Tour de France: Stage 12 – Millartime!

Friday the 13th was lucky for David Millar when he won the 226 kilometre mountain stage to Annonay for his fourth stage victory in the Tour. Wiggins retained the Yellow jersey.

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Previous Stages
| Prologue | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Stage 6 | Stage 7 | Stage 8 | Stage 9 | Stage 10 | Stage 11 |

Yellow Jersey: Bradley Wiggins | White jersey: Tejay van Garderen |
| KoM Jersey:  Kessiakoff | Green Jersey: Peter Sagan | Team: Radioshack Nissan


David Millar races down a descent in a break of 226 kilometres and on to victory, 45 years after Simpson died in the Tour. Photo: Thomas van Bracht

Millar was part of a big break that escaped early on and from a group of 19 riders, Millar and his breakaway companions soon found themselves in a much smaller group of five with a long way to the finish ahead of them.

While their lead came right down as Peter Sagan tried to get across for the Green jersey points at the intermediate sprint, once that failed, the green light was given to the break and they made the most of it.

When it came to the finale, the wily old pro Millar had the legs to see off the challenge from his rivals and his win, his fourth in the Tour de France, will certainly put the bounce back in the Garmin’s team step after an awful Tour so far.

David Millar on the podium, older, wise but still a bloody good bike rider! Photo: Thomas van Bracht

David Millar:
The Scot became the fourth rider from Team GB to win a stage of the Tour de France. He thought about that during the longest stage of this year’s race… “It’s amazing. I was thinking about the form of the British team while I was out there today. You’ve got a lot of time to think when you’re riding for 226 kilometres… and we’ve got four stage winners in our team – we are going to have the strongest team at the Olympics and let’s hope that we can do what we have to do.”

“You can’t miss the attention that cycling is now receiving from the British public. It’s something that we have to be very proud of; we have to appreciate that this isn’t going to happen every year either. We’ve got the reigning world champion, we’ve got Brad in yellow – and he’s more than likely going to win the Tour… we’ve got Chris who is Brad’s biggest threat, his British team-mate.”

David Millar  wins on the 45th anniversary of (above) Tom Simpson’s death in Tour de France 1967. (Photo PhotoSport International. uk usa asia)

“And if you had said that this would happen when I was at the Tour 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you – I’d have thought you were just crazy. I think this is as good a win as I’ve had in my career. And it’s particularly poignant that it came today on the 45th anniversary of Tommy Simpson’s death.”

“I think it’s a full circle in a way. I’m an ex-doper and I’m very proud of where our sport is today and what we’ve done to change it. I think we mustn’t forget the past and I’m one of the people who have made mistakes and I want people to know that I am clean now and the sport is a different sport. We should be very proud of it.”

“I needed to do this for the team. I’m very proud to be the one who’s helped the team come back from what’s been a shocking Tour. I was determined to win today. Allan [Peiper, the Garmin-Sharp directeur sportif] has had a rough time these last few weeks – we all have… we came here with big objectives and they were destroyed in one fell swoop so I think we’ve shown our character and we’re going to continue on the same manner.”

Bradley Wiggins in yellow again tonight on a day when he showed he has no intention of slowing down… Photo: Thomas van Bracht

Bradley Wiggins:
Over the col du Granier, Bradley Wiggins chased down Christophe Kern and Jérôme Coppel in a move that some considered a gesture to remind people of his strength but the leader of the Tour insists that he was just helping the team. “It was a tough stage. The whole world just sees the last 100 kilometres but the first 100 was probably as hard as any Tour de France stage so far.”

“It was a tough one today and even in the finish there, you couldn’t relax for one minute because it was a tricky finish.”

Wiggins on the move. Photo Thomas van Bracht

“For Dave to win after the season that he’s had – breaking a collarbone early in the year and having to be on the comeback trail ever since – is impressive. To win on the anniversary of Tom [Simpson’s death] is fantastic. I think he was beginning to feel a little left out this week so it’s great for the team… our Olympic team.”

“In a couple of weeks’ time it’s all going to happen. We’ve all won stages in the Tour so it’s brilliant. This is the Tour de France and everybody wants to make a story but there is no story [about a rivalry with Chris Froome]. When I chased down the move over the second climb, I did so just to eliminate that break because we didn’t want [Jérôme] Coppel to go away because he was only at 12 minutes on GC so it neutralised that breakaway at the summit. I was helping the team.”

“There’s never an easy day in the Tour. And that’s the case again today.”

Once the first five places were decided there was another contest, the sprint for the points of sixth place where Matt Goss crossed the line ahead of Peter Sagan but was later relegated… “We can see in the video what [Matt] Goss did. It’s up to the race jury to decide, not me but I think that it’s obvious in the video. He did that because we are two riders who are going for the green jersey. He’s the one who is doing battle with me but I hope I’m going to win that fight.”

