⚡️ The cruelness of the Pyrenees: Bram Welten OTL after fighting to the very end on stage 15 of the Tour de France

Climbing from the flag drop an incredibly fast tempo was made and riders had to form their own groups on the climb with Welten, Eekhoff and Degenkolb teaming up in a group alongside another five or so riders, including Cavendish.

The task lying ahead of them was to ride the almost 190 kilometres and over 4200 metres of climbing in the small group, while ahead the peloton rode full-gas and never let up all stage. Their group didn't give up either, but as the day progressed and the searing sun beat down over the Pyrenees, the enormity of their task became clear. Already 30 minutes down at the foot of the final climb to Plateau de Beille, the group could only concede a further 20 minutes to stage winner Pogacar by the top of the ascent.

As a result it meant the group had to go full-gas and unfortunately suffering after all of his previous efforts and being 15 stages into his first Tour de France, Welten had to let go of the wheels. Equally encouraged by the team's following DS car and the many fans that lined the road, Welten heroically dug-deep and never gave-up as he tackled the last 11 kilometres of the climb alone. Battling the stinging gradients all the way to the finish an empty and emotional, rightfully so, Welten was embraced by Degenkolb and Eekhoff who had waited to applaud him over the line, and offer their words of solace to their teammate who left everything he had on that mountainside.

Click here to read more.