2015 Elite 10
The 2015 Elite 10 was held from March 19 to 22 at the Suncor Community Leisure Centre at MacDonald Island Park in Fort McMurray, Alberta. It was the fourth men's Grand Slam event held in the 2014–15 curling season. The Mike McEwen rink from Winnipeg won their fifth career Grand Slam title, defeating the Niklas Edin rink from Sweden in the final.


2015 Elite 10, Competition format
The Elite 10 event features what is called a "match-play" format, in which the winning team of a particular game is the team that has won the most ends in that game. In match play, an end is won by stealing or scoring two with the hammer, similar to skins curling. Unlike skins, however, there are no carry-overs. Tied games will have a draw to the button competition to determine the winner. In the standings, wins are worth three points, draw to the button wins are worth two points, and draw to the button losses are worth one point.


2015 Elite 10, Round robin results
All draw times are listed in Mountain Standard Time (UTC−7).


2015 Elite League speedway season
The 2015 Elite League speedway season was the 81st season of the top division of UK speedway and the nineteenth season of the Elite League that took place between March and October 2015. The Poole Pirates were the defending champions after winning their second consecutive title in 2014.


2015 Elite League speedway season, Summary
Both the Birmingham Brummies and the Eastbourne Eagles elected to ride in the National League in 2015, meaning the Elite League featured just 8 teams as opposed to the 10 teams that started the 2014 season.


2015 Elite League speedway season, Summary
The Poole Pirates won the Elite League for a record third successive year, beating the Belle Vue Aces in the two-legged Grand Final. The Aces – in their first Grand Final since 2005 – hosted the first leg at Kirkmanshulme Lane, and at one point trailed by 13 points. However, a tactical ride (offering double points) from Matej Žagar started their comeback, and despite trailing by 10 with 3 heats to go, the Aces managed to secure a 46–46 draw. At Poole Stadium, the Pirates repeated their fast start and the Aces could not gain the lead at any point during the meeting; in the penultimate heat, Kacper Gomólski sealed the title for Poole, the Pirates ultimately winning 92–90 on aggregate.


2015 Elite League speedway season, Summary
As well as winning the overall championship, the Pirates finished the regular season with the most points for the second season in succession, while the team also won the Elite Shield at the start of the season, defeating the King's Lynn Stars 96–85 on aggregate. The Elite League Riders' Championship was won by Australian rider Jason Doyle, a member of the Leicester Lions team.


2015 Elite League speedway season, Regulation changes
At the annual Elite League AGM, which was held in November 2014, it was announced that the points limit for the top 5 members of the teams would be raised from 32 to 34. It was also decided that the fixture list for 2015 would be compiled in a matter which was described as "sympathetic" to riders competing in the Grand Prix series, with no fixtures to be ridden in the week prior to a Grand Prix.


2015 Elite League speedway season, Regulation changes
The effect of this was to potentially result in more of the top riders in World Speedway returning to race in the Elite League in the future. However, there was a visa issue for non-EU riders, meaning that many American and Australian riders were unable to race in the Elite League, unless the issue was resolved.


2015 Elite League speedway season, Results
Teams faced each other four times: twice home and away. The first of the home and away meetings were called the 'A' fixtures, and the second were the 'B' fixtures.


2015 Elite League speedway season, Final Leading averages, Team-by-team
Unless otherwise stated, all listed riders were declared at the start of the 2015 Elite League season.


2015 Elite One
The 2015 Elite One is the 55th season of the Cameroon Top League. The season began on 8 February 2015. Cotonsport won their third consecutive title and 14th overall, all in the last 19 years.


2015 Elite One
Cotonsport clinched the title in the final round of the season, holding onto their 1-point lead over Union Douala when both teams closed the season with a draw. Union Douala picked up a road point with a 1-1 score at New Star, while Cotonsport played a scoreless home tie against Botafogo FC. With their respective top-two finishes, Cotonsport and Union Douala qualified for the 2016 CAF Champions League. New Star and Botafogo finished in a third-place tie and will play a play-off to determine the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup qualifier.


2015 Elite One
Canon, Njala Quan and Tonnerre finished 16th, 17th and 18th, respectively and will be relegated to Elite Two for the 2016 season. While there was no doubt about the fates of Njala Quan and Tonnerre, Canon could have escaped relegation with a win in their final game, but played Cosmos de Bafia to a 1-1 draw on the road to seal their fate.


2015 Elite One, Teams locations
Elite One was reduced from 19 to 18 teams for the 2015 season with four clubs relegated to Elite Two and only three promoted. Renaissance, Scorpion de Bé, Sable Batié and Douala AC were all relegated to Elite Two after finishing in the last four spot of the 2014 season. Dragon de Yaoundé, Botafogo FC and Lion Blessé were each promoted from Elite Two.


2015 Elite One, Results
All teams play in a double round robin system (home and away).


2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs
The 2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs was the 42nd time a spot in the Norwegian top flight was decided by play-off matches between top tier and second level clubs.


2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs
At the end of the 2015 season, Mjøndalen and Sandefjord Fotball were relegated directly to 2016 OBOS-ligaen, and was replaced by Sogndal and SK Brann who were directly promoted.


2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs, Background
The play-offs between Eliteserien and 1. divisjon have been held every year since 1972 with exceptions in 1994 and 2011. They take place for the two divisions following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the fourteenth-placed club in Eliteserien and the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places in 1. divisjon. The fixtures are determined by final league position – the first to knockout-rounds begins with the four teams in the OBOS-ligaen: 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th, and the winner then play each other to determine who meet the Eliteserien club in the final.


2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs, Qualified teams
Five teams entered a play-off for the last Eliteserien spot for the 2016 season. These were:


2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs, Qualified teams
The four OBOS-ligaen teams first played a single game knockout tournament, with the winner (Jerv) advancing to a two-legged tie against the Eliteserien team (Start) for the 16th and final spot in the 2016 Eliteserien season. Start maintained their position in the top flight with a 4–2 win on aggregate against Jerv.


2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs, Qualified teams, Matches
The third to sixth-placed teams in 2015 1. divisjon took part in the promotion play-offs; these were single leg knockout matches, two semi-finals and a final. The winners of the second round, Jerv, advanced to play the 14th placed team in Tippeligaen over two legs in the Eliteserien play-offs for a spot in the top-flight next season.


2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs, Qualified teams, Matches, Final
The 14th-placed team, Start, took part in a two-legged play-off against Jerv, the winners of the 2015 First Division promotion play-offs, to decide who would play in the 2016 Tippeligaen.


2015 Eliteserien Promotion/Relegation play-offs, Qualified teams, Matches, Final
Start won 4–2 on aggregate and retained their place in the 2016 Tippeligaen; Jerv remained in the First Division.


2015 Elitettan
2015 Elitettan was the 2015 season of the Swedish women's association football second-tier division, Elitettan.


2015 Elmbridge Borough Council election
The by-thirds 2015 Elmbridge Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Elmbridge Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Elmbridge Borough Council election, Wards
The electoral wards drawn under a typical 12 year national review have two or three councillors. The Weybridge North and South, Hinchley Wood, Cobham Fairmile, Walton Ambleside and Weston Green wards form a two-member, lower population minority of six, four of which hold elections in two years in a row followed by two hiatus years, two of which hold elections in alternate years. In 2015 of the 22 wards, 20 had one of their councillors up for election, Weybridge South and Fairmile holding elections in even-numbered years.


2015 Elmbridge Borough Council election, Results
Local Conservatives unseated two of the residents association representatives: for St Georges Hill and Molesey East wards of the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrats took a Conservative seat in Claygate ward. The three winners join other fellow incumbents of their party in these wards reflecting in each case a lower percentage swing to their parties in these wards than seen in the election round of the year before. The other seats were won by incumbents or replacement councillors of the same party where the incumbent retired. The political breakdown gave a majority of 9 councillors for the Conservative party, a net rise of one, having gained two, lost one.


2015 Elmbridge Borough Council election, Results
The nominal percentage change shown in the results below compares the performance of most of the same candidates as against a new round of incumbent councillors (the performance on party basis in the election of the previous year) as most of the unsuccessful candidates in 2014 stood again here (as in other councils) however this time against the new third of the councillors up for re-election so personal popularity of councillors may provide an additional factor for swings seen. Similarly, the Borough Council compared the turnout to the previous year without a high turnout general election being the 2014 local government and European Parliament elections.


2015 Elon Phoenix football team
The 2015 Elon Phoenix football team represented Elon University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Rich Skrosky and played their home games at Rhodes Stadium. They were second year members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). They finished the season 4–7, 3–5 in CAA play to finish in a four-way tie for seventh place.


2015 Elon Phoenix men's soccer team
The 2015 Elon Phoenix men's soccer team represented Elon University during the 2015 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. It was the 44th season of the university fielding a program, and the 13th season in NCAA Division I competition. It was the program's second season with Chris Little as head coach. Little, the sixth head coach in program history, formerly coached the Carolina Dynamo of the Premier Development League before assuming his current role at Elon. On 12 September 2015, the Phoenix defeated in-state rival Davidson 4-0 to achieve its best start in school history (5-0-0). On 22 September 2015, the team recorded a school record #8 ranking by the NSCAA after mid-week victories over #7 Wake Forest and CAA opponent Drexel. Those wins improved their record to 7-0-0, thus extending the program's record start to seven wins.


2015 Elon Phoenix men's soccer team, Roster
As of 2015: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2015 Emami Kolkata Open ATP Challenger Tour
The 2015 Emami Kolkata Open ATP Challenger Tour was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 2nd edition of tournament which was part of the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Kolkata, India between 23 and 28 February 2015.


2015 Emami Kolkata Open ATP Challenger Tour, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Emami Kolkata Open ATP Challenger Tour – Doubles
Saketh Myneni and Sanam Singh were the defending champions, but lost in the first round.


2015 Emami Kolkata Open ATP Challenger Tour – Doubles
Somdev Devvarman and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan won the title when James Duckworth and Luke Saville withdrew from the final.


2015 Emami Kolkata Open ATP Challenger Tour – Singles
Ilija Bozoljac was the defending champion, but lost in the first round.


