The 2015 Placement Vortex shows the placement of each rider in relation to Les Cuspides, Paul Martens and Peirre-Luc Perichon, who finished at the center of the pack.

The heavier black lines denote riders who eventually abandoned the race, leaving only 160 riders to finish, hence the slow narrowing of the field from left to right. Track the yellow line of Christopher Froome at top or the red lantern line of Sébastien Chavanel at bottom.

Compared to the 2013 Placement Vortex, this year’s vortex shows a much wilder change in placement across the tour. In 2013, placement changed dramatically during two days in the Pyrenees and on several stages in the Alps. This year, dramatic shifts in placement occurred on a daily basis for riders below the top 20.

The cobblestones of Belgium threw the placements into “jackstraws” immediately, but things leveled out briefly during the relatively flat stages across Normandy. The team time trial also shifted placement considerably, which was only exacerbated by the enormous changes wrought again by the Pyrenees.

Riders settled in some small measure while passing through the Rhone Valley, but then were taxed again going into the Alps.

The final ride into Paris would have been without change because officials called placement early due to rain. However, Bryan Coquard of Team Europcar finished second on the stage, earning a time bonus that moved him one spot up in the standings.

Nine more riders abandoned the race this year than in 2013.

Download a PDF of the 2015 Tour de France Placement Vortex courtesy of Point d’Appui.