Tour de France 2025: stage 12 takes the race to summit end in Pyrenees – reside | Tour de France 2025
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Key occasions
53km to go: Axel Laurance continues to set the tempo for Ineos on the entrance of the race. Then he pops and drops again.
In the meantime, is Pogacar actually struggling after that crash? Adam Blythe speculates that he is perhaps, he’s on the radio rather a lot and has opened his jersey within the warmth.
Pogacar’s teammate Tim Wellens, who’s clearly on a number of the finest type of his profession, is distinguished on the entrance of the break, in the meantime.
53.5km to go: Tiesj Benoot, who was within the main group, has dropped again to work on the entrance of the primary bunch. He’s out of the saddle and setting a fierce tempo as Visma Lease a Bike apparently seeking to set this all up for his or her chief …
Evenepoel dropped from the peloton
54km to go: Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), within the inexperienced jersey, has been dropped by the primary peloton and it 5min 16sec behind the break. Visma Lease a Bike have stepped up the tempo within the peloton and began working for Vingegaard in earnest … and it appears like they’ve dropped Remco Evenepoel!
54km to go: Axel Laurance (Ineos) leads the way in which on the entrance of the break. 8km nonetheless to climb. Ineos had 5 riders up entrance, they now have three: Laurance, Arensman and Rodriguez.
55km to go: However wait! As I sort, it appears Buchmann, and Lenny Martinez, are each dropped.
55km to go: Rodriguez, O’Connor, Skjelmose, Buchmann, Arensman, Vlasov, Woods are all there.
56km to go: The entrance group has neatly been reduce in half within the early levels of the climb, and now numbers 25. As soon as they’ve had a correct sort-out after this climb I’ll record the riders which are nonetheless there.
57.5km to go: The dreaded graphic is added to our footage, the one about how a lot of the climb stays …
“11.1km,” it says. In the meantime Hannah Walker on TNT says it’s so sizzling on the climb that the tarmac is beginning to soften.
Nils Pollitt (UAE Workforce Emirates) continues to be placing in a large experience on the entrance of the peloton, attempting to manage the hole to the break for his workforce chief Tadej Pogacar. Genuinely heroic scenes. However what number of matches will likely be burned earlier than the top of the stage?
58km to go:
“Hello Luke, and Colin,” emails Alistair.
“The factor concerning the KOM is all concerning the polka dot jumper. Even a dead-flat stage with a single one-point steep hill, if it’s within the early days of the Tour, could get you the distinctive shirt for a day, and the prospect for family and friends to see your mug on the rostrum. Additionally, a bit of money in fact, however these are extremely prized distinctions for gregarii, domestiques, bottle-bearers who’ve slim probability of any larger distinction. Value nothing within the larger scheme of issues, but it surely’s a method to unfold a bit of affection round.
“Cheers, Alistair (dreaming of a gray jersey at 64).”
60km to go: The hole between peloton and break is as much as 2min 08sec.
Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) does a giant flip on the entrance to try to enhance the benefit of the entrance group. Then he drops again.
Luke Durbridge (Jayco–AlUla) then takes it up. He’s one other one placing in a large effort to maintain this breakaway up the highway.
61km to go: What I’m questioning is, what impact will the frankly ridiculously exhausting first half of this race have on at the moment’s racing? That’s partly why I’m suspicious about it being a traditional slug-fest between the GC contenders.
The riders are on the climb!
64km to go: On commentary for TNT Sports activities Carlton Kirby additionally employs the phrase “verdant”, relating to this lovely valley.
There are 10 KOM factors on provide for the winner of the approaching climb, the Col du Soulor. It’s 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, in that order, for the highest six.
65km to go: I stay unconvinced by the speculation that that is assured to finish with a punch-up between Pogacar and Vingegaard for the stage win and clearly, additionally, for time in GC. Though it might even be shocking if Visma Lease a Bike don’t strive one thing, in view of Pogacar being a bit crushed up by yesterday’s late crash.
69km to go: Proper, what’s the scenario? The race could be very near the foot of the primary category-one climb of this yr’s race, the Col du Soulour.
The break has 1min 40sec. There’s a beautiful helicopter shot of a verdant valley flooring with the mountains looming close by. The entrance group, having been 52, now numbers 50. Coquard is without doubt one of the riders who dropped out. On the bike for TNT Sports activities, Romain Bardet speculated he might need been stung by a bee. However that’s T-bee-C. Sorry.
