EF Education-EasyPost went for it again on Stage 15 of the Tour de France.

A day after Richard Carapaz's sensational attack on the Col du Haag, Ben and Alex took off with the early break to try to tempt fate and get ahead of the GC race. The pace out of Champagnole was ferocious, as rider after rider tried to make the move and the race course rolled into the Jura. Ben and Alex's teammates pulled hard to set them up before the two launched midway through the race and got away with a 24-rider break.

The yellow jersey group behind them never let off the pace and kept the gap in check. On the slopes of the Col de la Croissette, Alex and Ben had to relent. Richie came past them with the maillot jaune and hung tough on the brutal climb to the Plateau de Solaison to finish 12th on the stage.

Tomorrow, the guys will enjoy their well-deserved rest day and get ready for Monday's time trial.

"The goal was to get into the breakaway with Richie to take him as far as possible. I think we would have had a great option to win, but we didn't manage to slip him into the break. So yeah, we found ourselves at the front with Ben. After that, you know, it came down to pure leg power on the Col de la Croissette climb, and I just didn't have the legs to follow. So that's how it went.

"I'm starting to feel a bit dead now – I think everyone is. But yeah, I'm happy to have been out front again. I still enjoyed myself even if it didn't pay off. We'll keep trying.

"We'll be able to take advantage of what amount to two rest days – with the time trial coming up where I can just take it easy, recover as much as possible, and then give it my all afterward. There are still opportunities left. Going to the front every single day, as much as possible." – Alex Baudin

"Today was a tough one, to be honest. We did a good job of working as a team and getting into the break. We wanted Richie in there and didn't get him in, so it was not the ideal situation, but we'll get them next time." – Ben Healy

"Today was a really hard stage. For us, it was really important to stay in the front. Ben and Alex made it up there and were fighting for the stage. But in the finale, it was a stage for the GC guys. Remco is a very strong guy. So it's OK. I feel really good. I think I have the legs now. We will try next week. I think we have a lot of opportunities these next days." – Richard Carapaz

"The goal was to get into the break – we thought again the break had a chance to make it, depending on the different scenarios. There are always things that are going to be out of your hands: this GC team or that GC team wants to do their thing. But our ambition was clear.

"There was this one section of very fast downhill where it was splitting. There was one split we weren't in that we wanted to be part of, so we had to put some resources into bringing it back together. Then we made the next one and went with the group – a big group, with Ben and Alex in it, both of whom are interesting for us to have up front. Obviously there was a lot going on with the GC teams as well, but we couldn't control that. We had Richie behind, and in the end it became yet another GC day.

"Richie did a solid ride, so his legs are obviously really good. He's 12th in GC – still far enough away that I think he can be involved in the right way.

"The boys are good, doing things at a high level – they're able to function and execute the plans we need to put in place. Beyond that, a lot will be determined by what the other teams decide to do." – Tom Southam, sports director

Michael Valgren's Wahoo read 199 kilometers ridden by the time he got back to the bus. Stage 15 was 184 kilometers long. Why did Michael ride extra kilometers? The whole peloton did. Most stages start with a few neutralized kilometers for the peloton to roll out of town and wave to the crowds, before the flag drops at kilometer zero and the racing starts. Today's neutral was just a couple of kilometers, but neutralized sections can sometimes be over a dozen kilometers. The thing was that today's stage finished at the top of the climb to the Plateau de Solaison and the racers had to ride back down — a further 12 kilometers. This is often the case for summit finishes where it would be difficult to park enough team vehicles at the top and even harder to get them down fast. As soon as they cross the line, a soigneur hands them a jacket and a whistle, along with their Amacx cherry juice and recovery drink. At this year's Tour, there is a stylish vest for all of the athletes, so the crowds know that they are racers. Descending is chaotic at best and often dangerous, as the riders weave through crowds of fans. The first riders often go down while the grupetto is coming up, so there are cars and riders to avoid. And as soon as the broom wagon passes, half the crowd jumps on their bikes to try to ride downhill with the pros. That's what the whistles are for. Riders toot them to encourage fans to get out of the way. If you ever come to watch the Tour de France, please let the riders descend in peace. Two weeks into a Tour de France, they are very tired after a nearly 200-kilometer stage.

We'd just left our feed zone and were rushing to get to the finish, when our front tire went flat. In seconds, we were doing our best Cadillac Formula One team pit stop. We jacked up the van and changed the wheel in… minutes. Soigneur Ricardo's hands were sweating on the drive to the final climb, but we made it with time to spare.

Tomorrow's a rest day, so the guys are indulging tonight before they watch the World Cup final. Owen and Chris made them smash burgers for dinner and super fudgy peanut butter miso chocolate brownies for dessert. The miso and ribbons of peanut butter add a subtle savory edge.

Ingredients:

For the brownie batter:

170 g unsalted butter

200 g dark chocolate (60 to 70%), chopped

200 g caster or granulated sugar

100 g light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp white or yellow miso paste

90 g plain**/**all-purpose flour

40 g cocoa powder

½ tsp fine salt (reduce to ¼ tsp if your miso is very salty)

For the peanut butter swirl:

120 g smooth peanut butter

1 tsp white miso paste

1 tbsp confectioners' sugar (optional, for a sweeter swirl)

1 to 2 tbsp milk, if needed to loosen

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Line a 20-centimeter (8-inch) square pan with baking paper.

Melt the butter and dark chocolate together until smooth. Let cool for five minutes.

Whisk the sugars and eggs until slightly thickened and glossy, about two minutes.

Whisk the vanilla and miso into the chocolate mixture until completely smooth, then combine with the egg mixture.

Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt just until no dry streaks remain. Don't overmix.

Stir together the peanut butter, miso, and optional confectioners' sugar. Add a splash of milk if it's too stiff.

Pour the brownie batter into the pan. Dollop the peanut butter mixture over the top and swirl gently with a knife — don't over-swirl.

Bake for 28 to 34 minutes. The edges should be set, but the center should still have a slight wobble and a skewer should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Cool completely, then refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before slicing for the fudgiest texture.

Tips for maximum fudginess:

Use dark chocolate, not chocolate chips.

Slightly underbake rather than overbake.

Chill before cutting — the texture becomes denser and more decadent.

A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top after baking makes the chocolate, peanut butter, and miso flavors pop.

The miso won't make the brownies taste overtly savory — it enhances the chocolate and adds a subtle caramel-like depth that pairs beautifully with the peanut butter.

A fringale is the hunger knock or bonk – that acute hypoglycemic moment when your liver glycogen runs out and your legs go fuzzy and you start to get dizzy. The word’s roots are the Latin fames for hunger and the Old French galer, which refers to excessive merrymaking. It doesn't just describe hunger, but wild, desperate hunger. Today, our riders rarely suffer from a fringale, since they are so well fueled with Amacx bars, gels, and drinks. It's something you want to avoid at all costs.