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Tour de France 2023 - Stage 12 preview
Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen flies to fourth sprint victory on stage 11
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Bonjour and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 12 of the 2023 Tour de France.
After the quiet stage and then thrilling sprint finish and Jasper Philipsen’s fourth win in Moulins, we’re expecting a lot more attacks and perhaps even a GC battle today.
The riders are currently signing on inside the Le Scarabée event venue.
Ineos Grenadiers are on stage, with Egan Bernal getting a huge cheer. He could try to go in the attacks today.
Stage 12 takes the Tour through countryside dappled with vineyards that produce red and rosé wines.
Roanne is to the west of the production of grapes that become Beaujolais, which hosted its only other occasion as a Tour stage start in 2008.
That stage in the final week was won in a breakaway by Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel, and a breakaway could make its mark from Roanne again.
The rolling terrain across the 168.8 kilometres will cross climbs of the Col de la Croix Montmain and the Col de la Croix Rosier for a first-time finish for the Tour in Belleville-en-Beaujolais.
Like stage 11, Paris-Nice has found a regular stop in this village on the banks of the Rhône River, last in 2014.
We expect attacks and breakaways to form on the brutal stage 10, with the hilly start meaning only those with great legs will make the move of the day.
Expect Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech) to want retribution after falling just short on stage 10 and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) will surely want to try again.
Neilson Powless and Magnus Cort could also both perform well on a stage like this for EF. T
he former will also want to chase the 19 King of Mountains points available to extend his stint in the polka-dot jersey before the Alps.
Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) sits 17 seconds ahead of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates).
Vingegaard admitted he is worried about early attacks from Pogacar and Vingegaard.
Logic suggests both will wait for the Grand Colombier (17.4km at 7.1%) summit finish on Friday but who knows in modern day 'Full-gas' racing.
After Jumbo-Visma, the last team to sign on is Alpecin-Deceuninck of stage winner Jasper Philipsen.
Missing from the sign on is Fabio Jakobsen who decided not to start today due to his crash injuries.
Click below to read more about his abandon.
Fabio Jakobsen abandons Tour de France due to stage 4 crash injuries
The riders have gathered outside the modern Le Scarabée event hall.
Roanne is a stage start for the second time after 2008.
At the finish of that day in Montluçon, Sylvain Chavanel claimed his maiden Tour win, while Roanne was the setting for Wout van Aert's time trial win in the 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, the day of Chris Froome’s horrific crash during training.
That day arguably marked the generational change in the sport, with the rise of Tadej Pogacar, Van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Jonas Vingegaard and then Remco Evenepoel.
The riders are lone-up at the start. The flag is about to drop.
The riders face a 10.4km neutralised ride to the official stage start.
On y va! It's time to race.
The four jersey wearers are tucked tight behind the race director car.
Nobody want to lose position up front today.
This was the atmosphere at the indoor sign-on.
🇫🇷 #TDF2023Bonjour Roanne 👋 pic.twitter.com/H0RzDJ9o46July 13, 2023
Radio Tour has confirmed that Fabio Jakobsen is the only non-starter today.
These are likely the only quiet moments of the stage.
🤔 Breakaway? Sprint? Who will win today in Belleville-en-Beaujolais? Today's stage is a very difficult one to predict!🤔 Echappée ? Sprint ? Qui s'imposera à Belleville-en-Beaujolais ? L'étape du jour est particulièrement difficile à préfire !#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/Oi2hxILfolJuly 13, 2023
3km to take off!
1km to the drop of the flag but there is already a fight for position.
Tom Pidcock is one of the GC riders up front.
There's a slight headwind at the start. While a puncture for Gogl of Alpecin will delay the start for a moment.
Gogl gets a wheel change and he is given a tow by a race motorbike.
Christian Prudhomme waves the flag and so the stage is underway!
Allez!
Boom! Mads Pedersen attacks and goes clear alone!
But here come other riders.
We have more riders on the move.
Fred Wright, Mathieu van der Poel and Alberto Bettiol have joined Pedersen.
Other groups are forming behind them, as riders try to get away before the early climbs start.
Julian Alaphilippe and wout Van Aert are also part of a big group up front.
The speed is high.
The riders are trying to get in the right attack, without going too deep. It's a game of cat and mouse as riders chase each other like crazy.
