Stage 12

The road

At the start

Talansky abandons, a day for the fast men

Andrew Talansky does not start, his Tour finally over after days spent chasing home alone. Vincenzo Nibali leads Richie Porte by 2:23 and Alejandro Valverde by 2:47, and nothing between them moved yesterday. Today is 185 kilometres of Beaujolais hills to Saint-Étienne, four small climbs and a narrow, nervous run-in — the last chance the sprinters get before Nîmes.

How it was won

1. 1100 km to go

   De la Cruz down in the lanes of Oingt

   The Spaniard slides out in a corner in the golden-stone village and takes Langeveld with him. Langeveld remounts; De la Cruz leaves the Tour with a broken collarbone.

2. 221 km to go

   Europcar try the last climb

   Quéméneur and Gautier jump from the bunch on the Côte de Grammond and go across to Clarke; behind them Tony Gallopin, the hero of Oyonnax, is dropped and slips out of the top ten overall.

3. 33 km to go

   Carnage at 3km

   The run-in to Saint-Étienne is nervous and narrow, and Greipel, Chavanel and Vanmarcke all hit the ground — Greipel making his feelings about Chavanel's line very clear.

4. 4At the line

   Kristoff waits, then goes

   Paolini delivers him, Kristoff sits on Trentin's wheel and waits and waits, then opens up. Sagan takes his wheel, tries to come past, and settles for second place for the fourth time in this Tour.

The result