Romain Bardet (AG2R) won the first Pyrenean stage of the Tour de France, as Chris Froome (Team Sky) lost the race leader’s yellow jersey to Fabio Aru (Astana).
Froome’s Sky teammates controlled the race until the final kilometer leading to the ski station of Peyragudes, but the three-time champion cracked in the grueling final section featuring slopes with a 20 percent gradient.
Bardet won the stage ahead of Rigoberto Uran and Aru, who seized the race lead from Froome by six seconds according provisional results.
“It’s a great joy. I had good legs but I was patient,” said Bardet. “The team has never been so strong; we are a real factor in the race. Now we have to do our best in the final part.”
“I dedicate this jersey to my teammates, who have been doing everything to help me,” said Aru, whose lieutenant Jakob Fuglsang, fifth overall in the morning, slipped down the rankings after starting the 214.5-km stage from Pau with a fractured wrist following a crash on Wednesday.
Uran lies fourth overall, 55 seconds off the pace after being handed a 20-second penalty for taking a bottle from one of his Cannondale-Drapac employees within the final 10 km.
Quel sprint de @romainbardet ! Victoire en costaud sur une pente à 16% / Strong sprint by Bardet to take the win on a 16% gradient! #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/CZMkn3oc5w
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 13, 2017
Tour de France 2017 – stage 12 results (Pau – Peyragudes):
| 1 | Romain Bardet (AG2R) | 5:49:38 |
| 2 | Rigoberto Urán (Cannondale-Drapac) | +02” |
| 3 | Fabio Aru (Astana) | ,, |
| 4 | Mikel Landa (Team Sky) | +05” |
| 5 | Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates) | +07” |
| 6 | Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) | +13” |
| 7 | Chris Froome (Team Sky) | +22” |
| 8 | George Bennett (LottoNl-Jumbo) | +27” |
| 9 | Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) | ,, |
| 10 | Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) | +01’28” |
| 11 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) | +02’04” |
| 12 | Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) | +02’08” |
| 13 | Damiano Caruso (BMC) | +02’11” |
| 14 | Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) | +02’15” |
| 15 | Pierre Latour (AG2R) | +02’59” |
| 16 | Guillaume Martin (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) | +04’20” |
| 17 | Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) | +04’33” |
| 18 | Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) | +04’36” |
| 19 | Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R) | ,, |
| 20 | Brice Feillu (Fortuneo-Oscaro) | +04’56” |
General classification after stage 12:
| 1 | Fabio Aru (Astana) | 52:51:49 |
| 2 | Christopher Froome (Team Sky) | +06” |
| 3 | Romain Bardet (AG2R) | +25” |
| 4 | Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) | +55” |
| 5 | Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) | +01’41” |
| 6 | Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) | +02’13” |
| 7 | Mikel Landa (Team Sky) | +02’55” |
| 8 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) | +04’01” |
| 9 | George Bennett (LottoNl-Jumbo) | +04’04” |
| 10 | Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates) | +04’51” |
| 11 | Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) | +07’14” |
| 12 | Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) | +07’30” |
| 13 | Pierre Latour (AG2R) | +08’13” |
| 14 | Damiano Caruso (BMC) | +08’53” |
| 15 | Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R) | +12’16” |
| 16 | Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe) | +14’14” |
| 17 | Carlos Betancur (Movistar) | +15’40” |
| 18 | Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) | +16’03” |
| 19 | Brice Feillu (Fortuneo-Oscaro) | +16’23” |
| 20 | Guillaume Martin (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) | +19’27” |