Now Mohoric takes off at speed but Van Aert closes him down.
Bernal and Skjelmose join them but here come the peloton.
The riders crest a minor climb but will soon start the Cat 3 Côte de Thizy-les-Bourgs.
More attacks will surely come very soon.
It's hard up front but at the back too.
Caleb Ewan has been distanced and will have to fight to get back on.
The Australian sprinter has yet to secure a win this year but has been close. However he faces four days of suffering as the Tour heads to the Alps.
Up front Mohoric lines out the peloton again as Peter Sagan suffers too.
Victor Lafay sparks another surge and he is joined by Van Aert and Marc Soler, as the GC teams also position key riders.
150km to go
Skjelmose pushes on as more sprinters are dropped.
The riders near the summit of the Côte de Thizy-les-Bourgs but the road keeps rolling.
Dani Martinez of Ineos was first to the summit and pushes on with others.
145km to go
The attacks and chases keep coming and coming.
Everyone wants to be in the move and is scared to miss the right attack.
Gruppo compatto but the speed is really high. It could stay like this for a while as the riders race over a rolling plateau.
Wow! The road rises and Van Aert does a massive turn on the front to try to split the peloton.
He has caused damage and split the peloton.
Crash!
A number of riders go down, including Quentin Pacher of Groupama.
David de la Cruz of Astana also went down hard.
140km to go
Van Aert is stilling surging at the front and has created a break.
There are some big names in the move.
There are eight riders in the front group.
Alaphilippe is also there, plus two riders from Lotto.
Mathieu van der Poel is there too as the peloton eases up.
Suddenly the attack is up to 20+ but more riders are coming across.
Sadly David de la Cruz has abandoned the Tour after his crash. He was taken away by ambulance.
There is a chase group at just 30 seconds, with the peloton, including Philipsen, at 1:40.
Pogacar and Vingegaard are in the chase group ands closing the gap but Simon Yates, Powless and Gaudu are further back.
They are 45 seconds down and need to react, while more attacks are going off the front.
The riders are near the top of the Cat 3 Col des Écorbans climb.
Near the front Pogacar and Vingegaard are marking each other but also playing games, making soft attacks.
Ciccone edges away from another Van Aert to take the points at the top of the KOM.
Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) is still at 55 seconds. He was fifth overall and so other riders and teams will ride to keep him distanced.
Surprisingly Adam Yates - Pogacar's teammate and key support, is also in the chase group with his twin brother.
However this are fluid and ever changing.
Simon Yates seems to be back in the front group but that was a worry for a moment.
Boom! Van Aert goes again!
He clearly knows this is his last chance of a stage win before the Alps and he is going for it.
Yet what does that mean for Vingegaard and protecting the yellow jersey?
120km to go
Van Aert is solo! That's how strong he is.
Meanwhile, Landa, O'Connor, Kuss and others are at 1:30.
Neilson Powless is also in the chase group at 1:35. He is struggling to score KOM points today.
Van Aert is swept up but he has only inspired more attacks.
The riders have raced over 50km. the early part in the hills, at an average speed of 46.7km/h.
As Movistar describe it, Otro arranque a fuego - another firey start.
50 km sin escapada en la 12ª etapa de @letour_es | #TDF2023.Sesenta ciclistas en cabeza, con cuatro de Movistar Team: @Rguerreiro94, @MatteoJorg, @aranburualex y @Nelsoliveira89.Otro arranque a fuego 🔥🤯📸 @GettySport pic.twitter.com/17kk7Axum8July 13, 2023
The next move comes from Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) and Wilco Kelderman (Jumbo-Visma)
There is a definite GC strategy at play here too.
The attacks are chased down as the front group is reduced more and more. There are fewer Classics riders and more GC riders and their key domestiques.
100km to go
After 65km raced, the riders will enjoy a descent into the valley. Then after 30km in the Beaujolais, the three nasty climbs feature.
Mads Pedersen is on a great day and has joined Skjelmose and Kelderman.
Lidl-Trek have 2 riders up front.
90km to go
The yellow jersey group is only 25 seconds down on the front attack, as other chase in between.
The racing has been so fast and so aggressive that there are six riders off the front and then 12 riders in the yellow jersey group.
