Good afternoon and welcome to this live blog! My name is Jeroen van Barneveld and I will keep you informed of the twelfth stage of the Tour de France, in which the riders look for the high mountains for the first time. Have fun!
A photo for history: Tadej Pogacar lays a strong foundation on the Hautacam for his fourth final victory in the Tour de France.
Behind Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Florian Lipowitz come in Tobias Halland Johannes and Oscar Onley as fourth and fifth respectively.
Florian Lipowitz comes in just behind Jonas Vingegaard. The young German surprises with third place in this heavy Pyrenees ride.
Jonas Vingegaard comes there. With the mouth wide open, it comes in 2 minutes and 10 seconds from Tadej Pogacar. What a thump for the Dane of the Dutch Visma-Lease a Bike.
Finish!Tadej Pogacar wins the first Pyrenees ride on the Hautacam and hand out a thump to Jonas Vingegaard! What a display of power of the world champion! He takes his third stage victory in this Tour de France and again conquers the yellow leader’s jersey!
Another 400 meters – While Tadej Pogacar comes into view of the fixed cameras, Jonas Vingegaard is only now entering the last kilometer.
Another 1 km – Tadej Pogacar is shocking under the rag of the last kilometer. He also turns out to be a human being, but it is impressive what the Slovenian world champion shows on this final climb.
Another 1.5 km – Tadej Pogacar goes into the zone with the crush barriers, and that means it is almost at the top. In the meantime, Jonas Vingegaard is increasingly looking back. He is on Pogacar for 1 minute and 50 seconds and feels the hot breath of pursuer Florian Lipowitz.
Still 2.5 km – Remco Evenepoel is annoyed by a spectators with a flag, which brings his textiles too late. With a lot of misable, the Belgian fours his frustrations on the viewer. It all fits with the bad day of Evenepoel in this first Pyrenees ride.
Another 3 km – It is becoming more painful and more painful for Jonas Vingegaard, who now drives behind Tadej Pogacar for 1 minute and 40 seconds. Pogacar will soon take a 3 -minute margin in the general classification. It has to go very crazy Pogacar that will give away in the Tour de France in the coming days, provided that he stays on the bike.
Another 3.5 km – Behind Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard is a great battle going on for third place, between the young people Florian Lipowitz (24) and Oscar Onley (22). Lipowitz seems to have the best papers, but top talent Onley from Picnic PostNL does not just give up.
Another 4 km – After a moment of stabilization, Tadej Pogacar is increasingly distancing himself from Jonas Vingegaard. The difference has already risen to 1 minute and 20 seconds .
Another 5 km – Jonas Vingegaard has stopped the big decline. His backlog at Tadej Pogacar is no longer as fast as in the past kilometers. More than a minute is the time difference between the two cycling giants.
Another 5.5 km – In the meantime, Remco Evenepoel keeps the damage reasonably limited, even though he has a bad day on the bike today. Although he drives 2 minutes from Tadej Pogacar, he does not have to give up a podium place yet. He has a group with Primoz Roglic, Oscar Onley, Florian Lipowitz and Tobias Halland Johannes in sight.
Another 6 km – It is pleasure to see Tadej Pogacar sitting on his bike. The steeper and heavier it gets, the easier the world champion seems to be on his bike. The best rider in the world performs an impressive song on the flanks of the Hautacam. His lead on Jonas Vingegaard is 1 minute .
Another 7 km – The rise rates are now going up in the air on the Hautacam, a monster of a climb in the sunny Pyrenees. Can Jonas Vongegaard take some time here at Tadej Pogacar? It doesn’t look like it. Pogacar is driving smoothly to the top for the time being, while Vingegaard is visibly on the toil. The difference is already 50 seconds.
Another 8 km – will the Tour de France be decided here? Tadej Pogacar increases its lead on Jonas Vingegaard to 45 seconds . Virtually Pogacar has a 2 -minute lead on Vingegaard in the general classification. There are nine more journeys after today.
It is an impressive piece of climbing that Tadej Pogacar shows on the Hautacam. He ignores all the doubts about his constitution, after his fall from yesterday, in the wind. A phenomenon on wheels.
Another 9 km – Suddenly the lead of Tadej Pogacar on Jonas Vingegaard goes up in the air. On the easier part of this final climb, the world champion runs out to a margin of no less than 32 seconds . Hijst Vingegaard the white flag?
Another 10 km – We look at a fantastic battle between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. Pogacar’s lead is slightly running out, but Vingegaard is still limited to 20 seconds for the time being. Behind it, a group with Primoz Roglic and Oscar Onley, among others, drives 50 seconds from Pogacar .
