Tour de France Stage 12 Report

July 11, Stage 12: Fougères – Tours 218km

Kittel wins third Tour de France stage in Tours

Article Content from www.cyclingnews.com Report By: Sadhbh O’Shea Published: July 11

Video Recap from www.cycling.tv

Froome avoids crash in final kilometers to keep yellow

Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) continued his dream Tour de France with victory on stage 12. The German charged around Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) in full flight to take his third victory of the 2013 edition. Cavendish looked like he had the legs to take it, but Kittel had the speed to overhaul the Manx Missile in the final metres.

“Both teams had no real lead-out trains in the finale, so every lead out guy had to go long,” Kittel said after his win. “I had to go onto the wheel of Cavendish and then I waited a little before I started my sprint. It was close.”

Peter Sagan had to settle for third place. The Cannondale rider still holds a commanding lead of 94 points in the green jersey competition. Cavendish moved into second, 16 points ahead of André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol). A crash in the final three kilometres left Greipel without any teammates at the finish. Greg Henderson, Jurgen Roelandts and Marcel Sieberg all went down, leaving Greipel stuck behind. The German was unable to get back and he crossed the line in the main bunch.

After leaving last year’s Tour in the first week, Kittel was more than delighted to have rectified it. “The win today means a lot to me. This is my third win in the Tour de France and in Germany we say ‘Good things come in threes’,” the Argos-Shimano sprinter said. “I would like to dedicate it to my team, especially Tom Veelers who is still in a lot of pain. I saw him after the stage and he was in tears. I love my team.”

Chris Froome avoided the crash to finish safely in the group and retain his yellow jersey. Froome put a lot of time into his rivals in yesterday’s time trial, but it wasn’t without some ramifications. “I could definitely feel the legs from the efforts of yesterday,” he said at the finish. “But they got better as the stage went on. Today was the most relaxed day in the Tour so far and it was a great win by Kittel. We’ve got a couple more of these sprint stages and then we’ll be ready for the mountains.”

How it happened

This year’s Tour de France hasn’t seen much resistance to the breakaways. That continued today with the first attack proving fruitful. Francesco Gavazzi (Astana), Romain Sicard (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Manuele Mori (Lampre-Merida), Juan Antonio Flecha (Vacansoleil-DCM), Anthony Delaplace (Sojasun) were the ones to go up the road.

The quintet got a maximum gap of nine minutes before the peloton decided to pick up the pace. With an assured sprint finish, there were plenty of teams on hand to keep the escapees on a short leash.

Gavazzi took full points at the intermediate sprint, leaving it to the sprinters to mop up the remaining positions. As ever it was hotly contested between Cavendish, Greipel and Sagan. Cavendish was the one to come out on top this time, ahead of Greipel. Sagan was left to lick his wounds and vent his annoyance after being blocked by Vacansoleil’s Kris Boeckmans.

For much of the day the pace was kept at a high 45kph, faster than any of the Tour’s schedules. Sicard was obviously feeling it and he was the first of the escapees to begin his journey back to the peloton. He was caught with 43 kilometres to go. Keen to get the combative prize and some exposure for his team, Flecha refused to be caught and decided to go solo. The peloton seemed all too happy to let the Spaniard make a go of it. Heading under the 10km to go banner, Flecha had a small lead of 25 seconds over the main group. The Vacansoleil rider was finally caught with six kilometres remaining.

With the finish in sight, the pace of the peloton continued to rise, stringing out some of the more tired riders. Just after the three kilometres to go banner, Lotto-Belisol found themselves in a spot of bother. Henderson, Sieberg and Jurgen Roelandts all found themselves on the ground with several other riders. Greipel missed the crash, but was caught up behind him, making it impossible for him to contest the sprint.

The crash was evident at the finish, as many of the sprinters were without their lead-out men. Cavendish still had Gert Steegmans, who delivered him perfectly to the line. It looked like it was all set up for Cavendish, but Kittel jumped out in the final metres to make it a hat trick of victories.