The chase group including Bernal, Kuss and Powless is at 3:45, with the green jersey at 9:00 and Ewan struggling even further back.
And there are still 90km in the hills to race!
The attack is now bigger than the yellow jersey group.
Even Thibaut Pinot has jumped across to the attack.
The yellow jersey group is the same size as the attack, with 12 riders in each, so the break is finally going away.
Julian Alaphilippe and Jasper Stuyven are in no-man's land, trying to go across to the attack. Loulou doesn't want to miss this train and a chance to win the stage.
Ouch... Alaphilippe and Stuyven are at 30 seconds and so may have missed it.
The yellow jersey group has swollen to 39 riders as some stragglers get back on but everyone else is at 6:00.
The break of 12 are joined by Alaphilippe and Stuyven, with the Vingegaard group at 2:00.
The race has, after 95km of attacking, finally settled. But the climbs will soon start again.
74km to go
The rider are in the Beaujolais hills and vineyards. Yet the three categorised climbs are still to come.
So much could still happen today, in the fight for the stage win and also in the GC battle.
Jumbo-Visma are now leading the Vingegaard group. Van Aert, Laporte and Kelderman are taking turns at tempo, letting the gap extendtslowly.
The Powless, Landa group is at 6:30 and we'll see if they can close it.
The first of the three climbs start in 5km.
There are three climbs in the final 60km of the stage:
The Col de la Casse Froide: 5.3km at 6.1%
The Col de la Croix Montmain: 5.5km at 6.1%
Col de la Croix Rosie: 5.3km at 7.6%.
The last climb also offers Bonus Sprint seconds, all with 28.5km to go and a fast ride to the finish.
😅 A summary of the race so far, provided by @rusty_woods.😅 Un résumé de l'étape, par @rusty_woods.#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/8YSmWidIiVJuly 13, 2023
Thibaut Pinot is in the front group and so targeting a stage win today. All of France and many watching around the world will be cheering for him.
The riders are now on the Col de la Casse Froide. It climbs up through the fields and forests.
60km to go
AG2R are leading the chase of the attack but are 3:00 down but the question is why.
There only 18 riders in the group, with Fred Wright the latest to drop back.
The break reaches the top of the Col de la Casse Froide.
Their lead is down to 2:40 as some riders suffer in the group.
Chute!
A number of riders in the chase group go down, including Ciccone.
He is okay but needs a new bike. Woods was also caught in the crash but was not hurt.
Ciccone has cuts and road rash on his arm and knee but rides on.
50km to go
Van der Poel is off the front with Amador, perhaps trying to get ahead before the second climb of the finale.
They lead by 15 seconds and will need that on the Col de la Croix Montmain: 5.5km at 6.1%.
The Col de la Croix Montmain is a real climb. It'll be interesting to see if it sparks other attacks.
Vingegaard had to stay active and control Pogacar during the attacks but he's sat safely in the peloton now.
Up front Jorgenson has jumped across as Pedersen is dropped and so too is Alaphilippe. He made a big effort to go across to the move and is paying for it now.
There is a real shake-out in the attack on the Col de la Croix Montmain.
The shake-out is also out front, with van der Poel cruelly jumping away from Amador.
Was he not working with the Dutchman. Whatever, the climbers are on the move on the climb.
45km to go
MvdP said he was ill with some kind of cold and took it steady during stages 10 and 11.
Today he's on the attack again.
This was MvdP's attack.
💥 @mathieuvdpoel attacks at the front and drops @Andrey_Amador.💥 @mathieuvdpoel attaque et distance @Andrey_Amador.#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/70aggkS0hWJuly 13, 2023
Van der Poel takes a bidon of water from his father Adri on the side of ghe road.
Van der Poel crests the Col de la Croix Montmain, some 15 seconds ahead of the other attackers.
There is still so much that can happen in the final 40km.
Behind AG2R are still chasing and leading the Vingegaard group, the gap is down to 2:50.
40km yo go
Van der Poel dives down the descent and tries to extends his lead on the chasers.
The chase starts, with Pinot going with Jorgenson on the descent.
35km to go
The quiet in the Vingegaard group has allowed some riders to get back on, including Mikel Landa.
Meanwhile the steeper Col de la Croix Rosie has started.
