Tour de France Stage 12: Spanish Vingegaard wins aggressive stage, 58 seconds ahead
Posted : 13 July 2023
In an intense and aggressive stage, the Spanish rider emerged victorious, finishing 58 seconds ahead of Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Jorgenson, who secured second and third place, respectively.
The challenging stage resulted in a significantly reduced peloton crossing the finish line almost four minutes later.
Jonas Vingegaard maintained his 17-second lead in the race for the coveted yellow jersey, maintaining his position as the overall leader.
Thibaut Pinot, the French rider, showcased a strong performance on the 168.8km route, featuring five categorized climbs between the Loire and the Rhone, allowing him to enter the top 10 of the general classification.
The stage heavily favored a breakaway, and after nearly 90km, a group of 15 riders managed to establish a considerable advantage.
Mathieu van Der Poel, the Dutch rider known for his explosive attacks, made an initial decisive move but was eventually caught on the final climb, the Col de la Croix Rosier. It was then that Gorka Izagirre brilliantly countered, launching his stage-winning attack.
Confident in his strength, Izagirre built a sufficient gap, making it difficult for his rivals to catch up. His strategy played in his favor, and he reflected on his triumph, saying, "I felt strong in the last kilometers. Many thoughts crossed my mind. It's an incredibly emotional moment."
This victory for the 34-year-old Cofidis rider came just 11 days after Victor Lafay secured the first stage win in 15 years for the French team.
The upcoming stage on Friday will be a short but grueling 137.8km route, as the race ventures into the Jura Mountains, culminating in a challenging summit finish on the formidable Grand Colombier.
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