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British cyclist Thomas Pidcock triumphed in Thursday’s 12th stage of the 109th Tour de France and claimed the biggest success of his career.
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The Ineos Grenadiers rider came from a breakaway on the final climb to the legendary Alpe d’Huez and completed the 165.1 km route from Briancon in 4:55:24 hours. South African Louis Meintjes (Intermarché Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) finished second and another Brit Chris Froome (Israel Premier Tech) finished third.
Dane Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) remained at the head of the overall standings, defender Tadej Pogačar from Slovenia (SAE Team Emirates) moved to second place, and Briton Geraint Thomas (Ineos) was third.
Slovak Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) came to the finish line in 124th place with a loss of 35:57 minutes.
For the twenty-two-year-old Pidcock, it is only the second victory in his career and his first at the Grand Tours. In addition, he achieved it on the dreaded Alpe d’Huez, which further underlined the success of the young all-rounder, who last year recorded his first triumph on the Brabant arrow classic.
“Not bad, right? This made the whole Tour for me. Even if something happens and I fall behind every day, I don’t care. To win a stage in my first Tour is great. The goal was to get into the breakaway. Yesterday I lost enough time, so I was hoping they would let me in. If I wanted to break away on the Galibier, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it, but in the downhill it was possible. Jumbo didn’t want to risk chasing me. In the end it worked out and it’s incredible. When you’re pushing through between flags, fans and I don’t know who else, you won’t experience it anywhere else. Only on Alpe d’Huez at the Tour.” said the stage winner.
In the fight for the overall championship, Pogačar attacked twice on the final climb, but Vingegaard was able to respond immediately in both cases and did not give his opponent a centimeter. Thomas also arrived at the finish line with them. The Dane leads Pogačar by 2:22 min, Thomas loses four seconds more.
Photo gallery
Tour de France 2022 – 12. stage
Source: Reuters
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On Thursday, a royal alpine stage with three climbs of the highest category awaited the peloton. After six km, the cyclists repeated Wednesday’s Col du Galibier, but from the opposite side (23 km, 5.1%), on the way they also passed the Télégraphe and after a long descent they set out for the Col de la Croix de Fer (29 km, 5 .2%). Its peak was 54.6 km before the finish, followed by a long descent interrupted by two short climbs, a straight and the final Alpe d’Huez (13.8 km, 8.1%).
Even before the first climb, there was a speed premium on the program, where the escaping cyclists took the most points. The leader of the fight for the green jersey, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), scored nine points, Sagan added none to his account.
On the Galibier, several groups went in front and from them a nine-man breakaway of the day was formed behind the peak. Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Anthony Perez (Cofidis), Kobe Goossens, Louis Meintjes (both Wanty-Gobert), Neilson Powless (EF Education), Sebastian Schönberger (B&B Hotels-KTM), Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) made it. and Chris Froome (Israel) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos) finished last. On Bastille Day, only Perez defended the home colors in an escape.
Photo gallery
Tour de France 2022 – 12. stage
Source: Reuters
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After Vingegaard’s win on Wednesday, his Jumba teammates were working at the front of the peloton and controlling the situation. Pogačar’s team went right next to them. At first, their pace was not great, so the breakaway lead climbed to over seven minutes.
In the long climb to the Croix de Fer, however, they added, and “renegades” began to disperse from the peloton, 78 km before the finish line, Sagan and other sprinters also broke away. The situation did not change for a long time, Jumba competitors and other adepts for the overall ranking gradually cut off the lead of the escape, which split at the end of the climb and only the five of Froome, Pidcock, Powless, Ciccone and Meintjes remained in front. However, she cooperated well under Pidcock’s baton and at the foot of Alpe d’Huez she brought over six minutes and with them a very good chance for stage laurels.
The fight for them started already at the beginning of the climb and Pidcock took over the leading position, his lead over Froome and Meintjes was growing ever so slightly. Behind them, Jumbo set the pace, after van Aert, who broke away eight km before the finish, Steven Kruijswijk took over the reins, followed by Primož Roglič and Sepp Kuss in the last five km.
There are only ten competitors left in the group of favorites. David Gaudu (AG2R), Romain Bardet (DSM) and Adam Yates (Ineos) dropped out. Pogačar tried twice, the first time about three kilometers before the tape and the second time a little over a kilometer, but Vingegaard answered without any problems. Pidcock didn’t let the triumph take him in the end, Meintjes and Froome finished behind him.
On Friday, there is a 192.6km stage from Bourg d’Oissans to Saint-Étienne with three minor categorized climbs and a short hill before the finish, which should be suitable for classicists or breakaways.
Results of the 12th stage (Briançon – L’Alpe d’Huez, 165.1 km):
1. Thomas Pidcock (V.Brit./Ineos Grenadiers) 4:55:24 h,
2. Louis Meintjes (JAR/Intermarché Wanty-Gobert Materials) +48s,
3. Chris Froome (V.Brit./Israel-Premier Tech) +2:06 min,
4. Neilson Powless (USA/EF Education-EasyPost) +2:29,
5. Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/SAE Team Emirates) +3:23,
6. Jonas Vingegaard (Dan./Jumbo-Visma),
7. Geraint Thomas (UK/Ineos Grenadiers) both same time,
8. Enric Mas (Šp. / Movistar) +3: 26,
9. Sepp Kuss (USA/Jumbo-Visma) same time,
10. Giulio Ciccone (Tal./Trek-Segafredo) +3: 32,
…
142. Peter SAGAN (SR/TotalEnergies) +35:57
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Overall ranking:
1. Vingegaard 46:28:46 h,
2. Pogačar +2:22 min,
3. Thomas +2:26,
4. Romain Bardet (Fr./DSM) +2:35,
5. Adam Yates (V.Brit./Ineos Grenadiers) +3:44,
6. Nairo Quintana (Kol./Arkea Samsic) +3:58,
7. David Gaudu (Fr./Groupama-FDJ) +4:07,
8. Pidcock +7:39,
9. E. But +9:32,
10. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus./Bora-Hansgrohe) +10:06
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Scoring competition:
1. Wout van Aert (Belgian/Jumbo-Visma) 313 b,
2. Pogačar 159,
Fabio Jakobsen (Hol./QuickStep Alpha Vinyl) 155,
…
8. SAGAN 86
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Climbing competition:
1. Simon Geschke (Nem./Cofidis) 43 b,
Meintjes 39,
3. Vingegaard 36
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