Another 11 km – Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard drive on so fast that the French refugee Bruno Armirail has already been arrested. In the meantime, Pogacar is increasingly disappearing from the sight of Vingegaard. One thing is clear: Pogacar has little trouble with his fall from yesterday.
Another 11 km – Jonas Vingegaard keeps Pogacar in sight. The gap is only 15 seconds .
12 km – Pogacar attack! After a speed of his teammate Jhonatan Narváez, Tadej Pogacar jumps away from the group with favorites! What a statement of the world champion, after all the doubts about him after yesterday’s fall. Jonas Vingegaard cannot follow him!
Still 12 km – A big disappointment for Visma -Lease A Bike: Sepp Kuss has to release and so Jonas Vingegaard no longer has a helper on the heavy final climb. That cannot be the intention? Tadej Pogacar has two more helpers left.
Another 13 km – The group with favorites has also started the heavy final climb. The lead of the French leader Bruno Armirail has fallen considerably. He only has 1 minute and 25 seconds left. It doesn’t look like he’s going to win today.
Another 13.5 km – leader Bruno Armirail started at the Hautacam, the heavy final climb of today. It is a climb to fear. The Hautacam is 13.5 kilometers long and has an average increase of 7.9 percent. Are we going to see a new game here between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard?
Another 15 km – The tension starts to increase in the group with favorites. It is currently UAE Team Emirates that takes the lead. Does Tadej Pogacar feel better than everyone thinks?
Another 18 km – The chasing group was picked up by the group with favorites. That makes the price situation a lot clearer. It is now a game between the French leader Bruno Armirail and the group with Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The hole is 2 minutes .
Another 20 km – According to the Tour organization, there are currently 27 riders in the group with favorites. The most important names: Tadej Pogacar, Jhonatan Narváez, Adam Yates and Tim Wellens (Uae Team Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard, Simon Yates, Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quickin & Step), Kévin, Beckelin, Kévin, b), Kévin-Step), Kévin-Step), Kévin-Step), Kévin-Step), Kévin-Step), Kévin-Step), Kévin-Step), Kévin-Step), Bévin-Step), Beat-Step), Bequin-Step), Bequin-Step), Beat-Step), Beat-Step), Beat-Betp), Beat-Step),-Stp)-Step-Stp),-Step)-Beck),-Stp Onley (Picnic PostNL team), Florian Lipowitz and Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Boa-Hansgrohe)
It is countdown to the base of the Hautacam. In fifteen minutes the road will rise quickly, towards a height of 1,500 meters. Do we get to see the first game between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in the High Mountains here?
Another 27 km – After more than 25 kilometers of chase, Remco Evenepoel joins the group with favorites. The question is how long he will last. The Belgian had to release very quickly on the flanks of the Col du Soulor.
Another 28 km – The riders are now in a descending line on the way to the dreaded final climb, the Hautacam. This climb of the outside category starts 13.5 kilometers from the finish. The lonely leader Bruno Armirail has more than a minute ahead of a group of pursuers and more than two minutes ahead of the group with favorites.
A painful picture in the rear of the course. Ging jersey Ben Healy must be cooled down by his teammate Harry Sweeny. After today he has to hand over the management in the general classification. The question is to whom.
Another 33 km – Simon Yates leaves the head of the group with favorites and has to unload immediately. He is now in the group with Remco Evenepoel. Kopman Jonas Vingegaard only has Sepp Kuss left. Is it all going according to plan at Visma-Lease A Bike?
Another 34 km – Bruno Armirail is the first to come on top of the Col des Bordères and now goes solo towards the Hautacam. Mattias Skjelmose drove away from the rest and follows 55 seconds from the Frenchman.
Another 35 km – Bruno Armirail, which, according to the last rumors, will be relocating to Visma -Lease a Bike next year, will quickly drive away from his pursuers. Mattias Skjelmose, Michael Storer, Einer Rubio and Michael Woods are already following a minute.
Another 36 km – Again Matteo Jorgenson from Visma -Lease a Bike is unloaded by his teammate Simon Yates. For that reason, Visma took some gas back on the previous climb, but that doesn’t seem to happen now. Jonas Vingegaard has two more helpers left.
It is early fireworks in this heavy mountain stage in the Tour de France, these spectators also see. Full is blown for enthusiasts. The real fireworks are only expected on the final climb, the Hautacam feared by everyone.
Another 37 km – The riders in the group with favorites also started at the Col des Bordères. In the meantime, Remco Evenepoel has the favorites in sight. According to the race radio, he rides just 20 seconds from Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. Can he connect during the climb? Or should he give up more ground?