2015 Emami Kolkata Open ATP Challenger Tour – Singles
Radu Albot won the title, defeating James Duckworth in the final, 7–6(7–0), 6–1.


2015 Emir of Qatar Cup
The 2015 Emir of Qatar Cup was the 43rd edition of the cup tournament in men's football. It is played by the 1st and 2nd level divisions of the Qatari football league structure.


2015 Emir of Qatar Cup
The competition features all teams from the 2014–15 Qatar Stars League and the top four sides from the Qatargas League. Four venues are to be used – Al Sadd Stadium, Al Arabi Stadium,  Qatar SC Stadium and Khalifa Stadium.


2015 Emir of Qatar Cup
The Emir of Qatar Cup winner is guaranteed a place in the 2016 AFC Champions League.


2015 Emirates Cup
The 2015 Emirates Cup was a pre-season football friendly tournament hosted by Arsenal at its home ground, the Emirates Stadium in London. It was the eighth Emirates Cup, an invitational competition inaugurated in 2007. Held on the weekend of 25–26 July 2015, the participants were Arsenal, Villarreal, Olympique Lyonnais, and Wolfsburg.


2015 Emirates Cup
Each team played two matches, with three points awarded for a win, one point for a draw and none for a loss. An additional point was awarded for every goal scored. Arsenal did not face Villarreal, and Lyon did not play against Wolfsburg. Arsenal claimed their fourth Emirates Cup and first in five years by beating Lyon 6–0 on the first day, and then Wolfsburg the day after by a single goal. Villarreal finished runners-up winning both of their matches, while Wolfsburg and Lyon ended the tournament with no wins. Wolfsburg, which scored one goal in the tournament, placed third, and Lyon, which scored none, placed last.


2015 Emirates Cup, Background
The Emirates Cup began in July 2007 once Arsenal finalised plans to stage a pre-season competition at its home ground. Named after Arsenal's main sponsor Emirates, the competition's inaugural edition was attended by over 110,000 people across the two days.


2015 Emirates Cup, Background
In May 2015, Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, Villarreal of La Liga and Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) were confirmed as participants, alongside hosts Arsenal, for the eighth edition of the Emirates Cup. It marked Lyon's second appearance in the tournament; they also participated in 2010. Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said of the three other clubs in a statement, "Lyon, Villarreal and Wolfsburg have some fantastic players and will all contribute to an entertaining weekend of football for our supporters."


2015 Emirates Cup, Summary
Villarreal took on Wolfsburg on the opening day of the 2015 Emirates Cup. Wolfsburg's squad included former Arsenal player Nicklas Bendtner, while Manchester City-bound midfielder Kevin De Bruyne started for the German side. The match got off to a lively start with two goals scored in the opening 15 minutes. Villarreal took the lead through Mario in the 8th minute when the team drove forward and he placed his shot into the top left-hand corner of the goal. Almost immediately, Ivan Perišić levelled the score with a left-footed shot.


2015 Emirates Cup, Summary
The winner came in the 16th minute; Gerard Moreno's headed pass found Matías Nahuel in the penalty box, and the Villareal forward's hard shot found its way into the net. The second half was a subdued affair despite several clear chances to score – according to FourFourTwo, "Bendtner's return to the Emirates was the main highlight for the home crowd," when the striker came on for Max Kruse in the 60th minute.


2015 Emirates Cup, Summary
Arsenal faced Lyon in the day's late kick-off. Forward Alex Iwobi started for Arsenal, while goalkeeper Petr Čech, who left Chelsea to join the North London club, was named on the substitutes' bench. For Lyon, Alexandre Lacazette played upfront alongside Clinton N'Jie, who later left to join Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal started well, moving the ball around in Lyon's half, and went a goal up just after the half-hour mark when Olivier Giroud headed in a free kick awarded for a foul on Mathieu Debuchy.


2015 Emirates Cup, Summary
A flurry of goals followed: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made it 2–0, and Iwobi and Ramsey each scored before the break, leaving it 4–0 in favour of Arsenal. Mesut Özil, who match reporter Amy Lawrence noted "was able to mix a more direct style with his penchant for assisting" added a fifth, and then substitute Santi Cazorla rounded off the 6–0 victory with a final goal in the 85th minute. Arsenal's big win delighted manager Arsène Wenger who said afterwards: "We have a good squad. We score goals. We can create chances," though he maintained the club was "open-minded" to make additions in the transfer window.


2015 Emirates Cup, Summary
Lyon and Villarreal faced each other on the final day of the tournament. Manager Hubert Fournier made a number of changes from Lyon's defeat to Arsenal, including a start for former Tottenham and Fulham midfielder Steed Malbranque. He was involved in Lyon's first chance of the match, setting up Aldo Kalulu who had his shot saved by the Wolfsburg goalkeeper. Villarreal were awarded a penalty in the 31st minute for a foul on Javier Espinosa, which Roberto Soriano slotted in.


2015 Emirates Cup, Summary
The Spanish side doubled their lead early in the second half when Léo Baptistão chipped the ball over goalkeeper Mathieu Gorgelin. In the day's late match, Arsenal beat Wolfsburg by a single goal to regain the Emirates Cup. Theo Walcott scored the only goal of the match, assisted by winger Jeff Reine-Adelaide who Wenger described as having "something special".


2015 Emirates Cup, Summary
Arsenal finished the two-day tournament in top place, with 13 points. Villarreal were second, Wolfsburg third and Lyon with no wins or goals scored came last with zero points. The Emirates Cup was postponed the following year due to pitch reconstruction works at Arsenal's home ground; the tournament continued in 2017.


2015 Emirates Cup, Standings
Each team played two matches, with three points awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and a point for every goal scored. In addition, shots on target were taken into account and used to decide the competition winners if teams had the same points total and goal difference tally.


2015 Emirati parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in the United Arab Emirates on 3 October 2015 to elect the half of the members of the Federal National Council. The elections took place through an electoral college, which was expanded from 129,274 members in the 2011 elections to 224,279 for the 2015 elections.


2015 Emirati parliamentary election, Electoral system
At the time of the elections, the 40-member Federal National Council had 20 indirectly-elected members and 20 appointed members. The 20 elected members were elected by seven electoral colleges; the colleges of Abu Dhabi and Dubai elected four members, the colleges of Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah elected three, and the colleges of Ajman, Fujairah and Umm al-Quwain elected two. Only around a third of Emirati citizens (who themselves are around 12% of the country's population) were members of the electoral colleges.


2015 Emirati parliamentary election, Electoral system
Following changes to the electoral system, the elections were held using single non-transferable vote, meaning voters could only vote for one candidate in their emirate, irrespective of the number of seats. Overseas voting was allowed for the first time.


2015 Emirati parliamentary election, Electoral system
On election day, 36 voting centers were opened nationwide, nine of which had opened for early voting on 28–30 September. Overseas voters were able to cast their vote for the first time in 94 voting centers in UAE embassies on 20–21 September. Overall 79,157 voters cast their vote, making a turnout of 35.29%.


2015 Emirati parliamentary election, Campaign
A total of 330 candidates contested the elections, of which 252 were men and 78 women. Campaigning was allowed between 6 and 30 September.


2015 Emirati parliamentary election, Results
Of the twenty elected members, 19 were men and only one woman, Naama Al Sharhan, who was elected in Ras al-Khaimah. Voter turnout was 35%, up from 26% in the 2011 elections, and ranged from 70% in Umm al-Quwain to 22.1% in Dubai.


2015 Emperor's Cup
The 95th Emperor's Cup (第95回天皇杯全日本サッカー選手権大会) was the regular edition of the annual Japanese national cup tournament, which was held from 29 August 2015 to its final on 1 January 2016.


2015 Emperor's Cup
The winners, Gamba Osaka, qualified to the group stage of the 2016 AFC Champions League.


2015 Emperor's Cup, Participating clubs
88 clubs competed in the tournament. The 18 clubs from 2015 J1 League and 22 clubs from 2015 J2 League received a bye to the second round of the tournament. The other 47 teams earned berths by winning their respective prefectural cup tournaments, and entered from the first round along with the JFL seeded team, the Apertura Champion.


2015 Emperor's Cup Final
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2015 Emperor's Cup Final
2015 Emperor's Cup Final was the 95th final of the Emperor's Cup competition. The final was played at Tokyo Stadium in Tokyo on January 1, 2016. Gamba Osaka won the championship.


2015 Empire Slovak Open
The 2015 Empire Slovak Open was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and part of the 2015 ITF Women's Circuit, offering a total of $100,000 in prize money. It took place in Trnava, Slovakia, on 4–10 May 2015.


2015 Empire Slovak Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Empire Slovak Open – Doubles
Stephanie Vogt and Zheng Saisai were the defending champions, however Zheng chose to participate at the 2015 China International Challenger instead. Vogt partnered Verónica Cepede Royg, but they lost in the quarterfinals.


2015 Empire Slovak Open – Doubles
Yuliya Beygelzimer and Margarita Gasparyan won the title, defeating Aleksandra Krunić and Petra Martić in the final, 6–3, 6–2.


2015 Empire Slovak Open – Singles
Anna Karolína Schmiedlová was the defending champion, but she chose not to participate.


2015 Empire Slovak Open – Singles
Danka Kovinić won the title, defeating Margarita Gasparyan in the final, 7–5, 6–3.


2015 Emporia State Hornets football team
The 2015 Emporia State Hornets football team represented Emporia State University in the 2015 NCAA Division II football season. The Hornets played their home games on Jones Field at Francis G. Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas, as they have done since 1937. 2015 was the 122nd season in school history. The Hornets were led by head coach Garin Higgins, who finished his fifteenth overall season, and ninth at Emporia State. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.


2015 Emporia State Hornets football team, Previous season
The 2014 Emporia State Hornets football team finished the regular season 4–7, with losses to Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Pittsburg State, Fort Hays State, Washburn, Northwest Missouri State and Nebraska–Kearney. Due to the multiple injuries, including the starting quarterback, the Hornets were not ranked and did not make a post-season game, like the previous two years.


