 2-26
6. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r at 2-30
7. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas at 2-51
8. Tony Martin (Ger) Columbia-HTC at 3-07
9. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Francaise des Jeux at 3-09
10. Frank Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank at 3-25
Current classification leaders after stage 15
Yellow jersey (overall): Alberto Contador
Green jersey (points): Thor Hushovd
White jersey (young rider): Andy Schleck
Polka-dot jersey (mountains): Franco Pellizotti
Team: Astana
Stage winners
Stage/winner
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
2 Mark Cavendish (GB) Columbia-HTC
3 Mark Cavendish (GB) Columbia-HTC
4 Astana (Team time trial)
5 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
6 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo
7 Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel
8 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
9 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
10 Mark Cavendish (GB) Columbia-HTC
11 Mark Cavendish (GB) Columbia-HTC
12 Nicki Sorensen (Den) Saxo Bank
13 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo
14 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Katusha
15 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
In the yellow jersey
The race leader after each stage
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
3 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
4 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
5 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
6 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
7 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r
8 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r
9 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r
10 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r
11 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r
12 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r
13 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r
14 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r
15 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
Wins by team
Columbia-HTC, 4
Astana, 2
Bbox Bouygues Telecom, 2
Cervelo, 2
Saxo Bank, 2
Agritubel, 1
Caisse d'Epargne, 1
Katusha, 1
Wins by nation (excluding TTT)
Great Britain, 4
France, 3
Spain, 2
Denmark, 1
Germany, 1
Norway, 1
Russia, 1
Switzerland, 1
Remaining stages
Swipe to scroll horizontally
16
Tuesday 21 July
Martigny
Bourg-Saint-Maurice
159km
Preview>
17
Wednesday 22 July
Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Le Grand-Bornand
169.5km
Preview>>
18
Thursday 23 July
Annecy
Annecy
40.5km
Preview>>
19
Friday 24 July
Bourgoin-Jallieu
Aubenas
178km
Preview>>
20
Saturday 25 July
Montélimar
Mont Ventoux
167km
Preview>>
21
Sunday 26 July
Montereau-Fault-Yonne
Paris Champs-Élysées
164km
Preview>
TOUR DE FRANCE 2009 LINKS
Tour de France 2009 - the hub: Index to reports, photos, previews and more.
STAGE REPORTS
Stage 15: Contador wins in Verbier as Tour explodes into life
Stage 14: Ivanov wins as Nocentini clings onto yellow
Stage 13: Haussler braves rain for victory in Colmar
Stage 12: Sorensen wins in Vittel as Cavendish goes for green
Stage 11: Cavendish takes fourth win to equal Hoban's record
Stage 10: Cavendish spoils Bastille Day party to take third stage win
Stage nine: Third French win as contenders content with ceasefire
stage eight: Sanchez wins from break as Tour favourites cancel each other out
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
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