Pinot and Jorgenson are close to catching MvdP.
The chasers are at 35 seconds.
The riders come back together yet again, halfway up the climb.
The race for the stage win is very tactical and could go lots of ways.
Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) goes solo and Van der Poel is dropped.
30km to go
Meanwhile... Behind, Ineos take control of the peloton. What are they cooking?
Izagirre crests the Col de la Croix Rosie with a lead of just 8 seconds.
Jorgenson and Pinot lead the chase.
Wout van Aert has been dropped from the Vingegaard group. Let's hope his leader does not need him in the final 25km.
25km to go
Ion Izagirre is diving down the descent to try to win the stage.
Ineos are perhaps riding to protect the GC placings of Pidock and Rodriguez and so chase Pinot They are perhaps just riding on the front to stay safe on the technical descent.
Crash for Torstein Træen. That's his third and he is already racing with a micro fracture in his elbow.
20km to go
Ion Izagirre has pushed his lead out to 40 seconds.
That could be enough for the flat race to the finish.
Ion Izagirre is going all in to stay away. He could give Cofidis their second stage win of this year's Tour after Lafay's win in San Sebastian on stage 2.
Behind the chasers aren't strong enough and organised enough.
15km to go
Ineos have five riders on the front, including Bernal as they try to limit the time that Pinot gains in the GC.
If Pinot gains 4:00, he could move past Pidcock in the GC and take 8th place. Of course he will surely pay for his big effort in the Alps.
Here is Ion Izagirre as he goes full gas.
10km to go
En vrai. Ion, s'il gagne, on voit tout de suite une vidéo ressortir 🕺🎶#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/ujsPjIfGFJJuly 13, 2023
Cofidis also has Guillaume Martin in the break and he's doing what he can to slow the chase.
It's July 14 and Bastille Day tomorrow and so Cofidis will have plenty to celebrate.
Ion Izagirre won a stage in the Tour de France to Morzine in 2016.
He also won a stage of the Giro d'Italia in 2012 and La Vuelta in 2020.
5km to go
Jorgenson makes an acceleration but the other jump on his wheel.
Izagirre leads by a minute and so he's not going to be caught.
Jorgenson gets away with Mathieu Burgaudeau but it's too late.
Ion Izagirre is on his way to victory in Belleville-en-Beaujolais.
The last kilometre in Belleville-en-Beaujolais is a ride of celebration for the Basque rider.
Izagirre punches the air and celebrates his stage win in Belleville-en-Beaujolais.
Cofidis had to wait 15 years for a stage wi, now they have 2 in two weeks.
After 3:52 of full gas racing, Mathieu Burgaudeau takes second and
Jorgenson is third.
Tiesj Benoot is fourth a few seconds back, with Thibaut Pinot only sixth.
The GC group finishes 4:20 down on Izagirre but were all together. Vingegaard stays in the leader's yellow jersey.
Here's the moment Ion Izagirre won alone.
Simon Geschke invades the podium are to hug Izagirre. Everyone is overjoyed at Cofidis.
In the GC, Pogacar remains at 17 seconds, with Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) third at 2:40
On Friday the Tour climbs into the Alps with stage 13 to Grand Colombier and a 17.4km climb to the line at 7.1%.
Here is Izagirre's victory celebration.
It was a long time coming for Izagirre but he performed a master piece with a solo win from 30KM out. Relive the last KM ⤵️ Elle aura pris du temps, mais Ion Izagirre retrouve enfin la victoire sur le Tour, après un run solitaire spectaculaire ⤵️ #TDF2023 @continental_fr pic.twitter.com/DYYjouXe3lJuly 13, 2023
Here's the moment Izagirre won.
Izagirre waves and smiles on the podium. It is a big day for him. Chapeau!
To read our stage report and see our growing photo gallery of all the action, click below.
Tour de France: Ion Izagirre secures solo victory on frantic stage 12
It was a fast but controlled day for race leader Jonas Vingegaard. He will be hoping for a similar day on Friday.
Thanks for joining us for full live coverage of stage 12. We'll be back on Friday, Bastille Day in France, for stage 13, to Grand Colombier in the Alps.
It's a 17.4km mountain finish and so a major GC day. Bring on Vingegaard and Pogacar!