2015 Empress's Cup, Overview
It was contested by 48 teams, and INAC Kobe Leonessa won the championship.


2015 Empress's Cup Final
2015 Empress's Cup Final was the 37th final of the Empress's Cup competition. The final was played at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium in Kanagawa on December 27, 2015. INAC Kobe Leonessa won the championship.


2015 Empress's Cup Final, Overview
INAC Kobe Leonessa won their 5th title, by defeating Albirex Niigata – with Homare Sawa goal.


2015 Eneco Tour
The 2015 Eneco Tour was a road cycling stage race that took place in the Netherlands and Belgium between 10 and 16 August 2015. It was the 11th edition of the Eneco Tour stage race and was the twenty-first race of the 2015 UCI World Tour.


2015 Eneco Tour
The Eneco Tour is an unusual race in the cycling season: it primarily favours classics riders rather than climbers. The first three stages of the race were suitable for sprinters; the fourth stage was an individual time trial; and the final three stages were suitable for the classics riders. Elia Viviani (Team Sky) won the first stage and was the first rider to wear the leader's jersey. Jesper Asselman (Team Roompot) took over the lead after the second stage due to time bonuses, before losing it in the time trial to Jos van Emden (LottoNL–Jumbo).


2015 Eneco Tour
Wilco Kelderman (also LottoNL–Jumbo) took the lead after the fifth stage, but lost it to Tim Wellens (Lotto–Soudal) the following day. Wellens defended his lead on the final stage to win his second successive Eneco Tour; he had been the defending champion after victory in 2014. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) was second, with Kelderman third.


2015 Eneco Tour
The points classification was won by André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal) and the combativity award by Gijs Van Hoecke (Topsport Vlaanderen–Baloise). Lotto–Soudal also won the team classification.


2015 Eneco Tour, Teams
The 17 UCI World Tour teams were automatically entitled and obliged to start the race; three UCI Professional Continental teams were invited as wildcards to form a twenty-team peloton. Each team entered eight riders to form a 160-rider peloton; one rider, BMC Racing Team's Daniel Oss, withdrew before the race due to a fall in training, so 159 riders started the race.


2015 Eneco Tour, Schedule
The first three stages of the race were flat road stages, with no classified climbs. All of these stages were expected to suit the sprinters, though crosswinds had the potential to make the stages more difficult. The decisive section of the race was expect to start with the individual time trial on stage 4. The final three stages of the race were expected to suit classics riders: the fifth and sixth stages were hilly stages in the style of the Ardennes classics, while the final stage used roads that feature in the cobbled classics.


2015 Eneco Tour, Schedule
One change to the regulations in 2015 was the introduction of a "golden kilometre", a series of three intermediate sprints on each road stage approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) before the finish. The first three riders across each of these sprint points won bonus seconds in the general classification. This replicated the system from the 2015 Tour of Belgium, where the golden kilometre system had played a part in the victory of Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team).


2015 Eneco Tour, Pre-race favourites
Most World Tour stage races are won by strong climbers. The Eneco Tour is unusual because the favourites for overall victory were classics riders—those who perform strongly in the Ardennes classics and the cobbled classics that feature in the early part of the cycling season.


2015 Eneco Tour, Pre-race favourites
The defending champion was Tim Wellens (Lotto–Soudal), who won the 2014 Eneco Tour in the penultimate stage. He was one of the favourites again, although Cycling Weekly predicted that he would be given less freedom to attack as the defending champion. One other former winner of the race took part in 2015: Lars Boom (Astana) had won in 2012. He was another strong favourite in 2015, especially as the race included a longer time trial than other recent editions of the race. Other favourites included Niki Terpstra (Etixx–Quick-Step), who was third in 2012, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team), who was in strong form after coming close to victory in the Clásica de San Sebastián, Philippe Gilbert (also BMC) and Wilco Kelderman (LottoNL–Jumbo).


2015 Eneco Tour, Pre-race favourites
The first three stages of the race were flat and therefore particularly suitable for sprinters. Prominent sprinters taking part in the race included André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal), Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek Factory Racing), Elia Viviani (Team Sky), Andrea Guardini (Astana) and Edward Theuns (Topsport Vlaanderen–Baloise).


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 1
10 August 2015 – Bolsward to Bolsward, 183.5 km (114.0 mi)


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 1
The first stage was a 183.5-kilometre (114.0 mi) flat stage in the Netherlands, starting and finishing in Bolsward. The race began with a large loop south of the town, through Sneek and then north along the coast from Oudemirdum, then returning to Bolsward. After the first time across the finish line, the race turned north for a shorter loop, through Franeker and then south along the coast from Harlingen, before returning to Bolsward for the second time across the finish line. There were then two laps of a 20.4-kilometre (12.7 mi) finishing circuit. The stage contained no climbs.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 1
The day's early breakaway was formed by Nathan Haas (Cannondale–Garmin), Frederik Veuchelen (Wanty–Groupe Gobert), Laurens De Vreese (Astana), Jesper Asselman (Team Roompot), Nico Denz (AG2R La Mondiale), and David Boucher (FDJ). The racing conditions were fairly easy, as there were no crosswinds. The breakaway's lead was over seven minutes at one point, but this was quickly closed down by the peloton and reduced to three minutes with 40 kilometres (25 mi) remaining. There were three intermediate sprints in the space of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), described as a "golden kilometre", which were won by Denz, Asselman and de Vreese respectively.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 1
The breakaway was then caught and Team Sky and Lotto–Soudal drove the peloton towards the finish line. Sky's Andy Fenn was leading out his teammate Elia Viviani and, with 500 metres (1,600 ft) remaining, Viviani was able to follow the wheel of André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal). Greipel opened his sprint with a long distance to the finish line and Viviani was able to follow him and then come past him to take the stage victory. Danny van Poppel (Trek Factory Racing) finished second and Jean-Pierre Drucker (BMC Racing Team) third, with Greipel in fourth place.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 2
11 August 2015 – Breda to Breda, 180 km (110 mi)


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 2
The second stage of the race started in the south of the Netherlands, starting and finishing in Breda. The course was 180.7 kilometres (112.3 mi) in length and, like the first stage, was entirely flat. The stage began with a loop to the south of Breda, around Ulvenhout, then crossed the finish line to begin a much larger loop. This second loop took the riders north to Wagenberg, then south-west to Bosschenhoofd and south-east to Meer, where the Tour entered Belgium for the first time. Here the route turned north again, passing to the east of Ulvenhout and returning to cross the finish line for the second time. The final part of the stage was two laps of a finishing circuit to the east of Breda; these laps included the golden kilometre.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 2
The early breakaway was formed by two riders, Gijs Van Hoecke (Topsport Vlaanderen–Baloise) and, for the second day running, Jesper Asselman. The two riders briefly had a lead of seven minutes, but this was controlled by Team Sky, especially Ian Stannard. Asselman allowed Van Hoecke to win the two early sprints for the combativity jersey and, in return, was allowed to win all three sprints in the golden kilometre. The two riders had a two-minute advantage at this point.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 2
In the main peloton, Philippe Gilbert and Andriy Hryvko (Astana) competed for the remaining one-second bonuses: Gilbert won the first and third; Hryvko won the second. Asselman and Van Hoecke were then caught by the peloton—led by Lotto–Soudal—with 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) remaining. Despite several crashes in the final kilometres of the stage, the peloton came to the finish together. Etixx–Quick-Step attempted to lead out Tom Boonen as they entered the final 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), but Lotto-Soudal were able to bring Greipel to the front to open his sprint with 150 metres (490 ft) to the finish line. He finished comfortably ahead of Guarnieri, with Boonen in third.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 2
Asselman finished in 78th place on the stage, in the same time as Greipel. As a result of the bonus seconds won in the golden kilometre, he moved into the overall lead of the race. Greipel was in second place, five seconds behind and on the same time as Elia Viviani. This was the first time that any rider from Team Roompot had worn a leader's jersey in a UCI race.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 3
12 August 2015 – Beveren to Ardooie, 171.9 km (106.8 mi)


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 3
The third stage of the race took place entirely in Belgium. It was a 171.9-kilometre (106.8 mi) course that contained no classified climbs; it was the final flat stage of the race. The route began in Beveren with a circuit around the municipality. The course then took the riders west as far as Bassevelde, before turning south-west towards Ardooie. After the riders crossed the finish line for the first time, they began two laps of a finishing circuit around the town; these included the golden kilometre.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 3
The breakaway was formed by three riders early in the race. These were David Boucher (FDJ), Edward Theuns (Topsport Vlaanderen–Baloise) and Frederik Veuchelen (Wanty–Groupe Gobert). They built a lead that reached four minutes, but were always under control by the peloton. Team Roompot did a lot of the work at the front of the peloton controlling the breakaway. With 48 kilometres (30 mi) remaining, Gorka Izagirre (Movistar Team) and Hugo Houle (AG2R La Mondiale) touched wheels and crashed after a sharp corner.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 3
Houle continued, but Izagirre was forced to abandon the race and was taken to hospital in an ambulance following a blow to his head on a traffic signal. Theuns won all three of the golden kilometre sprints; the nine bonus seconds moved him up to fifth place overall at the end of the stage. The breakaway was caught with 20 kilometres (12 mi) remaining and, apart from a brief attack from Nathan Haas (Cannondale–Garmin), the peloton came to the finish together.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 3
The peloton was led first by Team Giant–Alpecin and then by Lotto–Soudal and Etixx–Quick-Step. The peloton split slightly due to Etixx–Quick-Step's work. Arnaud Démare (FDJ) was the first to start sprinting. Tom Boonen, however, was able to follow him, despite clashing wheels at one point, and came past in the final metres to take the stage victory. Démare was second with Viviani third. Boonen moved up into second place overall following the stage, one second behind Asselman and on the same time as Viviani.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 3
After the stage, Boucher was thrown out of the race by his team. He had recently been told that his contract would not be renewed and had disobeyed team orders not to go in the day's breakaway.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 4
13 August 2015 – Hoogerheide to Hoogerheide, 13.9 km (8.6 mi) (ITT)


