Tour de France: Dane Magnus Nielsen wins Stage 15

Danish race debutant Magnus Nielsen handed Astana their second consecutive win when he won the 15th stage of the Tour de France here yesterday.

Welshman Geraint Thomas, of Sky, maintained his 1min 39sec race lead over teammate Chris Froome after a 181.5km ride from Millau in which the yellow jersey holder's rivals failed to launch a challenge.

Thomas trailed over the finish line just over 13 minutes in arrears on what, for them, was an easy stage ahead of today's rest day. Astana took advantage of what was set to be a transition stage ahead of three tough days in the Pyrenees mountains from Tuesday. Nielsen was one two Astana riders who fought to get in a breakaway group, along with Michael Valgren. And when it came to the final kilometres, the debutant seized the day.

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