General classification after stage 12
Result
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 47:19:13
2 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:03:25
3 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:03:37
4 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:03:54
5 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:03:57
6 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:04:10
7 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:04:44
8 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team 0:05:18
9 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team 0:05:37
10 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:05:39
11 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha 0:05:48
12 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
13 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp 0:05:52
14 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:06:54
15 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:08:04
16 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:08:28
17 Andy Schleck (Lux) RadioShack Leopard 0:08:32
18 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha 0:09:34
19 Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack Leopard 0:10:16
20 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:10:48
21 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:11:37
22 Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Lampre-Merida 0:12:16
23 Wouter Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:13:09
24 Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin-Sharp 0:13:11
25 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:14:50
26 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:16:00
27 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:16:38
28 Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar 0:17:57
29 Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack Leopard 0:19:02
30 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:19:59
31 Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:21:19
32 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:21:32
33 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:23:12
34 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha 0:23:46
35 Maxime Mederel (Fra) Sojasun 0:24:55
36 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:24:58
37 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:25:21
38 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:26:09
39 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Movistar Team 0:28:22
40 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack Leopard 0:29:57
41 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:34:13
42 Andreas Klöden (Ger) RadioShack Leopard
43 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team 0:34:42
44 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar 0:35:02
45 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge 0:35:53
46 Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:36:05
47 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Sharp 0:36:22
48 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:36:27
49 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:36:43
50 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:37:40
51 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:38:08
52 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Sojasun 0:40:11
53 Bram Tankink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:41:24
54 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:44:25
55 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:44:49
56 Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack Leopard 0:45:46
57 Laurent Didier (Lux) RadioShack Leopard 0:46:06
58 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano 0:46:12
59 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:47:00
60 Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:47:28
61 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Sharp 0:50:11
62 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack Leopard 0:50:43
63 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:50:50
64 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:52:30
65 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 0:52:32
66 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:53:32
67 Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:54:00
68 Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:54:07
69 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:54:31
70 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:54:39
71 Julien El Fares (Fra) Sojasun 0:55:06
72 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:55:31
73 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:57:16
74 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:58:12
75 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-GreenEdge 0:58:40
76 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:58:59
77 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:59:00
78 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar 0:59:31
79 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team 1:00:16
80 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 1:01:45
81 Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 1:02:57
82 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 1:03:23
83 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Belisol 1:03:31
84 Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Movistar Team 1:03:34
85 Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Katusha 1:03:56
86 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 1:03:57
87 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:04:33
88 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Sky Procycling 1:04:40
89 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:06:34
90 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:08:02
91 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team 1:08:12
92 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1:08:24
93 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 1:08:29
94 Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 1:10:31
95 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano 1:10:32
96 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol 1:11:16
97 David Millar (GBr) Garmin-Sharp 1:12:50
98 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 1:13:54
99 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 1:14:11
100 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team 1:14:44
101 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha 1:16:47
102 Elia Favilli (Ita) Lampre-Merida 1:16:50
103 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 1:17:12
104 Julien Simon (Fra) Sojasun 1:17:28
105 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 1:17:44
106 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1:18:17
107 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Sky Procycling 1:18:18
108 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:19:45
109 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Sojasun 1:20:05
110 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1:20:17
111 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:21:05
112 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Katusha 1:21:14
113 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) RadioShack Leopard 1:21:20
114 Jean-Marc Marino (Fra) Sojasun 1:21:37
115 Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:22:07
116 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:23:36
117 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano 1:24:04
118 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:26:50
119 Brice Feillu (Fra) Sojasun 1:28:06
120 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Sharp 1:28:08
121 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Sojasun 1:29:16
122 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 1:29:58
123 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr 1:30:03
124 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-Merida 1:30:41
125 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 1:31:01
126 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol 1:31:06
127 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 1:31:11
128 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 1:33:06
129 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:36:27
130 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team
131 Lars Boom (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 1:37:13
132 David Veilleux (Can) Team Europcar 1:37:34
133 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:38:16
134 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:38:35
135 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ.fr 1:38:55
136 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol 1:39:15
137 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano 1:40:14
138 Kévin Reza (Fra) Team Europcar 1:40:54
139 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha 1:41:18
140 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1:41:56
141 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1:42:03
142 Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 1:42:18
143 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Sojasun 1:42:36
144 Romain Sicard (Fra) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1:42:38
145 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano 1:43:30
146 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:44:01
147 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:44:09
148 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Sky Procycling
149 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
150 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol 1:44:18
151 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1:44:34
152 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida 1:44:59
153 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol 1:45:23
154 Brian Vandborg (Den) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:45:45
155 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1:46:15
156 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1:46:31
157 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha 1:47:06
158 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:48:18
159 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 1:50:55
160 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 1:51:05
161 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin-Sharp 1:51:34
162 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling 1:51:42
163 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol 1:51:58
164 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 1:53:18
165 William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ.fr 1:53:44
166 Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano 1:54:07
167 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 1:54:22
168 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1:54:48
169 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 1:55:21
170 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano 1:55:24
171 Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar 1:56:15
172 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling 1:56:34
173 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano 1:57:56
174 Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 1:59:20
175 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 2:00:54
176 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol 2:02:13
177 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 2:03:38
178 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 2:03:42
179 Tom Veelers (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano 2:04:10
180 Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar 2:05:04
181 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge 2:05:31
182 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 2:09:24
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