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 4
Stage 4 was a 13.9-kilometre (8.6 mi) individual time trial around Hoogerheide in the Netherlands. The course was fairly flat, with a slight downhill section towards the start and a gentle uphill section towards the finish, the Rijzendeweg.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 4
An early leading time was set by Adriano Malori (Movistar Team), with a time of 16' 40" and an average speed of 49.99 km/h (31.06 mph). Soon afterwards, however, that time was beaten by Jos van Emden (LottoNL–Jumbo). Van Emden was seven seconds quicker than Malori and was the first rider to complete the course at an average speed of over 50 km/h (31 mph). The only other rider to come close to Van Emden's time was his teammate Wilco Kelderman, who finished the course five seconds behind to take second place. Van Emden won the stage, the first WorldTour victory of the year for LottoNL–Jumbo. Van Emden also moved into the overall lead of the race.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 4
Several other contenders for overall victory finished the course in good times. These included BMC's Greg Van Avermaet and Philippe Gilbert and Astana's Lars Boom. Etixx–Quick-Step's riders were less successful, however. Their best-placed rider was Julian Alaphillippe, 41 seconds behind Van Emden. Niki Terpstra, who had been considered a favourite for the overall victory, suffered mechanical problems, changed bikes twice and finished 1' 26" back.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 5
14 August 2015 – Riemst to Sittard-Geleen, 179.6 km (111.6 mi)


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 5
The fifth stage of the race was the first hilly stage, with 23 categorised climbs. Many of these climbs (known as hellingen) feature in the Amstel Gold Race. It began in Riemst in the Belgian province of Limburg. The riders completed one and a half laps of a circuit of the town; this included the first climb of the day, the Muizenberg. The course then left the town to the east, crossing the Halembaye, before crossing the border into the Dutch province of Limburg.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 5
As the route continued to the east, the riders climbed the Heiweg, the Bergenhuizen, the Camerig and the Schuttebergsweg. The route then turned to the north, though it frequently turned back on itself to take in the various climbs. These included the Mamelisserweg, the Gulperbergweg, the Eyserbosweg, the Hulsberg, the Schanternelsweg, the Fromberg and the Sweikhuizerberg. After this, the route entered two and a half laps of a finishing circuit around Sittard-Geleen. On the two complete laps, the riders climbed the Windraak, the Kollenberg, the Sittarderweg and the Weg langs Stammen. The golden kilometre came on the first lap between the last two of these climbs. After the two complete laps, the riders climbed the Windraak once more, before finishing in Sittard-Geleen.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 5
The breakaway was formed after 60 kilometres (37 mi) by Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale–Garmin) and Johan Le Bon (FDJ). Van Baarle was the better placed of the riders, 29 seconds behind Van Emden, with Le Bon ten seconds further behind. LottoNL –Jumbo controlled the peloton on behalf of Van Emden, assisted by Etixx–Quick-Step. Van Baarle and Le Bon had a lead of five minutes at one point; this was reduced to three and a half minutes with 35 kilometres (22 mi) remaining.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 5
The breakaway riders did not contest the bonus seconds in the golden kilometre, though Van Avermaet and Gilbert took the remaining seconds in the main peloton. A heavy thunderstorm started as the riders entered the finishing circuit and disrupted the chasing group, with no team taking responsibility for the chase; Le Bon and van Baarle had a lead of over two minutes as they entered the final lap. Lars Petter Nordhaug (Team Sky) and Lars Boom (Astana) both put in brief attacks but soon sat up.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 5
The lead was reduced to just over a minute with 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) remaining; at this point, as the riders crossed the Weg langs Stammen, André Greipel put in an attack and was joined by Wellens, Kelderman, Team Giant–Alpecin's Georg Preidler and Orica–GreenEDGE's Magnus Cort to form a chase group.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 5
The five-man chase group did not work well together, with only Greipel and Wellens consistently working at the front of the group. Kelderman put in a brief surge on the final climb of the Windraak to reduce van Baarle and Le Bon's lead, but the group was not able to bring the leading pair back. Van Baarle and Le Bon worked together until the final 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), when Le Bon attacked in the slipstream of one of the motorbikes following the race.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 5
Van Baarle continued chasing but, with both riders exhausted from their efforts through the day, he was unable properly to regain contact. Le Bon was able to hold on in the sprint to take the stage victory, with Van Baarle finishing second on the same time. Cort won the sprint for third, with Wellens and Kelderman on the same time. Kelderman took over the race lead, one second ahead of Le Bon, with Van Emden dropping to fourth.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 6
15 August 2015 – Heerlen to Houffalize, 208.6 km (129.6 mi)


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 6
The sixth stage was another hilly stage, with 14 climbs coming in 208.6 kilometres (129.6 mi). The race started in the Netherlands, in Heerlen, with a circuit that included the climb of the Bergseweg. The route left the town to the south, crossing the Mamelisserweg and the Schuttebergsweg before entering Belgium. The route continued to the south as it entered the Ardennes. The riders climbed the Col de Spitzberg, the Côte la Firme Libert and the Côte de Wanneranval on the way to the finishing town of Houffalize.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 6
The course first climbed the Côte Saint-Roch; this climb is part of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège course and is 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) in length with an average gradient of 11%. The route loops around to the south of the town before entering two laps of a finishing circuit. The circuit crossed the Côte Saint-Roch again, then the Rue Bois des Moines, the Côte d'Achouffe and the Côte Petite Mormont, before finishing in Houffalize. The significant difference from previous year's editions of the Eneco Tour was the absence of La Redoute from the finish.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 6
The day's early breakaway was formed by Jan Polanc (Lampre–Merida), Matthias Brändle (IAM Cycling), Nikias Arndt (Team Giant–Alpecin), Sébastien Turgot (AG2R La Mondiale) and Jérôme Baugnies (Wanty–Groupe Gobert). Though they had a four-minute lead at one stage, they were caught as the race entered the finishing circuit. Andrey Amador (Movistar Team) was the first to attack from the peloton, with numerous other attacks following, and a new, eight-man leading group was formed. This did not initially include Kelderman, the race leader, but he was able to rejoin the lead group as it grew to nineteen riders.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 6
Brändle attacked again and briefly led the race, but he was caught by work from Van Avermaet. Simon Geschke (Team Giant–Alpecin) attacked and was joined by Michael Rogers (Tinkoff–Saxo). Wellens soon attacked from the group behind; he caught and passed Geschke and Rogers on the Côte Saint-Roch, then won nine seconds in the sprints in the golden kilometre. Van Avermaet attacked from the main group; he too passed Geschke and Rogers to take second place in all three sprints and win six seconds.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 6
Kelderman was once again dropped from the main group and was then again able to rejoin it, but the group was not able to chase Wellens down. Geschke and Van Avermaet rode together, while Jan Bakelants (AG2R La Mondiale) and Tom-Jelte Slagter (Cannondale–Garmin) attacked from the main group. Wellens's lead extended during the downhill run into Houffalize; he won the stage by 49 seconds ahead of Van Avermaet, with Geschke third. Wellens moved into the overall lead, 1' 03" ahead of Van Avermaet, with Kelderman dropping to third.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 7
16 August 2015 – Sint-Pieters-Leeuw to Geraardsbergen, 193.8 km (120.4 mi)


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 7
The final stage of the race took place entirely in Belgium. It was a 193.8-kilometre (120.4 mi) route that started in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw on the outskirts of Brussels and ended in Geraardsbergen in the area of East Flanders known as the Flemish Ardennes. The principal feature of stage 6 was the series of cobbled climbs. The stage began with a circuit in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, then headed west. The first climb was the Pelikaanberg, but this was the only climb in the first 80 kilometres (50 mi) of racing. The final 110 kilometres (68 mi) included 16 climbs.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 7
The first of these, the Mont, came as the route turned north towards Oudenaarde and was followed by the Kanarieberg and the Edelareberg. Here the riders turned to the east and crossed a series of climbs also used in the Tour of Flanders: the Leberg, the Berendries and the Valkenberg. The riders then crossed the Tenbosse before entering the two and a half laps of the finishing circuit. This included four climbs: the Denderoordberg, the Muur van Geraardsbergen (the final climb in the Tour of Flanders until 2012), the Bosberg and the Okerzelerstraat. After two complete laps, the route finished halfway up the Muur van Geraardsbergen.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 7
There was a fourteen-rider breakaway that formed at the beginning of the day's racing. This group never had a large advantage and broke up on the first ascent of the Muur. The lead group after the climb was formed of three men: Manuel Quinziato (BMC Racing Team), Björn Leukemans (Wanty–Groupe Gobert) and Yves Lampaert (Etixx–Quick-Step). Attacks came from the main group and eventually a ten-man chasing group was formed. The leading three riders kept a lead of approximately a minute as riders came and went from the chasing group; the chasers were caught by the main peloton (led by Lotto–Soudal) with approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the finish line.


2015 Eneco Tour, Stages, Stage 7
Quinziato, the weakest climber of the three leading riders, attacked at the summit of the Denderoordberg, the penultimate climb of the day, quickly dropping Lampaert. Leukemans attempted to hold Quinziato's wheel, but was dropped on the flat. Quinziato soon had half a minute's lead and entered the base of the Muur alone. He had more difficulty on the climb, however: as Leukemans and Lampaert reached the cobbles, they quickly began to catch him. Quinziato eventually crossed the line with just a few seconds to spare. This was the second professional victory of his career, nine years after his first, which had come in the 2006 Eneco Tour. Wellens finished in a large group 42 seconds back and sealed his overall victory in the race.


2015 Eneco Tour, Classification leadership table
There were four principal classifications in the race. The first of these was the general classification, calculated by adding up the time each rider took to ride each stage. Time bonuses were applied for winning stages (10, 6 and 4 seconds to the first three riders) and for the three "golden kilometre" sprints on each stage. At each of these sprints, the first three riders were given 3-, 2- and 1-second bonuses respectively. The rider with the lowest cumulative time was the winner of the general classification. The rider leading the classification won a white jersey.


