A chronological recap of stage 15 of the Tour de France, the second major day in the Pyrenees.

10:25 - Stage 14 of the Tour and it's a beauty - with over 53km of climbing. For the full rundown of the stage, read "Today at the Tour" on the homepage right now.

196km - 163 riders have commenced the stage !! Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas) and Philippe Gilbert (FDJ) have not signed on this morning.

190km - There are attacks almost immediately, initiated by Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis. A decent sized group has formed a 20 second lead on the main bunch.

185km - Useful climbers like Tadej VALJAVEC, Jens VOIGT, George HINCAPIE, Christian VANDEVELDE and David DE LA FUENTE were all in the early break but they have been reeled back in by active peloton.

180km - An interesting lead group has formed featuring Oscar PEREIRO SIO, Denis MENCHOV, Christophe MOREAU and Gorka VERDUGO as the riders begin the second category climb of the Col de Port.

176km - Moreau has had a terrible time since Thursday and has dropped out of the front group with Alexandre VINOKOUROV first bridging the gap and then attacking the lead group.

174km - Verdugo has followed Vino who decides not to persist with the attack allowing the Euskaltel men to go alone.

172km - Verdugo has a 30 second lead over the peloton as a group of 12 forms behind.

170km - 2km to go to the summit of the Col de Port and a group featuring Menchov, Valjavec, Arroyo, Voigt and Beltran are in hot pursuit.

168km - At the top of the Col de Port it was Garate (QSI) from Tschopp (BTL), Verdugo (EUS), Cobo (SDV), Vinokourov (AST) and Goubert (A2R) with the peloton 25 seconds behind. It is very active at the front with many riders still trying to form a decisive break.

160km - Cyril Desel (Ag2r) has had a miserable tour and has abandoned.

158km - Christophe Le Mevel of Credit Agricole crashes on the descent and is also out of the tour with what looks like a fractured collarbone. Jorge Azanza could not avoid the Frenchman and went straight over his handlebars but is riding again.

150km - The 11 man escape group was caught on the descent but two of those men, Bernhard Kohl (GST) and Johann Tschopp (BTL) have attempted to go clear again and have a 15 second lead.

145km - A serious looking counter-attack of 22 has formed and with a 2:30 gap to the peloton, this break will last for some time. They are close to catching the leading duo.

135km - The gap has rushed out to 5:35 and the lead group is: Haimar ZUBELDIA - EUS - (13th @ 12:15); Kim KIRCHEN - TMO - (14th @ 13:16); Denis MENCHOV - RAB - (18th @ 18:57); David ARROYO - GCE - (19th @ 19:19); Alexandre VINOKOUROV - AST - (30th @ 34:12); Juan Manuel GARATE - QSI - (32nd @ 36:03); Juan Jose COBO - SDV - (36th @ 40:01); George HINCAPIE - DSC - (37th @ 40:01); Patxi VILA ERRANDONEA - LAM - (38th @ 41:19); Christian VANDEVELDE - CSC - (41st @ 47:08); Patrice HALGAND - CA - (46th @ 54:33); Ludovic TURPIN - A2R - (48th @ 57:49); Inigo LANDALUZE - EUS - (49th @ 1:00:30); Christian KNEES - MRM - (53rd @ 1:04:54); Bernhard KOHL - GST - (54th @ 1:06:45); Ruben PEREZ - EUS - (74th @ 1:28:09); Serguei IVANOV - AST - (79th @ 1:30:36); Laurent LEFEVRE - BTL - (81st @ 1:34:53); Kurt-Asle ARVESEN - CSC - (94th @ 1:49:56); Michael ALBASINI - LIQ - (95th @ 1:51:13); Benoît VAUGRENARD - FDJ - (100th @ 1:56:13); Daniele BENNATI - LAM - (101st @ 1:57:07); Daniel NAVARRO - AST - (139th @ 2:12:56); Johann TSCHOPP - BTL - (147th @ 2:17:53)

128km - Bennati beats Ivanov at the intermediate sprint in Saint Girons.

120km - The leaders now have an eight minute advantage with Michael Rasmussen's Rabobank team on the front of the peloton as they approach the cat 2 Col de Portet d'Aspet.

110km - The average speed for the second stage was a rather tasty 45.7km/h.

100km - Nine minutes is the gap halfway up the 5.7km Col de Portet d'Aspet.

98km - At the summit of the Col de Portet d'Aspet, Lefevre - who began the day in sixth place in the mountains classification - jumps out to take maximum points with the 24 escapees all together.

90km - The leading group are now on the descent of the Portet d'Aspet where Fabio Casartalli tragically died in 1995. Maxim Iglinsky of Astana has tumbled but is ok although he needs a change of bike.

89km - No rest as the leaders start the first category Col de Menté. Things should shake up on this 7km, 8% climb. Their advantage is currently eight minutes with four Rabobank riders on the front of the peloton for Rasmussen.

82km - No movements from anybody!! Garate takes the points at the summit and the peloton are 8:20 back.

70km - Since this group formed there has been very little in terms of action but over half the last 56km are uphill so the fireworks are still to come. The gap is 8:20.

69km - Bennati crosses first at the second intermediate sprint at Marignac.

