(CNN) -- France's Pierrick Fedrigo won stage 15 of the Tour de France on Monday, as Britain's Bradley Wiggins consolidated his hold on the leader's yellow jersey. The 158.5-kilometer ride between Samatan and Pau saw a further six riders withdraw from the race as cycling's premier event entered its third and final week. Fedrigo became the fourth Frenchman to win a stage at this year's race when he beat Christian Vande Velde in a sprint to the line in Pau. The two racers had surged ahead of the leading pack with 6.5 km to go. "I don't know why I attacked, it was just instinct. But when Vande Velde stopped giving me relays in the last kilometer I knew that I would soon have to sprint," Fedrigo said.
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Pierrick Fedrigo becomes fourth French stage winner at this year's race
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Wiggins thanks Cavendish for sacrificing himself for yellow jersey chase
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Six more riders withdraw from race as it enters the closing stages
Wiggins
Last year's green jersey winner Mark Cavendish would have expected to be part of the pack sprinting for a stage win, but he stuck to team orders and helped protect @placeholder as he rode to maintain his overall lead.