70km to go: “Having fun with the textual content commentary from my backyard within the north of Japan,” writes Chris Sato. “One in all your earlier mails was from Thomas in DC who talked about he was in seat 11A on a flight. I simply checked, it’s the identical quantity seat as the only survivor of the current Air India airplane crash.”
Effectively, there you might have it. Thanks on your electronic mail Chris.
73km to go: One apparent response to Colin, I suppose, is that the KOM competitors successfully begins at the moment anyway, whereas the factors competitors begins in anger with all of the flat levels.
The timed sections concept is attention-grabbing although.
In that Luke Rowe reader interview, he backed changing the most effective younger rider classification with a gray jersey for finest previous rider:
With the peloton seeming to get youthful annually, what do you assume to changing the most effective younger rider white jersey with a finest previous rider (say, over 35) gray jersey? Vic Baker
“I feel it’s received worth: the white jersey is changing into outdated. Historically a rider’s peak was 28 to 32, now you’re seeing 21-year-olds successful Grand Excursions. So it’s changing into just a little bit extinct, as a result of riders are so good, so younger. I’d be all for it. To interchange the white with the gray can be fairly cool. Any rider who’s acting at that stage at 35 or above, you must say chapeau, as a result of they’ve executed it for 15 years, give or take. That deserves a spherical of applause in itself. So I feel a gray jersey as an alternative of white has legs.”
75km to go: The hole between break and peloton is holding at round 1min 48sec.
“Taking a look at your factors competitors standings brings to my thoughts a thought I’ve yearly,” emails Colin. “The KOM competitors is bizarre. Lenny Martinez is main presently with 27 factors. Within the Factors competitors, after the identical variety of levels, Jonathan Milan is main with 231!
“I perceive the classes, however there’s so little goal in chasing Cat 4 factors when a single Cat 1 or HC are value many, many occasions extra. And ‘first excessive’ is perhaps conventional, however why not have some which are timed sections, backside to high, rewarding actually the quickest climber?
“If it was me, I’d change the system so Cat 4’s are value extra, have extra putting factors, and provides a gradual 5-point enhance per class (and corresponding putting factors) for Cat 3, 2, 1 and HC. Plus one timed climb per stage with factors awared.
“Full disclosure, I’ve executed no analysis into this so it’d make no distinction in any respect, however I do really feel strongly about it.”
Robust emotions, no analysis? Welcome to my world.
77km to go: “In the present day’s break wants no less than 5 minutes on the backside of the penultimate climb, possibly extra, emails Ryan Terpstra. “The GC riders will likely be attacking and a small margin won’t be sufficient.”
I’ve to ask, is Ryan associated to Niki?
“I’m very Dutch however the Holland I reside in is in Michigan, USA, not Netherlands. Terpstra is as widespread there as Smith is in different English international locations, I imagine. So possibly? Depends upon how far up the household tree I’ve to go, however I did at all times get pleasure from rooting for him.”
78km to go: “I’ve received the spottiest airplane wifi on a flight proper now and might’t watch reside,” emails ‘Thomas from DC’.
“Your updates are the one factor preserving me sane! Being within the center seat I can inform my seat neighbours have ever-more prying eyes as we close to these climbs. And a reminder to not e book a flight throughout a mountain stage once more … Thanks for preserving row A11 updated.”
Bon voyage, Thomas.
81km to go: Rex and Nys contested that dash to try to mop up the factors on behalf of teammates. (Girmay within the case of Rex, Milan within the case of Nys).
But it surely’s a useful 17pts for second place for the irrepressible Van der Poel, who strikes above Pogacar within the inexperienced jersey standings, into second place behind Milan.
Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty) wins intermediate dash
1) Laurenz Rex (Intermarché–Wanty) 20pts
2) Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) 17pts
3) Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) 15pts
86km to go: Now, the entrance group is racing downhill in direction of the intermediate dash at Bénéjacq.
87km to go: Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) eased off the entrance atop the primary climb and received the KOM level. Nobody actually appeared to thoughts.
88km to go: “That is the primary probability for the GC riders [to make big gains]” says Stybar on commentary. “I feel the hole is just too small to remain in entrance of the bunch. As soon as they pull full gasoline on the climb, one minute, or 1min 45 won’t be sufficient. They [GC teams] are actually going to go for it and go for the stage win.”
Stybar making use of “Richard Hirst idea”, there.
89.5km to go: Uno-X Mobility riders paved the way up this primary climb, the Côte de Labtmale.