Another 38 km – The Frenchman Bruno Armirail has started solo on the Col des Bordères, the third categorized climb of the day. Although it is a short climb of 3.3 kilometers, it is relatively steep. On average, the road rises by 8.1 percent.
Another 38 km – The Frenchman Bruno Armirail wants to start with a margin on the Col de Bordères and jumps away from Mattias Skjelmose and Michael Woods. So we have another ride in front.
39 km – Michael Woods was joined by the Frenchman Bruno Armirail and Deen Mattias Skjelmose at the end of the descent of the Col du Soulor. The three of them seem to start the third climb of the day, the Col des Bordères.
Another 42 km – Ben Healy is a lot through it and is always topped with water by his teammate Harry Sweeny. The gelthedrager will probably be very hot. That is not surprising: it is more than 30 degrees Celsius in the Pyrenees.
Another 44 km – The group with favorites is also upstairs. Jonas Vingegaard has three still servants from Visma-Lease A Bike about: Simon Yates, Sepp Kuss and the returned Matteo Jorgenson. Tadej Pogacar also has three servants: Jhonatan Narváez, Adam Yates and Marc Soler.
Another 46.5 km – Michael Woods is the first to come on top of the Col du Soulor and a long and lonely descent to the third climb of the day, to the Col des Bordères. Mattias Skjelmose follows about 10 seconds from the Canadian.
47 km – For the people who just hire and have lost the overview, this is the current situation in the course:
Woods+0.05 skjelmose +0.10 Storer
+0.30 chasing group with Arensman
+1.50 Group with favorites (Pogacar and Vingegaard)
+2.55 Group with Evenepoel
+3.30 Group with geltrant carrier Ben Healy
48 km – Michael Woods goes solo! More than a kilometer before the top of the Col du Soulor, the Canadian tests his luck on his own. None of the other four leaders can answer his demarrage.
Tadej Pogacar is still in the group with favorites. Yesterday’s fall, the world champion does not seem to not affect for the time being. He drives virtually in the yellow jersey.
50 km – Visma -Lease A Bike and especially Luxury Court Simon Yates are also shocked by the high pace and especially the unloading of Matteo Jorgenson. The Dutch team seems to get the foot of the accelerator pedal. Gaugtruid bearer Ben Healy can therefore make up for some terrain, but is still about 25 seconds behind the favorite group.
Another 50 km – In the meantime, the Lont has also gone in the Kruitvat in the leading group. Mattias Skjelmose attacked and gets the Canadian Michael Woods and the French men Bruno Armirail and Aurélien Paret-Pintre. The chasing group is not going to give them a lot of space.
Another 51 km – Visma -Lease A Bike drives incredibly fast in the group with favorites and therefore also smokes his own riders, such as Matteo Jorgenson. The number five in the general classification must also capitulate.
Another 51.5 km – The yellow sweater is in big problems! Ben Healy cannot follow the pace of Visma-Lease A Bike and he must leave a big hole right away. Is Tadej Pogacar the new leader in the general classification after today?
Another 52 km – The high pace of Visma -Lease A Bike is already demanding the necessary victims in the peloton, which we will now call the group with favorites. Not only Remco Evenepoel, but also Enric Mas and Sergio Higuita have been fired.
Another 53 km – Thymen Arensman takes over from his French teammate Axel Laurance in the leading group. He has to maintain the high pace for his leader Carlos Rodríguez. There are only fifteen riders left in front. They have a 1 minute and 40 seconds in the group with favorites.
Another 54 km – big news: Remco Evenepoel, the number three of last year’s Tour de France, has to release from the peloton now! Visma-Lease A Bike gives a snok in the group and the Belgian must hoist the white flag right away. This first heavy mountain stage is already full of surprises.
Another 55 km – Ineos Grenadiers today has nasty plans with leader Carlos Rodríguez, because his servants have been running in the leading group for a while. When will the number twelve of the general classification launch? Thymen Arensman has to lend a hand.
Another 56 km – The Peloton also started at the Col du Soulor and Visma -Lease A Bike immediately takes over. In stroke order we see Victor Campenaerts, Sepp Kuss and Matteo Jorgenson in the lead, the luxury servants of leader Jonas Vingegaard. Tadej Pogacar drives in his neighborhood.
Another 57 km – The back door is wide open in the large leading group, because the riders unload with bushes. Following Mathieu van der Poel, Edward Theuns, Ian Stannard, Fred Wright, Tobias Foss and Matteo Trentin, among others, cannot follow the pace. There are still around 25 riders left at the front, including Thymen Arensman.