2015 Eneco Tour, Classification leadership table
There was also a points classification. On each road stage the riders were awarded points for finishing in the top 10 places, with other points awarded for intermediate sprints. The rider with the most accumulated points was the leader of the classification and won the red jersey. The combativity classification was based solely on points won at the intermediate sprints; the leading rider won the green jersey. The final stage was a team classification: on each stage the times of the best three riders on each team were added up. The team with the lowest cumulative time over the seven stages won the team classification.


2015 Energiewacht Tour
The 2015 Energiewacht Tour was the 5th edition of the Energiewacht Tour, a stage race primarily held in the Netherlands, with a UCI rating of 2.2, from 8 to 12 April. The last stage took place on the island of Borkum in Germany.


2015 Energiewacht Tour, Teams
A total of 22 teams participated in the race. Bigla Pro Cycling Team withdrew from the race in protest against the cost of the race entry fee.


2015 Energiewacht Tour, Stages, Prologue
The main favourite for the prologue, the World Time Trial Champion Lisa Brennauer was beaten by 5 seconds by Anna van der Breggen. Brennauer said after her race, before Van der Breggen started, that she was pleased with her performance. Another favourite to win the prologue, the former World Time Trial Champion Ellen van Dijk had been ill for the last few days before the prologue and finished ninth, 10 seconds behind Van der Breggen.


2015 Engie Open Nantes Atlantique
The 2015 Engie Open Nantes Atlantique was a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the thirteenth edition of the tournament and part of the 2015 ITF Women's Circuit, offering a total of $50,000 in prize money. It took place in Nantes, France, on 2–8 November 2015.


2015 Engie Open Nantes Atlantique, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Engie Open Nantes Atlantique, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following player received entry by a lucky loser spot:


2015 Engie Open Nantes Atlantique – Doubles
Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok were the defending champions, but chose to participate at the WTA Elite Trophy instead.


2015 Engie Open Nantes Atlantique – Doubles
Lenka Kunčíková and Karolína Stuchlá won the title, defeating Kateřina Siniaková and Renata Voráčová in an all-Czech final, 6–4, 6–2.


2015 Engie Open Nantes Atlantique – Singles
Kateřina Siniaková was the defending champion, but lost to Mathilde Johansson in the semifinals.


2015 Engie Open Nantes Atlantique – Singles
Johansson won the title, defeating Andreea Mitu in the final, 6–3, 6–4.


2015 Engie Open de Biarritz
The 2015 Engie Open de Biarritz was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the thirteenth edition of the tournament and part of the 2015 ITF Women's Circuit, offering a total of $100,000 in prize money. It took place in Biarritz, France, on 7–13 September 2015.


2015 Engie Open de Biarritz, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Engie Open de Biarritz, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received entry by a lucky loser spot:


2015 Engie Open de Biarritz – Doubles
Florencia Molinero and Stephanie Vogt were the defending champions, but Molinero chose not to participate. Vogt partnered Réka-Luca Jani, but lost in the final to Başak Eraydın and Lidziya Marozava, 6–4, 6–4.


2015 Engie Open de Biarritz – Singles
Kaia Kanepi was the defending champion, but lost in the first round to Amra Sadiković.


2015 Engie Open de Biarritz – Singles
Laura Siegemund won the title, defeating Romina Oprandi in the final, 7–5, 6–3.


2015 English Greyhound Derby
The 2015 William Hill Greyhound Derby took place during May and June with the final being held on 27 June 2015 at Wimbledon Stadium. 273 of Britain's best greyhounds lined up for the record prize of £250,000 that was on offer.


2015 English Greyhound Derby, Final result, Distances
1¼, short head, 1, ½, 5¼ (lengths)The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.


2015 English Greyhound Derby, Final result, Race Report
Farloe Blitz lined up as hot favourite from trap two in the final and when he was first out of the traps in his customary fashion but tucked in just one length behind was Rio Quattro and it remained like that until the third bend when Farloe Blitz drifted to a middle course allowing Rio Quattro to come inside.


2015 English Greyhound Derby, Final result, Race Report
The Danny Riordan trained runner then went on to win with Farloe Blitz fading into fourth place, Eden The Kid ran very well after a horrible start and just failed to take second place from Tynwald Bish who ran a good race. Making Paper lost any chance at the third bend when making ground on the leaders and Millwards Davy never showed. Eden The Kid had set a new track record in the heats of 27.95sec = 61,82 km/h = 38,42 m/h. .


2015 English National Badminton Championships
The 2015 English National Badminton Championships was held in K2 Crawley, from January 30 to February 1, 2015.


2015 English National Badminton Championships
Rajiv Ouseph quest for an eighth consecutive men's singles title was ended by the eventual singles winner Sam Parsons.


2015 English cricket season
The 2015 English cricket season was the 116th in which the County Championship had been an official competition. It began in April with a round of university matches, and continued until the conclusion of a round of County Championship matches in late September. Three major domestic competitions were contested: the 2015 County Championship, the 2015 Royal London One-Day Cup and the 2015 NatWest t20 Blast.


2015 English cricket season
During this season, two international teams toured England. New Zealand toured early in the summer, with Australia also touring later in the year. The latter tour saw England win The Ashes Test series 3–2; it was the 78th test series between the two sides.


2015 Enterprise Cup
The 2015 Enterprise Cup was the 77th time that the Enterprise Cup has been contested.


2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election
The 2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election was the 6th gubernatorial election of Enugu State. on April 11, 2015, the People's Democratic Party nominee Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi won the election, defeating Okey Ezea of the All Progressives Congress.


2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election, PDP primary
PDP candidate and a member of the House of Representatives, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi defeated his only challenger to clinch the party ticket. He won with 933 votes to defeat his only challenger, the Speaker of Enugu House of Assembly, Eugene Odo, who received 26 votes. The aspirants who were originally seven in number all withdrew from the election, except Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Eugene Odo. The original aspirants were Ayogu Eze, a member of the House of Representative, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Eugene Odo, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Onyeke Onyeke, Anayo Onwuegbu, Samuel Maduka Onyishi and Chinedu Onu.


2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election, PDP primary
Anayo Onwuegbu and Chinedu Onu stepped down for Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, while Samuel Maduka Onyishi, owner of Peace Mass Transit withdrew at the last minute citing irregularities discovered in the delegates list. Ayogu Eze conducted his own primary in a different venue, where he won and declared himself the flag bearer of the party, while Onyeke Onyeke failed to participate.


2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election, PDP primary
On December 16, 2014, Samuel Maduka Onyishi in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1003/2014 approached the Federal High Court, Abuja to declare that the primaries conducted by the PDP in Enugu State was in clear violation of the Electoral Act, and the PDP and INEC was given 24 hours to appear before it to bring evidence why the governorship primaries it conducted in the state on December 8, 2014 should not be cancelled.


2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election, PDP primary
Ayogu Eze, one of the aspirants challenged the primary outcome at the Federal High Court, Abuja and prayed the court to restrain the PDP from submitting the name of any other candidate order than him to the INEC as the party's governorship candidate. On March 2, 2015, The Federal High Court, Abuja dismissed the suit filed by Ayogu Eze and affirmed that Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was the duly elected governorship candidate of the PDP. On March 26, 2015, Samuel Maduka Onyishi withdrew the case from the court. Ayogu Eze in a suit marked CA/A/157/2015, took the case to the Appeal court.


2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election, PDP primary
The Appeal court while delivering their judgement held that Ayogu Eze lacked the locus-standi to challenge Ugwuanyi's nomination, since he did not participate in the primary that returned Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Ayogu Eze took the matter to the Supreme court. The Supreme court while delivering their judgement on July 6, 2018 dismissed the appeal as lacking in merit and awarded a cost of N1 million against him in favour of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.


2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election, Results
A total of 19 candidates contested in the election. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi from the People's Democratic Party won the election, defeating Okey Ezea from the All Progressives Congress.


2015 Enugu State gubernatorial election, Aftermath
After the election, Okey Ezea from the All Progressives Congress challenged the outcome of the election at the Enugu State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal. The APC candidate told the tribunal to cancel the elections and order a fresh one, citing over-voting, non accreditation through the manipulation of the Card Readers Machine by the INEC and falsification of result figures. The tribunal dismissed the petition for being frivolous, lacking merit and against court processes, and upheld the election of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The case was taken to the Appeal court. Delivering the judgement on October 12, 2015, the Appeal court affirmed the election of the PDP candidate, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and dismissed the appeal of the APC candidate, even as the APC candidate through his lawyer notified the court of his intent to withdraw the suit.


2015 Epping Forest District Council election
The 2015 Epping Forest District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Epping Forest District Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Epping Forest District Council election
This election marks the last time a Labour councillor sat in the chamber after Peter Gode of Shelley stood down - a dramatic decline following Labour being the largest party in the mid-1990s.


2015 Epping Forest District Council election, By-elections, Epping Hemnall By-election
A by-election was held on 25 September 2014 following the death of Mayor Ken Avey. Liberal Democrat, Kim Adams won with 43% of the vote compared to 28% for the Conservative party and 24% to UKIP. This election reversed this by-election result with Avey's son, Nigel replacing him, ousting the Liberal Democrat councillor


2015 Epping Forest District Council election, Ward Results
Figures are compared to the last time these seats were contested in any election cycle for the Epping Forest District Council election, this is indicated.


2015 Epsom Derby
The 2015 Epsom Derby (known as the Investec Derby for sponsorship reasons) was the 236th annual running of the Derby horse race and took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 6 June 2015. The race was won by the favourite, Golden Horn, a British-bred bay colt, owned by Anthony Oppenheimer, trained in Newmarket, Suffolk by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori. The colt's win was the first for his owner, the second for Dettori (after Authorized in 2007) and the second for Gosden (after Benny the Dip in 1997).