Stage 12

1 David Millar Garmin – Sharp 05:42:46
2 Jean-christophe Peraud Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
3 Egoi Martinez De Esteban Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:05
4 Cyril Gautier Europcar @ same time
5 Robert Kiserlovski Astana Pro Team @ same time
6 Matthew Goss Orica – GreenEDGE 07:53
7 Peter Sagan Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
8 S̩bastien Hinault Ag2R РLa Mondiale 07:54
9 Cadel Evans BMC Racing Team @ same time
10 Luca Paolini Katusha Team @ same time
11 Julien Simon Saur – Sojasun @ same time
12 Bradley Wiggins Sky Procycling @ same time

The Race
On a stage with two category one and a category three mountain, it was not expected that a lot would change on the overall but the main race would switch to those wanting that stage win in the Tour de France.

Stage 11 with its Hors category mountains, saw a lot of change to the GC. Bradley Wiggins remained in control of the yellow jersey and increased his lead on the next best rider which is now his team-mate, Chris Froome who is 2’05” behind

Cadel Evans (BMC) slipped from second to fourth overall while Vincenzo Nibali (LIQ) jumped from fourth to third, 2’23” behind Wiggins.

Other changes to the top 10 include Denis Menchov (Katusha) who dropped down the GC from fifth to 16th (16’25” behind Wiggins); Monfort (Radioshack) slipped from seventh to 17th (at 17’41”) and Nicholas Roche (ALM) went from ninth to 13th (10’49”).

The Frenchmen who finished first and second on stage 11, Rolland (Europcar) and Pinot (FDJ), are now ranked ninth and 10th overall, respectively.

Wiggins was relaxed as he started the stage, sharing a joke with Tejay van Garderen who had said in the press the night before how the first cracks in Team Sky’s strength could be seen on stage 11. If there were tired legs from the big mountains the day before, they weren’t to be seen at the front of the peloton which was soon full gas at 60k an hour as riders tried to escape.

Photo Thomas van Bracht

It wasn’t until the 15 kilometre mark that the break finally formed and in it were 19 riders including Britain’s David Millar. The others were Marcus Burghardt (BMC), Yaroslav Popovych (RNT), Cyril Gautier (EUC), Ruben Perez (EUS), Kristjian Koren (LIQ), Jean-Christophe Peraud and Maxime Bouet (ALM), Nicolas Edet (COF), Jimmy Engoulvent (SAU), Marco Marcato (VCD), Vladimir Gusev and Eduard Vorganov (KAT), Anders Lund and Nicki Sorensen (STB), Andriy Grivko and Robert Kiserlovski (AST), Bert Grabsch (OPQ) and Koen de Kort (ARG).

Back in the peloton, Sky were getting help from Christophe Kern of Europcar and others and the progress by the break was slow and after 10 kilometres of freedom, the lead was still only a minute fourty.

With a chase developing from a counter attack, the break out front started to lose riders and soon only ten riders led the race, Popovych (RNT), Gautier (EUC), Koren (LIQ), Millar (GRS), Peraud and Bouet (ALM), Edet (COF), Gusev and Vorganov (KAT) and Nicki Sorensen (STB) who had tried so hard to win the stage the day before.

As David Moncoutie crashed in his final Tour and stood in tears by his car, Martinez was the only rider from a counter attack to finally make contact with the leaders after a lone chase. Sky meanwhile were doing more damage on the climbs with riders such as Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Philippe Gilbert (BMC) and Alexandre Vinokourov (AST) unable to stay with the peloton.

While there was a lot of movement at the back of the peloton, there was also plenty at the front as counter attacks came and went whilst in the break, it too was getting smaller and only five remained at the top of the Col de Granier – Millar, Martinez, Peraud, Gautier and Kiserlovski.

On a stage that so far lacked any spark, on his wife’s birthday, yellow jersey Brad Wiggins rode across to a counter attack and that certainly provoked a reaction with the quickest GC contender to him being Van den Broeck.

The acceleration by the GC leader saw him open up a gap on his rivals but perhaps it was a reminder to them that he was still strong. His teammates soon joined him and led him down the descent

With Peter Sagan going off the front as well, it was the signal for Orica-GreenEdge to mass at the front of the peloton on behalf of would be Green jersey Matt Goss. The job they faced was daunting as Sagan’s group had a good lead over the peloton but by the feedzone after 108k, the junction was made.
With job done, Orica-GreenEdge gave the chase back to Sky who were happy to let the small break have their freedom and that gave the likes of Mark Cavendish the chance to get back into the safety of the main group. At the intermediate sprint, Millar took the points and the 1500 Euros and it was eleven minutes later that the peloton sprinted it out for the rest of the points with Goss winning and Sagan three places behind in 9th.

