Tour de France 2017: Froome retains yellow jersey as Mollema wins stage 15

Britain's Chris Froome brilliantly recovered from a puncture to defend his slender Tour de France lead from a blistering attack on stage 15.

 Chris Froome Froome finished 28th in an eventful 15th stage on Sunday
Chris Froome Froome finished 28th in an eventful 15th stage on Sunday

Froome took roughly 30 seconds to swap a back wheel shortly after Romain Bardet's AG2R La Mondiale team had put the defending champion in difficulty.

But he rallied and managed to rejoin his rivals on the category one climb with a monumental effort aided by his fellow Team Sky rider Mikel Landa, before Bauke Mollema went on to claim stage victory in a daring solo break.

Mollema attacked from a leading group with over 30km to go on Sunday's 189.5km ride from Laissac-Severac l'Eglise to Le Puy-en-Velay, and the Dutchman held on for his first stage win at the Tour.

Diego Ulissi, Tony Gallopin and Primoz Roglic were 19 seconds slower, with the main rivals for overall victory over six minutes further back.

Froome, a three-time winner of the Tour, remains 18 seconds clear of Astana's Italian rider Fabio Aru. Frenchman Bardet stays in third, 23 seconds behind, while fourth-placed Colombia rider Rigoberto Uran of Cannondale trails Froome by 29 seconds.

After Monday's final rest day, there will be six further stages before the race finishes in Paris on 23 July.