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Entries and race build-up
The initial entry for the 2015 Epsom Derby, announced in December 2013, consisted of 409 yearlings. The number of entries was three more than for the 2014 race and included 71 from Godolphin Racing and 54 from the partners of the Coolmore Stud. Sheikh Fahad Al Thani's Qatar Racing organization entered 15 yearlings while Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was responsible for 12 entries.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Entries and race build-up
Amongst the Coolmore entries was a colt who had been purchased for a record public auction price of 3.6 million guineas in October 2013, and other owners with significant numbers of entries included Aga Khan IV with 51 yearlings and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's 47 entries. The number of potential runners was reduced to 102 at the first scratching date in March 2015, with John F Kennedy heading the betting market at odds of 6 to 1. The Coolmore stable was left with 21 possible runners, including John F Kennedy and the record auction colt, now named Sir Isaac Newton. A further 12 horses were added at the second entry stage in April 2015, including Gleneagles and Elm Park.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Entries and race build-up
The field began to take its final shape on 22 May when sixteen horses were left entered at the final forfeit stage. Amongst those remaining in the race were Gleneagles, who had won the 2000 Guineas since being entered; Hans Holbein, the winner of the Chester Vase and Jack Hobbs, runner-up in the Dante Stakes. The betting market was headed by Golden Horn, winner of the Feilden Stakes and the Dante Stakes, but who was not yet entered in the Derby. Golden Horn's owner, Anthony Oppenheimer, had indicated that he would enter the horse at the supplementary entry stage.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Entries and race build-up
Final confirmations for the race took place on Monday 1 June leaving a potential field of fifteen runners. Gleneagles, Great Glen and Prince Gagarin were withdrawn by Aidan O'Brien and Golden Horn was supplemented as expected at a cost of £75,000. Success Days, winner of the Ballysax Stakes and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, was also supplemented for the race. The filly Found and Sumbal had been considered by their connections for supplementary entries but were not entered.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Entries and race build-up
Golden Horn was the favourite in the betting market at this point at odds of 7–4, followed by Zawraq at 5–1, Jack Hobbs at 7–1 and Elm Park at 9–1. The other eleven runners were all listed at 10–1 or greater. On the Tuesday before the race Zawraq returned from a gallop with a minor leg injury and his participation in the Derby was put in doubt. Zawraq's odds moved out to 7–1 while Giovanni Canaletto's price moved in to 8–1 after Ryan Moore was announced the horse's jockey for the race. On Thursday Zawraq was found to be lame again and was withdraw at the final declaration stage that morning along with Best Of Times and Rocky Rider, leaving a final declared field of twelve runners for the 2015 race.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Entries and race build-up
On the day of the race, Saturday 6 June, Epsom's clerk of the course, Andrew Cooper, moved the Going description to "good, good to firm in places". The going for Friday's racing at Epsom had been "good" but dry weather that afternoon and overnight had made parts of the course good to firm. Jack Hobbs' participation in the race awaited a decision from trainer John Gosden, dependent on his view of whether the going would suit Jack Hobbs. After the first race of the afternoon the going description was changed to "good to firm",  despite which Jack Hobbs was allowed to take his chance in the race.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Entries and race build-up
In February 2015 Epsom's owners, Jockey Club Racecourses, announced that the race's start time would be 4.30pm, 30 minutes later than the 2014 running.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Race
The race began with Elm Park disputing the lead with Hans Holbein over the first half mile with Storm The Stars and Epicuris leading the chasing group, and most of the leading contenders being settled in behind. Andrea Atzeni eventually managed to restrain Elm Park, allowing Hans Holbein to establish a clear lead. At the turn into the straight Hans Holbein led by several lengths from Elm Park, followed by Epicuris, Storm The Stars, Jack Hobbs and Giovanni Canaletto.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Race
The leaders bunched approaching the final quarter mile with Hans Holbein challenged by Epicuris as Storm The Stars and Jack Hobbs challenged in the centre of the track and Golden Horn made rapid progress from the rear on the outside. Jack Hobbs took the lead but was quickly overtaken by his stablemate Golden Horn approaching the final furlong. In the closing stages Golden Horn drew away to win by three and a half lengths from Jack Hobbs, who was in turn four and a half lengths clear of Storm The Stars in third.


2015 Epsom Derby, Race synopsis, Race
Giovanni Canaletto took fourth ahead of Epicuris, Kilimanjaro and Hans Holbein. The winning time of 2:32.32 was the third fastest in the history of the race. The last place finisher Success Days sustained a hairline fracture in his left foot while running in the Derby and was treated on the course.


2015 Epsom Derby, Full result
* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter; hd = head.† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.


2015 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, Two-year-old races
Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 2014


2015 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, Road to Epsom
Early-season appearances in 2015 and trial races prior to running in the Derby:


2015 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, Subsequent Group 1 wins
Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby:


2015 Epsom Derby, Subsequent breeding careers
Golden Horn (1st) - West End Girl (1st Sweet Solera Stakes 2019)Jack Hobbs (2nd) - Offspring yet to raceStorm The Stars (3rd) - Offspring yet to raceElm Park (11th) - Offspring yet to raceSuccess Days (12th) - Standing in Ireland


2015 Epsom and Ewell Borough Council election
The 2015 Epsom and Ewell Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Epsom and Ewell Council in England as one of the 2015 United Kingdom local elections and coinciding with the general election leading to a higher turnout than when local elections are held in a non-general election year.


2015 Epsom and Ewell Borough Council election, Election result summary
All seats become up in this borough for election (known as whole council elections). The election produced an enhanced majority for the long-governing Residents Associations of each part of the borough, which act together in appointing a cabinet, of 24 councillors and an opposition of seven councillors split between two nationally standing party groups. The largest opposition party grouping, the Liberal Democrats were left bereft of the council chamber in line with their heavily losses and loss in share of the vote in the general election.


2015 Erewash Borough Council election
The 2015 Erewash Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Erewash Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Erie Explosion season
The 2015 Erie Explosion season was the ninth and final season for the indoor football franchise, and their only season in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL).


2015 Erie Explosion season, Roster
Rookies in italics updated June 14, 201528 Active, 11 Inactive


2015 Erste Bank Open
The 2015 Erste Bank Open was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 41st edition of the event, and part of the ATP World Tour 500 Series of the 2015 ATP World Tour. It was held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, from 19 October until 25 October 2015. David Ferrer won the singles title.


2015 Erste Bank Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Erste Bank Open, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2015 Erste Bank Open – Doubles
Jürgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner were the defending champions, but chose not to participate this year. ŽŁukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo won the title, defeating Jamie Murray and John Peers in the final, 4–6, 7–6(7–3), [10–6].


2015 Erste Bank Open – Singles
Andy Murray was the defending champion, but chose not to participate. David Ferrer won the title, defeating Steve Johnson in the final, 4–6, 6–4, 7–5.


2015 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop
The 2015 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop (in German Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt) was scheduled to be the 54th edition of the Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop semi-classic cycling race; it would have taken place on 1 May 2015. The race was cancelled the day before it was scheduled to take place because of a suspected terrorist plot similar to the Boston Marathon bombing.


2015 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Planned event
The race was to have taken place on 1 May 2015 and was rated as a 1.HC event by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The planned route was 205 kilometres (127 mi) in length, starting in Eschborn and ending in Frankfurt; the course included several hills. The defending champion was Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha). The favourites for victory included Kristoff and John Degenkolb (Team Giant–Alpecin), who had between them won the Milan–San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and the Paris–Roubaix.


2015 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Planned event, Teams
22 teams were invited to take part in the race. Six of these were UCI WorldTeams; seven were UCI Professional Continental teams; eight were German UCI Continental teams; the last was a German national team.


2015 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Suspected terrorist plot and cancellation
On 30 April 2015, the day before the race was due to have taken place, local authorities announced that it had been cancelled due to "indications of a possible threat to the population". A couple, one of whom was described as a "suspected Islamic extremist", were arrested the previous day at their home in Oberursel, which is along the race route. The couple arrested were identified as Halil D., 35, a German citizen of Turkish origin, and Senay D., 34, thought to be a Turkish citizen.


2015 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Suspected terrorist plot and cancellation
Various items were found in their house, including a homemade pipe bomb, bomb-making materials, an automatic rifle, bazooka ammunition and a canister full of petrol. One of the couple had apparently bought hydrogen peroxide and alcohol at a hardware shop and had been seen exploring a forest along the race route. He had connections to Salafists in Frankfurt, including the group Dawa FFM. The German newspaper Die Welt suggested that he was involved with Al-Qaida, specifically Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). According to German police the couple had also travelled to Spain to meet with members of Sharia4Spain. It has also been suggested that there may have been connections to Adem Yilmaz, one of those convicted as part of a bomb plot in 2007.


2015 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Suspected terrorist plot and cancellation
Security officials suggested that the couple may have been planning an attack similar to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Halil D. was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in July 2016 for possession of illegal weapons and falsification of documents.


2015 Esiliiga
The 2015 Esiliiga was the 25th season of the Esiliiga, second-highest Estonian league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 8 March 2015 and concluded on 8 November 2015.


2015 Esiliiga
Flora II won the league on the last day of the season, finishing with 72 points. It was their second league title.


2015 Esiliiga
Tarvas finished 4th and were promoted to the Meistriliiga for the first time in their history. Tallinna Kalev finished 6th and qualified to the promotion play-offs but were beaten by Tammeka 2–4 on aggregate.


2015 Esiliiga
Santos finished 8th but avoided the relegation play-offs after Sillamäe Kalev II withdrew. Vaprus and Kuressaare were the bottom two teams and were relegated to the Esiliiga B.


2015 Esiliiga, Play-offs, Promotion play-offs
Tallinna Kalev, who finished 6th, faced Tammeka, the 9th-placed 2015 Meistriliiga side for a two-legged play-off. The winner on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2016 Meistriliiga. Tammeka won 4–2 on aggregate.


2015 Esiliiga, Play-offs, Relegation play-offs
Santos, who finished 8th, were supposed to face Sillamäe Kalev II, the 3rd-placed 2015 Esiliiga B side for a two-legged play-off. However, the play-offs were abandoned after Sillamäe Kalev II withdrew and Santos retained their Esiliiga spot for the 2016 season.


2015 Esiliiga B
The 2015 Esiliiga B was the 3rd season of the Esiliiga B, the third-highest Estonian league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2013. The season started on 4 March 2015 and concluded on 8 November 2015.


2015 Esiliiga B
Starbunker won the league, finishing with 81 points and were promoted to the Esiliiga. It was their first Esiliiga B title in history.