That was the main excitement until the closing stages of the race and the riders in the break started to limit their time at the front of the group, except for Millar who was obviously feeling strong. Into the closing kilometres and Martinez was the first to have a dig, and following some near stand still tactics, Kiserlovski then attacked.

Millar was first to him and soon Millar was giving it full gas with Peraud on his wheel. The Scot though, one of the most experienced riders in the peloton was not going to be outfoxed by Peraud and the Garmin rider Millar was soon giving his team something big to cheer about as he crossed the line ahead of Peraud. Third was Martinez.

The next big battle was going to be for Green jersey points between Sagan and Goss and the Aussie got the better of the triple stage winner with both Evans (9th) and Wiggins (12th) well to the fore.

Stage 12

1 David Millar Garmin – Sharp 05:42:46
2 Jean-christophe Peraud Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
3 Egoi Martinez De Esteban Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:05
4 Cyril Gautier Europcar @ same time
5 Robert Kiserlovski Astana Pro Team @ same time
6 Matthew Goss Orica – GreenEDGE 07:53
7 Peter Sagan Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
8 S̩bastien Hinault Ag2R РLa Mondiale 07:54
9 Cadel Evans BMC Racing Team @ same time
10 Luca Paolini Katusha Team @ same time
11 Julien Simon Saur – Sojasun @ same time
12 Bradley Wiggins Sky Procycling @ same time
13 Marco Marcato Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
14 Nicolas Roche Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
15 Christopher Froome Sky Procycling @ same time
16 Janez Brajkovic Astana Pro Team @ same time
17 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
18 Jurgen Van Den Broeck Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
19 Daryl Impey Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
20 Jelle Vanendert Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
21 Tejay Van Garderen BMC Racing Team @ same time
22 Michele Scarponi Lampre – ISD @ same time
23 Pierre Rolland Europcar @ same time
24 Philippe Gilbert BMC Racing Team @ same time
25 Koen De Kort Argos-Shimano @ same time
26 Dominik Nerz Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
27 Jurgen Roelandts Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
28 Jens Voigt RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
29 Chris Anker Sorensen Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
30 Chris Horner RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
31 Andr̩as Kl̦den RadioShack РNissan @ same time
32 Maxime Monfort RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
33 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo Movistar Team @ same time
34 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
35 Peter Velits Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
36 Frank Schleck RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
37 Eduard Vorganov Katusha Team @ same time
38 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa Movistar Team @ same time
39 J̩rome Coppel Saur РSojasun @ same time
40 Thibaut Pinot Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
41 Nick Nuyens Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
42 Jimmy Engoulvent Saur – Sojasun 08:01
43 Michael Rogers Sky Procycling @ same time
44 Johnny Hoogerland Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 08:17
45 Andriy Grivko Astana Pro Team @ same time
46 Laurens Ten Dam Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
47 Pierrick Fedrigo Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
48 Guillaume Levarlet Saur – Sojasun 08:31
49 Simon Gerrans Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
50 Giampaolo Caruso Katusha Team @ same time
51 Lars Ytting Bak Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
52 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte Movistar Team 08:39
53 Maxime Bouet Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
54 Christophe Riblon Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
55 Mickael Cherel Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
56 Edvald Boasson Hagen Sky Procycling 08:54
57 George Hincapie BMC Racing Team @ same time
58 Denis Menchov Katusha Team 08:55
59 Samuel Dumoulin Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
60 S̩bastien Minard Ag2R РLa Mondiale @ same time
61 Kevin De Weert Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
62 Tony Gallopin RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
63 Baden Cooke Orica – GreenEDGE 08:57
64 Levi Leipheimer Omega Pharma – Quickstep 09:08
65 Kris Boeckmans Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
66 Fabrice Jeandesboz Saur – Sojasun @ same time
67 Roy Curvers Argos-Shimano @ same time
68 Bert Grabsch Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
69 Sandy Casar Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
70 Matthieu Sprick Argos-Shimano @ same time
71 Vladimir Karpets Movistar Team @ same time
72 Jorge Azanza Soto Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
73 Michael Schar BMC Racing Team @ same time
74 Yann Huguet Argos-Shimano @ same time
75 Simone Stortoni Lampre – ISD @ same time
76 Brett Lancaster Orica – GreenEDGE 09:38
77 Daniel Oss Liquigas – Cannondale 09:43
78 Yaroslav Popovych RadioShack – Nissan 09:49
79 Fredrik Kessiakoff Astana Pro Team @ same time
80 Dmitriy Fofonov Astana Pro Team @ same time
81 Adam Hansen Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
82 Julien Fouchard Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne 10:15
83 Francis De Greef Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
84 Stuart O’ Grady Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
85 Sylvain Chavanel Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
