Prestige success on the queen stage of this year’s Tour de France: Tom Pidcock has the 12th leg of the Tour of France up to L’Alpe d’Huez decided for themselves. About 165.1 km from Briancon after L’Alpe d’Huez with three mountain classifications in the most difficult category, the 22-year-old from the Ineos Grenadiers team put himself in front of the South African Louis Meintjes and the former tour winner and compatriot with a courageous start at the beginning of the final climb Chris Froome through. In the overall standings, Tadej Pogacar moved back up to second place, Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark confidently defended his overall lead and remains in the yellow jersey. New third is Geraint Thomasalso from Great Britain.
“A stage win on my first tour, not bad, right?”said Pidcock, grinning at the finish line, “This is definitely one of my greatest days, one of my greatest experiences. This slalom through the fans and the flags, you don’t experience that anywhere like here in Alpe d’Huez.”
Ciccone collects big points Col du Galibier and Col de la Croix de Fer
After driving 33 kilometers, the Frenchman collected Anthony Perez the 20 mountain points on the col you Galibierwith 2642 meters the highest mountain of this year Tour de FranceSecond was the Italian Giulio Ciccone before Louis Meintjes. For Perez, Geschke’s teammate, as well as for Ciccone and Meintjes, these were the first points in the mountains classification.
A good 80 km further on, the leading group reached the mountain classification on Col de la Croix de Fer. This time Ciccone cleared the full points and at this point moved up to eight points behind the leader in the mountains classification, Simon Geschke.
Quiet in the peloton – but only until the final climb
Jonas Vingegaard, who has worn the yellow jersey since the day before, and his competitors remained relatively calm until the final climb up to L’Alpe d’Huez. However, this was also preserved because Vingegaard’s team Jumbo Visma controlled the race at all times and immediately countered attempts by potentially dangerous opponents to break away.
This changed little on the final climb, while the Brit Tom Pidcock broke away from the leading group and successfully chased the day’s victory through the famous 21 hairpin bends up to L’Alpe d’Huez.
Bardet loses touch
About halfway through the climb, Romain Bardet, second overall, had to let the group around Vingegaard and long-leading Tadej Pogacar go. The Slovenian tried twice to attack Vingegaard a few kilometers from the finish, but he countered confidently and showed no weakness.
A little over three minutes behind the day’s winner Pidcock, Vingegaard and Pogacar reached the finish area together, sprinted over Ciccone and thus prevented the Italian from collecting further mountain points. Thus Geschke starts into the 13th stage in the red dotted jersey of the best climber. Pogacar was fifth, Vingegaard sixth.
Stage 13: Le Bourg d’Oisans – Saint-Étienne (192.6 km)
The 13th stage starts on Friday in Le Bourg d’Oisans. Above Grenoble it goes out of the Alps, destination after almost 200 kilometers – compared to the 12th section much flatter Saint Etienne.