2015 Esiliiga B
Järve finished 2nd and were promoted to the Esiliiga. Sillamäe Kalev II finished 3rd and qualified to the promotion play-offs but subsequently withdrew.


2015 Esiliiga B
Puuma finished 8th and qualified to the relegation play-offs but were beaten by Welco 2–5 on aggregate and relegated to the II liiga. Ararat TTÜ and Flora III were the bottom two teams and were relegated to the II liiga.


2015 Esiliiga B, Play-offs, Promotion play-offs
Sillamäe Kalev II, who finished 3rd, were supposed to face Santos, the 8th-placed 2015 Esiliiga side for a two-legged play-off. However, the play-offs were abandoned after Sillamäe Kalev II withdrew and Santos retained their Esiliiga spot for the 2016 season.


2015 Esiliiga B, Play-offs, Relegation play-offs
Puuma, who finished 8th, faced Welco, the II liiga play-offs winner. The winner on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2016 Esiliiga B. Welco won 5–2 on aggregate.


2015 Eskişehir Cup
The 2015 Eskişehir Cup was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 2nd edition of the tournament which was part of the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Eskişehir, Turkey between 18–24 May 2015.


2015 Eskişehir Cup, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Eskişehir Cup – Doubles
Marin Draganja and Mate Pavić were the defending champions, but they decided not to participate this year.


2015 Eskişehir Cup – Doubles
Sergey Betov and Mikhail Elgin won the title, defeating Chen Ti and Ruan Roelofse in the final, 6–4, 6–7(2–7), [10–7].


2015 Eskişehir Cup – Singles
David Goffin was the defending champion, but chose not to participate, since he played at French Open during that week.


2015 Eskişehir Cup – Singles
Paolo Lorenzi won the tournament, defeating Íñigo Cervantes in the final. Lorenzi's quarterfinal match was his 300th win on the ATP Challenger Tour.


2015 Esperance bushfires
The 2015 Esperance bushfires were a series of catastrophic bushfires that burned from 15 to 26 November and affected the Goldfields-Esperance region in the Australian state of Western Australia. During the fires, the Shire of Esperance experienced two significant fires and a complex of fires; 128,000 hectares (320,000 acres) were burnt by the Cascades fire, 18,000 hectares (44,000 acres) were burnt by the Merivale fire, and 164,000 hectares (410,000 acres) were burnt by the Cape Arid complex of fires.


2015 Esperance bushfires
On 17 November, during the major run of the Cascades fire, four civilian fatalities occurred in vehicles traveling on Griggs Road in Scaddan. As of 2020, the Cascades fire was equally the worst bushfire in Western Australia in terms of human fatalities along with the Willow Springs/Nannup fire of January 1958.


2015 Esperance bushfires
The Cascades fire destroyed Scaddan town hall, one house, 16 non-residential structures and dozens of vehicles in the communities of Grass Patch, Salmon Gums and Scaddan. There was also significant damage to rural produce; approximately 4,500 head of livestock died and 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of crop—constituting about 500,000 tonnes of grain—were burnt. In addition, the Merivale fire destroyed 2 houses in Stockyard Creek, and the Cape Arid complex destroyed significant areas of Western Ground Parrot habitat—reportedly up to 90%—prompting discussion that the critically endangered parrot could "... become the first bird in at least 200 years to become extinct in Western Australia".


2015 Esperance bushfires, Background
Agriculture is the predominant land use by area in the Shire of Esperance; between 1990 and 2000 the region witnessed an increase of 50% in the total cropped area and a decrease in the total area dedicated to livestock farming, the main crops produced are wheat, barley and canola. Cropped areas are particularly combustible prior to harvest, and stubble is retained post harvest to reduce soil erosion, which maintains a combustible ground cover and increases fuel load in pre‐harvest fields.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Background
The Esperance region had above average winter rainfall in 2015, promoting the growth of large quantities of crops and other plant material. Salmon Gums Research Station, 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Esperance town, reported its highest winter rainfall in 88 years; 91.2 millimetres (3.59 in) fell in August, the highest August total rainfall for at least 30 years. Prior to the 2015 harvest, yields of up to 5 tonnes per hectare were reported in the Esperance district, which was estimated to be around 50% harvested at the time of the fires. This represented a 2015 harvest that was far above the 5 year average, even accounting for the "... hundreds of thousands of tonnes" of grain lost during the fire.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Background
The winter rains were followed by an unusually dry and warm spring, which rapidly dried out the unharvested crops and other plant material. Statewide average temperatures in Western Australia during October were +3.28 °C above average and the highest on record, and rainfall was generally light across the Esperance region at 6–8 millimetres (0.24–0.31 in). Temperature observations were similarly elevated in November, at +1.78 °C above average and the second warmest on record.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Background, Predictions for the 2015–16 bushfire season
A strengthening El Niño–Southern Oscillation event across the Pacific Ocean and the warmer waters associated with the Indian Ocean Dipole, was expected to increase the severity and duration of the 2015–16 fire season in Western Australia, with the Goldfields-Esperance region in particular to experience "above normal fire potential" due to high fuel loads.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 14–16 November
Over the weekend of 14–15 November, a trough system consisting of numerous thunderstorms moved in an easterly direction over southern Western Australia and lightning ignited fires across a large area. At least 40 fires were recorded by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) on 15 November, including the Cascades fire, the Merivale fire, and the Cape Arid complex, which constituted three of the ten incidents recorded by the DFES in the Shire of Esperance.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 14–16 November
The Cascades fire ignited north of Pyramid Rd. and west of Ned's Corner Rd. on unallocated crown land south of Lake Mends in the North Cascades area. Lightning from the same storm system also ignited the Merivale fire in the vicinity of Doombup Lake and Mullet Lake, 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Esperance town, and the Cape Arid complex of fires in the Gypsum Mine, Mount Ragged, and Thomas River areas of the northern part of Cape Arid National Park.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 14–16 November
The fires remained uncontained by dawn on 16 November and a bushfire advice message for North Cascade was issued by the DFES at 11:30 AWST (UTC+08:00), although there was no threat to lives or homes at the time. Winds in the Cascades fire ground on 16 November were light to fresh breezes to from the south-south-east and relative humidity ranged from approximately 25–55%; conditions favorable to containment. However, by the end of the day on 16 November, both the Cascades and Merivale fire remained uncontained and residents of 7 properties near the Merivale fire were advised to leave.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 14–16 November
At a briefing by the Bureau of Meteorology to the DFES on 16 November, a McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) rating of 250–260 was reportedly forecast for 17 November; described as "... worse than the day of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria that claimed 173 lives and injured some 5000 people". Despite fears for the escalation of the fire in the forecast conditions, which greatly exceeded the threshold for "catastrophic" (an FFDI of 100), all three fires remained at the classification of "Level 1" and therefore under the control of local brigades. Following the fires, Deputy Commissioner of the DFES, Lloyd Bailey, stated that on 16 November;


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 14–16 November
People in the area were advised to put their survival first and leave the night before or early in the day if possible, and that it was not safe to stay and defend their homes.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
The passage of a low pressure system over the south-west of the state created winds of moderate gale to storm force from the north to west over the Shire of Esperance and all three fire zones, elevating the temperature to over 40 °C (104 °F) across most of the shire. An extremely low relative humidity of 6% was observed at the Salmon Gums Research Station at 15:00 AWST, and a "storm force" wind gust of 93 kilometres per hour (58 mph) from the west-north-west was recorded at 15:37 AWST. Winds were consistently 50–60 kilometres per hour (31–37 mph) during the afternoon, with frequent gusts up to 70–80 kilometres per hour (43–50 mph).


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
As anticipated, the Esperance region experienced catastrophic fire weather conditions on the afternoon of 17 November; McArthur Grassland Fire Danger Index (FFDI) recordings of 175 and 180—significantly above the threshold of 100 for "catastrophic" conditions—were recorded at Scaddan and Cascades respectively. FFDI ratings of up to 221 were reportedly observed elsewhere around Esperance. This resulted in an escalation of all three fires, including the major run of the Cascades fire.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
As early as 06:30 AWST, farmers made calls to fire authorities with concerns about the height of flames in inaccessible areas close to properties in and around Cascades, as the fire front expanded to at least 5 kilometres (3.1 mi). During the morning, the Cascades and Merivale fires caused power outages in Esperance shire that affected at least 300 customers and also stopped mobile phone coverage. Just prior to midday the Cascades fire jumped across fuel modification breaks—consisting of substantial pre‐existing scrub rolling and other fuel treatment—on the interface of crown land and private property.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
The fire moved rapidly once it had entered private property; during its major south–east run on the afternoon of 17 November, the Cascades fire is estimated to have spread at a rate of 15–23 kilometres per hour (9.3–14.3 mph), fueled by the heavy harvest fuel loads, and to have traveled approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) over a five-hour period. The Cascades fire is estimated to have reached a peak intensity of around 45,000kW/h, described in the Major Incident Report as;


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
... the hottest grassland fire in WA's recorded history, and possibly in Australia's recorded history.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
At 13:10 AWST the DFES warning for the Cascades fire was upgraded to "watch and act", and the warning was reported by the Experance Express within the hour, however an "emergency warning" was not issued for the fire until 17:50 AWST, some two hours after the fire impacted Griggs Rd., 50–60 kilometres (31–37 mi) from the point of ignition. All four civilians fatalities from the Cascades fire occurred at approximately 15:50 AWST, when the fire front impacted Griggs Rd. between Cascade and Scaddan.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
The Cascades fire crossed the Coolgardie–Esperance Highway at approximately 17:50 AWST and impacted the community of Scaddan, where the majority of structural damage occurred. The DFES superintendent for Goldfields-Esperance, Trevor Tasker, witnessed the fire front impacting the highway and created a road block, preventing an estimated 100 cars—containing approximately 200 tourists and locals—from driving into the flames; police in Norseman prevented traffic entering the area impacted by fire from the opposite direction. Scaddan farmer Chris Reichstein used a speed tiller to cut a firebreak several meters wide through burning crops and stubble along the eastern edge of the fire front, preventing the fire front from crossing into bushland where it "... could have burned for weeks".