86 Bram Tankink Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
87 Marcus Burghardt BMC Racing Team @ same time
88 Danilo Hondo Lampre – ISD @ same time
89 Martin Velits Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
90 Steven Cummings BMC Racing Team @ same time
91 Daniel Martin Garmin – Sharp @ same time
92 Romain Zingle Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
93 Pieter Weening Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
94 Manuel Quinziato BMC Racing Team @ same time
95 Amaël Moinard BMC Racing Team @ same time
96 Maxim Iglinskiy Astana Pro Team @ same time
97 Yauheni Hutarovich Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
98 Marco Marzano Lampre – ISD @ same time
99 Joan Horrach Rippoll Katusha Team @ same time
100 Yukiya Arashiro Europcar @ same time
101 Yuri Trofimov Katusha Team @ same time
102 Vladimir Gusev Katusha Team @ same time
103 C̩dric Pineau Equipe Cycliste FDJ РBigMat @ same time
104 Sebastian Langeveld Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
105 Jean-marc Marino Saur – Sojasun 10:20
106 Cyril Lemoine Saur – Sojasun @ same time
107 Christian Knees Sky Procycling 10:36
108 Patrick Gretsch Argos-Shimano @ same time
109 Kristjan Koren Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
110 Sylvester Szmyd Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
111 Aleksandr Kuschynski Katusha Team @ same time
112 Vincent Jerome Europcar @ same time
113 Jonathan Cantwell Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
114 Bernhard Eisel Sky Procycling 11:59
115 Albert Timmer Argos-Shimano @ same time
116 J̩r̩my Roy Equipe Cycliste FDJ РBigMat @ same time
117 Kenny Van Hummel Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
118 Anthony Roux Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
119 Nicolas Edet Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
120 Rafael Valls Ferri Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
121 Ruben Perez Moreno Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
122 Michael Albasini Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
123 Giovanni Bernaudeau Europcar @ same time
124 Blel Kadri Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
125 Luis Angel Mate Mardones Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
126 Andre Greipel Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
127 Marcel Sieberg Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
128 Ruben Plaza Molina Movistar Team @ same time
129 Ivan Basso Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
130 Federico Canuti Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
131 Alexandre Vinokourov Astana Pro Team @ same time
132 Tyler Farrar Garmin – Sharp @ same time
133 Nicki Sørensen Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
134 Anders Lund Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
135 Rein Taaramäe Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
136 Christian Vande Velde Garmin – Sharp @ same time
137 Andrey Kashechkin Astana Pro Team @ same time
138 Juan Jose Haedo Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
139 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
140 Gorka Izagirre Insausti Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
141 Steven Kruijswijk Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
142 David Zabriskie Garmin – Sharp @ same time
143 Matthieu Ladagnous Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
144 J̩rome Pineau Omega Pharma РQuickstep @ same time
145 Gregory Henderson Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
146 Johan Vansummeren Garmin – Sharp @ same time
147 Arthur Vichot Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
148 Jan Ghyselinck Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
149 Pablo Urtasun Perez Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
150 Dries Devenyns Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
151 Vasil Kiryienka Movistar Team @ same time
152 Alessandro Vanotti Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
153 Davide Malacarne Europcar @ same time
154 Yohann Gène Europcar @ same time
155 Brice Feillu Saur – Sojasun @ same time
156 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
157 Thomas Voeckler Europcar @ same time
158 Borut Bozic Astana Pro Team @ same time
159 Grega Bole Lampre – ISD @ same time
160 Richie Porte Sky Procycling @ same time
161 Mark Cavendish Sky Procycling @ same time
162 Michael Morkov Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
163 Karsten Kroon Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
164 Christophe Kern Europcar 19:15
DNF Tom Veelers Argos-Shimano
DNF David Moncouti̩ Cofidis РLe Credit En Ligne
DNS Robert Gesink Rabobank Cycling Team

OVERALL

1 Bradley Wiggins Sky Procycling 54:34:33
2 Christopher Froome Sky Procycling 02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas – Cannondale 02:23
4 Cadel Evans BMC Racing Team 03:19
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck Lotto – Belisol Team 04:48
6 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre RadioShack – Nissan 06:15
7 Tejay Van Garderen BMC Racing Team 06:57
8 Janez Brajkovic Astana Pro Team 07:30
9 Pierre Rolland Europcar 08:31
10 Thibaut Pinot Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat 08:51
11 Andr̩as Kl̦den RadioShack РNissan 09:29
12 Frank Schleck RadioShack – Nissan 09:45
13 Nicolas Roche Ag2R – La Mondiale 10:49
14 J̩rome Coppel Saur РSojasun 11:27
15 Chris Horner RadioShack – Nissan 12:41
16 Denis Menchov Katusha Team 17:21
17 Maxime Monfort RadioShack – Nissan 17:41
18 Egoi Martinez De Esteban Euskaltel – Euskadi 18:04
19 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte Movistar Team 18:55
20 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa Movistar Team 19:02

 


Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)


Other News on VeloUK

Tags: , ,