56km - The Port de Balès is a 19.2km climb with an average gradient of 6.2%. The front group has split with Arroyo, Landaluze, Kohl, Ivanov and Tschopp going ahead.

53km - The quintet lead the other 19 by a minute with the peloton at 8:16.

50km - Menchov has bridged the gap to the leaders. Rabobank have a two-pronged assault on this stage, having sent the Russian up the road in a shrewd tactical move.

47km - Menchov is driving the pace at the front while his Rabobank team-mates are setting a more sedate tempo at the head of the peloton. 8:21 is the gap. Will Contador wait until the Col de Peyresourde?

45km - Ivanov has blown in the most dramatic circumstances, he is almost falling off the bike. Vinokourov, Cobo and Perez have joined Arroyo, Menchov, Kohl and Landaluze as Tschopp goes off alone.

44km - Andrey KASHECHKIN, seventh on GC @ 6:58, has jumped out of the peloton.

42km - Kirchen has caught up with the chasers and has gone off in pursuit of Tschopp. Landaluze follows the T-Mobile rider.

41km - 4km to the summit of the Hors category climb and it's Tschopp with a 36 second lead over the remnants of the 24-man escape group.

40km - Predictor-Lotto's Fred Rodriguez has abandoned.

39km - Kirchen, 14th on GC at 13:16, has caught and passed Tschopp. Kashechkin has gained 70 seconds on the peloton.

38km - Arroyo is after Tschopp-Kirchen with 1km to the summit as the mist descends.

37km - Kirchen from Tschopp and Arroyo at the summit. There are only 12 riders left in the yellow jersey group. The top 7 on GC: Rasmussen, Contador, Evans, Leipheimer, Kloden, Sastre, Kashechkin plus pacesetter Boogerd, Evans' team-mate Horner, polka dot jersey Soler plus Mayo and Schleck.

32km - Menchov crossed the summit 45 seconds behind, along with Garate, Zubeldia, Cobo, Vinokourov and Turpin, but has now sat up for his team-mate Rasmussen on the descent. The yellow group crosses 6:45 behind the leading trio.

25km - Kirchen-Arroyo-Tschopp have 35 seconds on the chasers with 15 riders now in the yellow group, trailing by 6:40.

25km - Kirchen-Arroyo-Tschopp have 35 seconds on the chasers with 15 riders now in the yellow group, trailing by 6:40.

25km - Kirchen-Arroyo-Tschopp have 35 seconds on the chasers with 15 riders now in the yellow group, trailing by 6:40.

22km - The leaders have begun the 9.7km Col de Peyresourde which has an average gradient of 7.8%. A 12km descent to the finish follows.

21km - The yellow jersey group also now includes the men in 8th-10th positions on GC: ASTARLOZA, VALVERDE and POPOVYCH.

20km - No surprise that Tschopp has lost contact with Kirchen and Arroyo. The pair have a seven minute lead on the Rasmussen group and these two should contest the stage victory.

18km - Vinokourov has joined Kirchen and Arroyo at the front. Cobo and Zubeldia are also close to making contact.

17km - We now have five men at the front as Popovych attacks the yellow jersey group.

16km - Mayo and Soler have lost contact as Menchov and Boogerd do the hard work for Rasmussen. Popovych has been reeled back in.

15km - Vino has gone clear at the front !! Zubeldia and Cobo are chasing with 3km to the summit of the climb.

14km - Popovych has now gone out of the back of the 14-man yellow jersey group. Vino leads by 15 seconds with the GC contenders at 6:25.

13km - Menchov has done his work and drops off leaving Boogerd to continue to set the pace. At the front, Zubeldia has left Cobo and is chasing Vino.

12km - Vino leads by 30 seconds.

11.5k - Vino reaches the summit, 29 seconds ahead of Zubeldia and Kirchen who has worked his way back into contention. The yellow jersey group is 6:10 behind as Contador attacks !!

14km - Rasmussen has quickly ridden onto Contador's wheel. The rest have been jettisoned. They have 2km to the summit.

13km - The young Spaniard puts two more digs in, this is like track sprinting, but the Dane will not crack.

11.5k - The pair cross the summit together as they catch Hincapie.

4km - Vino is flying down the descent with a 49 second lead on Kirchen-Zubeldia-Cobo. Rasmussen and Contador have put a minute into Evans.

2km - After losing nearly 29 minutes yesterday, Vino is on course for his second stage win in three days.

16:03 - Vino wins with Kirchen following 51 seconds behind. Zubeldia and Cobo are third and fourth at 58 seconds.

16:05 - Garate crosses in fifth at 2:14.

16:06 - Arroyo sixth at 3:23 as Contador goes for another push. It's enough to drop team-mate Hincapie.

16:07 - Kohl and Vandevelde take 7th and 8th at 4:25.

16:08 - Turpin 9th at 5:16 with Contador just ahead of Rasmussen in tenth, 5:31 back. No bonus seconds today so the difference is still 2:23.

16:10 - Evans, Leipheimer, Kloden and Sastre cross the line together and the men who are third, fourth, fifth and sixth respectively on GC have lost a further 56 seconds on the top two.

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