91km to go: The entrance of the race is on the primary categorised climb but it surely’s a piffling affair in contrast to what’s arising later within the stage. There may be one KOM level on provide to the winner, they usually most likely received’t even trouble racing for it. This prediction could also be proved incorrect in record-quick time …
94km to go: Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) is receiving medical consideration, having been within the entrance group. It appears like he could have dislocated his finger. The medics are taping it up. He might need a six-minute hole to the peloton now and can actually wrestle to experience the remainder of the stage on his personal and make the time reduce.
95km to go: “It will be good to have somebody within the break,” Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers, the Tour de France champion in 2018, advised TNT Sports activities earlier than at the moment’s stage. “You by no means know … we maintain attempting.”
Matt Stephens asks: How has his race been to this point, general? “Up and down. I really feel like, I don’t know, a bit inconsistent. However possibly a part of that’s mentally, if you’re not totally within the race, racing for GC. It simply hurts a bit tougher when it doesn’t actually need to: you may simply sit up, and wait for an additional day.
“Simply received to maintain pushing. , it’s my final Tour, try to get pleasure from it. Yeah, try to get within the break and animate the race a bit. But it surely’s robust since you want legs. It’s to not dangerous, it’s not so dangerous, it’s simply yeah, it’s a special method of racing, you recognize?
“However I’m having fun with it, we’re getting increasingly more little wins as the times go by. Clearly not a win, however you recognize, we’re taking positives from every day, and the group’s getting higher collectively, so we maintain attempting.”
102km to go: The Côte de Labatmale, a category-four, is arising. Then it’s the dash and Mathieu van der Poel, third place within the inexperienced jersey standings, is within the entrance group. Will he go for it? Presumably he’ll if he will get half an opportunity.
Factors classification: high 5 after stage 11
Milan 231 pts
Pogacar 163pts
Van der Poel 156pts
Girmay 154pts
Merlier 150pts
104km to go: “That group goes to separate,” observes Adam Blythe. “It’s method too huge to simply go rolling alongside as it’s.”
Now, because it to substantiate Blythe’s level, there may be motion on the entrance, and the hole between break and peloton goes up once more, to 1min 55sec. Sure riders and groups are clearly pondering they should get busy and ensure the peloton doesn’t get again in contact. Which makes excellent sense when you think about there’s a prestigious stage win on provide to 1 fortunate rider on this group.
106km to go: “I feel the worst doable case for Pogacar (and the most effective case for the viewers) is Visma getting a properly timed stomp on, having the ability isolate him after which relentlessly attacking, rider after rider, like the opposite yr,” emails Invoice. “It’s what the mountains are for.
“Thoughts you, I feel he’ll survive it and keep the GC time hole, however to go all over to Paris and win goes to require some thrilling heroics on his half.
“He’s described Visma’s efforts as far as “annoying” however that may certainly be up there with “wasp within the automotive that received’t fly out the window as you’re driving down the motorway”.
“Nonetheless, I do fairly just like the man, he appears very affable, as do all of the contenders for GC. And I do agree, the stage winner is within the break already.”
Thanks on your electronic mail Invoice.
109km to go: The likes of Matteo Trentin, Tobias Foss, Luke Durbridge, Bryan Coquard and Fred Wright have been driving the escape group. Loads of horsepower.
It feels just like the 35-year-old Trentin has been round for years, however that’s primarily as a result of he has.
112km to go: “There will likely be a really small group collectively on the ultimate climb,” predicts the previous professional rider Zdenek Stybar on TNT Sports activities, in context of the draining punch-up this stage has been in its early levels.
113km to go: The hole is right down to 1min 30sec. The Nils Pollitt impact, you see. He’s nonetheless grinding it out on the entrance of the primary bunch.
The typical velocity has now dropped to a far extra serene 50.3km/h.
115km to go: There are 4 categorised climbs on at the moment’s route.
The category-four Côte de Labatmale (1.3km, 6.3% common gradient), the summit coming after 91.4km.
The intermediate dash, at Bénéjacq, comes after 95.1km.
The Col du Soulour, the primary category-one ascent of the Tour, summits after 134.1km (11.8km, 7.3%).
The category-two Col des Bordères is 3.1km lengthy at 7.7% common gradient, with the summit arriving 141.4km.
Then the hors-catégorie Hautacam to complete – 13.5km lengthy, with a mean gradient of seven.8%.
117km to go: As there are some robust climbers on this huge 52-rider group up entrance I fancy the stage winner will likely be amongst them.
118km to go: “Unsure what all the joy is about,” emails Richard Hirst.
