2019 Tour de France Stage 12 Results & Recap
Stage 12 of the 2019 Tour de France is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Yates wins stage 12 \nBy Clara Beard
Simon Yates outsprinted his final two breakaway companions Pello Bilbao and Gregor Mühlberger to take his first Tour de France victory on stage 12.
“I wasn’t very confident in beating them,” Yates said. “I didn’t know how fast these two riders [Pello Bilbao and Gregor Mühlberger] were but my sport director told me to take the last corner in first position and I’m glad it worked out well. To have a stage at all three Grand Tours makes me very proud. This was probably a unique opportunity for me to it this year. My main goal is to help Adam in the mountains and we thought that wouldn’t be needed today, that’s why I took the breakaway. After Daryl Impey’s win the other day, we’re having a fantastic Tour and hopefully it’ll continue.”
Race leader Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) had a straightforward stage with no threats to his jersey to chalk off the first Pyrenean mountain stage in the yellow jersey. The French rider will wear the yellow during its 100th anniversary tomorrow.
“It’s difficult to explain what it means to hold the yellow jersey on its 100th birthday tomorrow,” Alaphilippe said. “It means a lot and firstly, it makes me proud. I’m very happy to lead the Tour de France. It’ll enable me to start the time trial last tomorrow. It motivates me to hurt myself even more than usual. I’ll push my limits.”\nAfter a tough, fast fight to get into the breakaway, 40 riders made it off the front 45 kilometres into the stage.
The riders included: Peter Sagan, Gregor Mühlberger, Daniel Oss and Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), Michael Morkov (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Oliver Naesen, Tony Gallopin and Matthias Fränk (Ag2r La Mondiale), Sonny Colbrelli, Iván García Cortina and Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-Merida), Imanol Erviti (Movistar Team), Pello Bilbao (Astana), Dylan Groenewegen and Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma), Alberto Bettiol, Clarke and Tom Scully (EF Education First), Matteo Trentin and Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Greg Van Avermaet and Serge Pauwels (CCC Team), Rui Costa and Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), Fabio Felline and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Michael Matthews, Nikias Arndt, Cees Bol and Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb), Pierre-Luc Périchon and Julien Simon (Cofidis), Tiesj Benoot, Roger Kluge and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Lilian Calmejane (Total Direct Energie), Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Michael Valgren (Dimension Data) and Kévin Ledanois (Arkéa-Samsic).
Mikaël Chérel (AG2R-La Mondiale), Rein Taaramäe (Total Direct Energie) and Mads Würtz Schmidt (Katusha-Alpecin) attempted to bridge across but were just a few moments too late and were brought back. \nOut of the break, Sagan won the intermediate sprint in front of Colbrelli and Kristoff. With the Cat. 1 to col de Peyresourde straight after, the breakaway began to splinter with attacks from Calmejane and Colbrelli. Wellens took the max points at the top after catching Calmejane which prompted Clarke to attack on the descent.
Clarke gained more than a minute ahead of Matteo Trentin, who set off in pursuit, before the next climb of La Hourquette d’Ancizan.
“It was a very good day out there,” said Trentin, who walked away with the most combative prize after stage 12. “We did great tactics as Simon Yates was at the head of the race and I was on the second group and could have countered if necessary. In order to have a chance of making it to the summit with the head of the race, I needed to anticipate the move of the big climbers. That’s why attacked. I didn’t get that much of a gap, only 30 seconds. I am very happy about my climbing today, as only three riders overtook me. Riding the GC doesn’t mean you can go for stages. We targeted a few of them and for now we got two victories. It’s going really well. There are still a couple of chances of getting another stage win. But, on the rest, it will be all about Adam.”
Yates, Mühlberger and Bilbao came together at the front on the final descent off the cat. 1 climb, and as they approached the finish, it was evident they would by sprinting for the win. With track experience under his belt as former world champion in the points race, Yates outkicked Bilbao and Mühlberger to take his first Tour d France stage victory. \n
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