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
Ninety minutes after the fire front had traversed the highway and impacted Scaddan township, the fire was upgraded to "Level 3", a designation that effectively grants the DFES command and control of the incident. By mid–evening, between 100 and 150 people from Scaddan and Grass Patch had evacuated to Salmon Gums Recreation Centre, and at approximately 22:00 AWST the area under threat was expanded to include Red Lake and Salmon Gums.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 17 November
On 17 November, the Merivale fire also moved rapidly in a south–east direction, and DFES warnings were upgraded to "watch and act" level at 11:55 AWST. Fire conditions peaked during the afternoon, with the Esperance station recording an astonishingly low relative humidity of 2% at 15:00 AWST and a wind gust of 83 kilometres per hour (52 mph) from the west-north-west at 16:12 AWST. A wind change shifted the direction of fire spread to north–east at approximately 18:00 AWST, and an "emergency" warning was issued at 21:04 AWST, after the fire had crossed Cape Le Grand Rd. Two houses were destroyed in the Stockyard Creek area during the night. The ability of crews to control the Merivale fire was hampered by the vegetation and the varying terrain in the area, which included swamps, lakes and dune systems as well as several blue gum plantations.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 18–26 November
Winds in the Cascades fire ground on 18 November again returned to gentle to moderate breezes from the north to west and relative humidity ranged from approximately 30–40%. Although no rainfall was recorded until 24 November, the low winds and temperatures of 25–32 °C (77–90 °F) meant that the Cascades fire was largely stationary and the Merivale fire was spreading slowly, yet erratically. Four single-engine air tankers were deployed to control the Merivale fire.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 18–26 November
At approximately midday on 19 November, the warning for the Cascade fire was once again upgraded to emergency level for the areas west of the Coolgadie-Esperance Highway in the communities of Grass Patch and Salmon Gums. The warning was downgraded to "watch and act" at approximately 15:00 AWST with no further injury or serious damage to property, although the perimeter of the fire had expanded to 214 kilometres (133 mi). By 20 November 300 people had evacuated from the communities impacted by the Cascades fire. Residential areas were again threatened by the Merivale fire on 21–22 November, when it broke containment lines under the influence of a wind change.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Fire timeline, 18–26 November
An "all clear" message was issued for both the Cascades and Merivale fires on the afternoon of 25 November, indicating that the series of fires were essentially extinguished. The Esperance District complex of fires was downgraded to "Level 1" and the DFES transitioned control for the recovery effort of the Cascades and Merivale fires to Local Government, and the recovery effort for the Cape Arid complex of fires was transferred to the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW) on 26 November.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Fatalities
The four civilians who died in the Cascades fire were identified on 19 November.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Fatalities
The three foreign nationals, who had been staying at Karranga farm on 17 November, died in the same vehicle while fleeing to Esperance town. The bodies were discovered in a vehicle with a horse float, containing the remains of the horse "Cougar", only a few kilometers from the property the trio were working at. Curnow also died in his vehicle while driving door-to-door to warn neighbors about the approaching fire front. Curnow was described in the media as a 'hero' for his efforts to assist others, and his funeral was attended by up to four thousand people.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Structural damage
The Cascades fire destroyed the Scaddan town hall, one house, 16 other non-residential structures and dozens of vehicles in the communities of Grass Patch, Salmon Gums and Scaddan. In addition, the Merivale fire destroyed 2 houses in Stockyard Creek. Roads and utilities infrastructure was also damaged within the fire ground; the destruction of 320 power poles and hundreds of kilometers of power lines caused a week long power outage for 400–500 residents in the region. The series of fires did not reach the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) threshold for 'insurance emergency' because infrastructure losses were not particularly extensive.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Agricultural damage
The fires caused significant damage to rural produce and the harvest was delayed for at least a week as grains handler CBH Group closed its Esperance grain terminal and shut six grain storage sites. In some areas, the topsoil had reportedly been stripped, leaving nothing but sandy plains. Approximately 4,500 head of livestock died and 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of crop—constituting an estimated 500,000 tonnes of grain—were destroyed by both the fire and the strong north-westerly winds experienced on 17 November. The winds resulted in significant yield loss due to pod shatter in canola and head loss in both barley and wheat; barley head loss in the order of 1.5 to over 2 tonnes per hectare was observed in many areas of Esperance shire.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Agricultural damage
A forecast yield of over 3 million tonnes was reduced to 2.5 million, with wheat comprising the majority of produce lost in the fires and winds; the destruction of produce is thought to have cost the region up to A$150 million. A survey of the impacted area by a satellite that provides imagery to Landgate, revealed that 200,000 tonnes of vegetation from agricultural areas was removed by the fires.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Agricultural damage
Further agricultural loss was expected in the coming harvests as a result of soil erosion; to mitigate the damage done, as soon as the remaining crops had been harvested, paddocks were scarified and barley and maize were sown as cover crops. Over 2000ha at point of harvest Plantation Blue Gums were destroyed or damaged. Value $US 60 million. Major woodchip exporters in Australia will not purchase and export woodchips from fire damaged plantations.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Environmental damage
The Cape Arid complex of fires destroyed significant areas—reportedly up to 90%—of the remaining Western Ground Parrot habitat within Cape Arid National Park. Much of the habitat had already been burned by a bushfire in Cape Arid National Park during October of the same year. Prior to the fires, there were believed to be only 140 individual parrots living in the wild, and the number was estimated to have been reduced to only 30–40 as a result of the damage caused by the fires.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Environmental damage
The widespread destruction of dense vegetation the ground-dwelling birds rely on for nesting prompted discussion that the critically endangered parrot could "... become the first bird in at least 200 years to become extinct in Western Australia". Two parrots—a male and a female—were rescued from the Cape Arid fire ground and taken to Perth Zoo for inclusion in a captive breeding program, however both birds died in captivity.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Aid and relief
On 21 November, the Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan, and the Premier of Western Australia, Colin Barnett, jointly announced that disaster assistance pursuant to the Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) had been activated for those affected by fire in the Shire of Esperance. Victims were eligible for personal hardship and distress assistance, personal and financial counseling, interest rate subsidies for small businesses and primary producers, and freight subsidies for primary producers.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Aftermath, Aid and relief
The lord mayor of the City of Perth established a "Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund" to accept donations that would be distributed to the victims of the fires; donations to the fund included A$250,000 from CBH Group, A$100,000 from the WA state government, A$25,000 from BankWest, A$25,000 from Aurizon, and A$10,000 from the City of Bunbury. Over A$1 million was raised by the appeal.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Criticism of authorities and subsequent incident reviews
Following the fires, state and federal representatives, the community, and a review commissioned by the DFES identified shortcomings including, but not limited to;


2015 Esperance bushfires, Criticism of authorities and subsequent incident reviews
Following the 2016 Waroona bushfire, the Government of Western Australia announced a public inquiry into the response to the Harvey-Waroona bushfire. However, the Esperance bushfires were omitted from the terms of reference, prompting criticism from the Association of Volunteer Bushfire Brigades, the Emergency Services Volunteer Association, the State Emergency Services Volunteer Association and WA Farmers; the group of organizations issued a joint statement discussing serious concerns about the scope of the inquiry. A Major Incident Report (MIR) was, however, compiled by the consultancy firm Nous Group for the DFES and released on 8 March 2016.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Criticism of authorities and subsequent incident reviews, Telecommunications and radio
Mobile phone reception in the communities impacted by the fires was poor before the fires, and added pressure on the network during the emergency caused significant issues, including motorists being unaware of the risks in certain areas and inadvertently driving into the paths of the fires. Numerous property owners described only being notified after the fire had passed through their properties, and the reliance on word-of-mouth communication is thought to have contributed to the death of Curnow, who died while driving to inform others of the Cascades fire.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Criticism of authorities and subsequent incident reviews, Telecommunications and radio
During the morning power outage in the Cascades fire zone, twenty-one Telstra sites—four mobile phone towers and seventeen exchange and connectivity points—switched to battery power; the batteries were designed to last eight hours before being replaced by generators, however Telstra staff could not access the sites because of road blocks, resulting in a lack of mobile coverage for hours or days in some areas.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Criticism of authorities and subsequent incident reviews, Telecommunications and radio
Due to the failure of the Cascades radio repeater, reliable radio communications could not be ensured during the response to the fire. An absence of portable or back–up repeaters meant there was no redundancy in the radio infrastructure system of the Esperance region, and therefore no workarounds available in the event of infrastructure not being functional. These failures were compounded by radio congestion. Esperance shire had two channel systems intended for use during incidents; the BFB network and the DFES command network, however the DFES command network was not able to be used during the initial days of the incident, or 17 November major runs by the fires, due to a faulty antenna.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Criticism of authorities and subsequent incident reviews, Telecommunications and radio
In response to the failures during the fires, the construction of two mobile phone towers—in the Grass Patch and Salmon Gums townships respectively—was expedited by the Shire of Esperance in early December 2015. The electorate of O'Connor, in which the impacted communities are located, also received up to A$54 million as part of a federal mobile blackspots program.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Criticism of authorities and subsequent incident reviews, Fire mitigation
Following the fires, access to unallocated crown land (UCL) and reserves to perform bushfire mitigation emerged as a key issue for local landholders, who sought the ability to prepare and maintain permanent firebreaks in bushland bordering farming properties. At the time of the fires, the DoL had administrative responsibility for UCL and Unmanaged Reserves in Western Australia, however fire mitigation, such as hazard reduction burning, was performed by the DFES within townsites and performed by the DPAW outside townsites, excluding locals from access to assist and manage fuel loads.


2015 Esperance bushfires, Criticism of authorities and subsequent incident reviews, Fire mitigation
In 2014–15, statewide funding for the DoL to undertake fire mitigation, weed and feral animal control, and harvesting of flora and forest produce was approximately A$1.5 million, of which around A$1 million was spent on fire–related activities. During the same period, DPAW conducted prescribed burns across 147,082 hectares (363,450 acres) in the South-West region, well below their target of 200,000 hectares (490,000 acres).