“If a sure twosome don’t go sauntering previous the main group on the ultimate climb, if not earlier than, I’ll eat my baguette.”
Fascinating, Richard, very attention-grabbing.
119km to go: “It’s the race that retains on giving,” says Robbie McEwen on commentary, referring to the close to 52km/h common velocity at the moment. Or taking, when you have a look at it from the riders’ perspective.
122km to go: The hole is right down to 1min 44sec. Carlton Kirby says it’s 52 riders up entrance. 51 or 52, it’s rather a lot.
Oh, I imagine I’ll have initially missed Stian Fredheim (Uno-X Mobility), in order that makes 52 within the break.
125km to go: Michael Woods (Israel-PremierTech) and Guillaume Martin (Groupama–FDJ) have to be among the many favourites to win at the moment as they’re up within the entrance.
126km to go: To recap, there’s been a large break up within the bunch, with a 51-rider group powering up the highway about 45min in the past. Neither Pogacar nor Vingegaard, or anybody within the high 10 of the GC, is in that entrance group. Rodriguez of Ineos is the best-placed rider, in twelfth place, over 5min down on the race chief Ben Healy.
128km to go: The hole is 1min 57sec. The typical velocity is creeping up in direction of 52km/h.
130km to go: Visma–Lease a Bike have been presumably hoping to check Pogacar out after his crash. (Though Vingegaard stated it might rely upon how his legs really feel.) And naturally they nonetheless can try to take a look at Pogacar and UAE, even when there’s a huge break up the highway and the stage winner is just not a GC rider. All of the indicators are pointing at being a breakaway day plus important GC day too.
132km to go: The peloton is totally strung out as they attempt to management the hole to this break. The hole has stabilised at round 1min 52sec. It’s one other exhausting, exhausting day they usually haven’t even began the climbs. What sporting occasion is harder on the rivals than this?
133km to go: The typical velocity at the moment is 51.5km/h. It’s sizzling sizzling sizzling!
135km to go: The query of Pogacar’s situation at the moment after the crash is an attention-grabbing one. UAE will presumably be keen to threat a certain quantity of injury within the GC – let’s say Rodriguez taking yellow for Ineos – with a view to letting Pogacar get well. So long as they don’t lose some ludicrous period of time general, in fact.
136km to go: My wager is that the stage winner comes from the entrance group, however that it’s utterly splintered right down to a tiny lead group with loads of distance left to go within the stage. (Clearly the category-one Col du Soulour, with the summit at 134km, will separate the wheat from the chaff.)
137km to go: An electronic mail from Nick entitled “Break up”.
“If it lasts, might or not it’s that UAE want a neater day for Pog, and Visma aren’t keen or in a position to assault? These query would possibly utterly redundant by the point they attain the Hautacam.”
Concerning Van der Poel’s radio issues from yesterday, Luke Rowe lately stated this in a reader interview:
“One factor lots of people don’t realise with biking is that the radio high quality is horrible. You’ve received to be brief, sharp and direct. If there’s any sitting on the fence, you’re fucked.”
141km to go: If Nils Pollitt, Pogacar’s teammate, can’t shut this hole it reveals how properly the entrance group is working collectively. He’s an absolute machine.
Clearly Pogacar and Vingegaard are again in the primary bunch, when you can nonetheless name it that, with a 51-rider breakaway up the highway. If one in every of them was up entrance and one in every of them behind we’d all be having kittens proper now.
142km to go: There are 51 riders up entrance, I imagine: Wellens, Benoot, Schachmann, Sweeny, Barré, Rex, Buitrago, Lenny Martinez, Stannard, Wright, Arensman, Foss, Laurance, Rodriguez, Swift, Pithie, Vlasov, Nys, Skjelmose, Theuns, Martin, Madouas, Penhoët, Van der Poel, Alaphilippe, Hirschi, Storer, Trentin, O’Connor, Durbridge, Schmid, García Pierna, Venturini, Castrillo, Romeo, Rubio, Armirail, Paret-Paintre, Buchmann, Coquard, Izagirre, Teuns, Tejada, Velasco, Cras, Gachignard, Turgis, Woods, Blackmore, Lutsenko, Drizners, Fredheim.
Their benefit is now 1min 57sec.
146km to go: Nils Pollitt is engaged on the entrance of the peloton. However the break’s benefit is as much as 1min 52sec. A lot for a pleasant simple day for the GC groups with a pleasant, unthreatening break up the highway …
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