MAIDEN TOUR WIN FOR TIM

Wellens cruises to stage 15 victory

- BY IAN PARKER

TIM WELLENS had time to high-five fans inside the final kilometre as he soloed to victory on stage 15 of the Tour de France into Carcassonne with his teammate Tadej Pogacar retaining the yellow jersey.

Wellens, 34, completed his set of Grand Tour stage victories, attacking from a breakaway with 44 kilometres of the 169km stage from Muret and quickly opening a sizeable gap before the long downhill run into the medieval city where his margin of victory over Victor Campenaerts was 88 seconds.

In the confusion of another frantic day of racing, Julian Alaphilippe celebrated as though he had won the stage when he edged a three-way sprint for third, having apparently been without a working radio after hurting his shoulder in an earlier crash.