Another 58.3 km – The refugees started at the Col du Soulor, the first heavy climb of the day. It is a fairly irregular climb, typical of the Pyrenees. The Col du Soulor is 11.8 kilometers long and rises on average by 7.3 percent. It contains strips of more than 10 percent.
Another 59 km – Mathieu van der Poel gives up. He can be released from the leading group, even before the refugees have started on the Col du Soulor. It was already clear in advance that he would not compete for the stage victory. He was only in front of the points at the intermediate sprint.
60 km – the unrest in the leading group is increasing. In a few minutes the refugees will start the Col du Soulor, the first tough climb of the day. Anyway there will be the first selection of the day.
63 km – Uno -X Mobility gives its position in the peloton. EF Education-Easypost is now in the lead for his Ben Healy geltrant carrier. UAE Team Emirates is on the finch rope.
67 km – In the peloton there is still serene peace. UNO-X Mobility still makes the service in the large group. The UAE Team Emirates from Tadej Pogacar and the EF Education-Easypost from Gaitrijdrager Ben Healy are also in the front. Visma-Lease A Bike is still hiding.
A beautiful image from the sunflower fields in the French Pyrenees. The front runners, including Mathieu van der Poel and Thymen Arensman, are on their way to the final of this first heavy mountain stage.
Another 78 km – The riders are now going through a long valley towards the first heavy climb of the day, the Col du Soulor. The foot is 58.3 kilometers from the line. So in more than half an hour the real climbing work will start.
Another 85.5 km – despite his large backlog of green ethreter Jonathan Milan in the Sprint Mathieu van der Poel point classification indeed also participated in the intermediate sprint, but he is not the fastest. The Belgian Laurenz Rex is a bit of rapper and hijacks the twenty points in front of the Dutchman. It ends just like second, just before Thibau Nys, a teammate of Milan.
Another 86 km – After the climb of the Côte de Labatmale, the pace in the leading group goes up. An intermediate sprint is approaching. Will Mathieu van der Poel get involved in this?
Still 89.5 km – fireworks will remain as expected on the Côte de Labatmale. Even Lenny Martinez, the wearer of the ball rust, restrains himself. He sends his French helper Fred Wright to the front to grab the only mountain point at the top.
Another 90.5 km – The road is running up and that means that the 51 leaders started at the Côte de Labatmale, a climb of the fourth category. The climb is 1.3 kilometers long and increases on average by 6.3 percent.
Another 92 km – Bryan Coquard, who played a leading role at the tough fall of Jasper Philipsen at the start of the Tour de France, we will not see again in the leading group. That group rumbles with 51 riders on the first categorized climb of the day.
Another 95 km – The French leader Bryan Coquard of Cofidis suddenly stands by the side and must be treated by the Koersartsen. It is not entirely clear whether he fell, but it looks like that. He suffers from his right hand.
Mathieu van der Poel is of course the great eye-catcher in this 52-person leading group, but with Thymen Arensman a Dutchman is still driving in front. The Tour debutant was close to a stage victory on Monday, but after a long day he was short of a few seconds on the winner Simon Yates. Now the rider of Ineos Grenadiers will probably mainly be employed by leader Carlos Rodríguez.
Another 100 km – In 10 kilometers the first categorized climb of the day appears for the 52 leaders: the Côte de Labatmale. It is not too heavy climb. With a length of 1.3 kilometers and an average increase of 6.3 percent, all leaders must be able to survive this climb. Or are we going to see a first selection here?
Another 103 km – It is a striking image in the peloton: the Norwegian team UNO -X Mobility has been running for a while at the lead of the large group. It is unclear why the formation does that. With Stian Fredheim, the Norwegians have someone in the leading group. In both the points classification and the mountain classification, the team does not play a leading role either.
Another 109 km – Due to the super -fast opening phase, the riders are now driving for the fastest schedule of the Tour organization. At this pace, the first riders finish before 5.30 pm at the top of the Hautacam, the heavy final climb of today.
113 km – the 52 -member leading group does not logically receive too much space from the peloton. The leaders’ lead has not been more than 2 minutes. In the meantime, the counter is 1 minute and 40 seconds . The best classified rider in the leading group is Carlos Rodríguez of Ineos Grenadiers. He is twelfth, 5 minutes and 44 seconds from ginger -bearer Ben Healy.
Vingegaard Has Fond Memories of Final Climb Now That the Calm Has Returned to the Race, It is Time to Delve Into History. The Hautacam, Today’s Tough Final Climb, Holds A Special Place in the Heart of Jonas Vingegaard, The Leader of the Dutch Visma-Lease a Bike Team.
On the Flanks of the Pyrenean Giant, Yellow Jersey Wearer Vingegaard Rode Over A Minute Away From Pogacar in 2022, Unofficialy Securing His First Overall Victory In The Tour de France. The Letter Cannot Happen Today, but he will certainly because to take time gains on pogacar.
Another 127 km – a lot of drinking is today the motto in the Tour de France, because it is a particularly hot day by bike. The temperature fluctuates around 33 degrees Celsius and there is hardly any wind. That will play a role in the course anyway. For the time being it has no influence on the pace. The average speed is no less than 51.8 kilometers per hour.
Another 134 km – The 52 front runners increase their lead on the peloton to 2 minutes . It takes a while before they get the first categorized climb for the wheels. The foot of the Côte de Labatmale, a climb of the fourth category, follows 90.5 kilometers from the finish.
Pogacar: ‘My Whole Left Arm is Broized’ Tadej Pogacar Spoke Before the Start About His Crash Yesterday and its Possible Impact on Today’s First Tough Mountain Stage. “Every crash has an impact. My Whole Left arm is busted and has scrapes. I also bumped my hip and shoulders a bit.”
For this reason, pogacar expects that visma-lease a bike, led by his great rival jonas vingegaard, will be looking for an attack today. “I will have to do my best to counter those attacks. We will see how I feel today and i am sure I will get a lot of support from my team.”
Still 148 km – it took a while, but these are the front runners. There are even 52 now. Stoelriemen vast: Tim Wellens (UAE-Team Emirates), Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Maximilian Schachmann (Soudal Quick-Step), Harry Sweeny (EF Education-EasyPost), Louis Barré en Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty), Santiago Buitrago, Lenny Martinez, Robert Stannard en Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), Thymen Arensman , Tobias Foss, Axel Laurance, Carlos Rodriguez and Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers), Laurence Pithie and Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Thibau Nys, Mattias Skjelmose and Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek), Guillaume Martin, Valentin Madouas, Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Julian Alaphilippe, Marc Hirschi, Micael O’Connor, Luke Durbridge, Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco Alula), Raúl García Pierna and Clément Venturini (Arkéa-B & B hotels), Pablo Castrillo, Iván Romeo and Einer Rubio (Movistar)
Bruno Armirail and Aurélien Paret-Pintre (Decathlon AG2R LA Global Team), Emanuel Buchmann, Bryan Coquard, Ion Izagirre and Dylan Teuns (Cofidis), Harold Tejada and Simone Velasco (Team Tot, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Tamas, Thomas, Thomas, Woods, Joseph Blackmore and Alexey Lutsenko (Israel Prime Minister Tech), Jarrad Drizners (Lotto) and Stian Fredheim (UNO-X Mobility).
Another 158 km – The Tour organization is now finished counting. They are not 47 riders, but 50 riders who ride in the large leading group. The names of all those riders love our credit. They have a 55 -second lead.
164 km – A large group with no fewer than 47 riders is running away from the peloton. And believe it or not: Mathieu van der Poel is also included, despite his heavy efforts yesterday. His fellow countryman Thymen Arensman also drives in the front group. They now have a 20 -second lead on the peloton.
A good moment for the start in Auch: Tadej Pogacar and the Noor Tobias Halland Johannes are looking for each other. Pogacar fell yesterday due to a maneuver of the Norwegian, after which the latter got a lot of misery over him via social media. Pogacar then recorded a video to call on people to stop. He didn’t blame Johannes.
Another 171 km – the adventure of Pascal Eenkhoorn and the other three leaders does not last, because the peloton has already arrested them again. The expectations of the opening phase of this opening ride are fully selected. It has been war in the peloton for ten minutes.
Another 173 km – A group of four riders hits a hole with the peloton and the Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn is one of them. He is a servant of Remco Evenepoel, so Soudal Quick-Step seems to be a bit going on today. The other names are the Austrian Marco Haller, Alexey Lutsenko from Kazakhstan and the Frenchman Alexandre Delettre.
Another 175 km – Visma -Lease A Bike tries to send a pawn ahead with the Belgian hard driver Victor Campenaerts, but he immediately gets a set of cheetahs on wheels in his wheel. It may be clear: the Dutch team wants someone to be in the flight of the day.
Another 180 km – not the climbers, but the sprinters and speed drivers stir in these first kilometers from the race. Among others, Biniam Girmay tries to hit a hole with the peloton, but there are many more hijackers on the coast.