History-maker Biniam Girmay secured his third victory of the Tour de France this year with a sprint to the finish in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, marking another milestone as the first black African to win multiple stages in the race. The Intermarche-Wanty rider, aged 24, outpaced Wout van Aert in a tightly contested bunch sprint, where initial fifth-place finisher Mark Cavendish was later relegated.
Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar maintained his grasp on the yellow jersey, retaining a lead of one minute and six seconds over Remco Evenepoel, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard trailing further behind by eight seconds. However, the day was marred by a late crash that significantly impacted Primoz Roglic, causing him to drop from fourth to sixth in the overall standings after losing two minutes and 27 seconds.
The 203.6km stage from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, predominantly flat, favored sprinters, though an early breakaway attempted to challenge the peloton's control. A quartet including riders like Valentin Madouas and Quentin Pacher built a sizable lead but was reeled in with over 40km remaining, setting the stage for a frenetic final sprint won decisively by Girmay.
Reflecting on his triumph, Girmay expressed confidence in his sprinting abilities and his increasing dominance in the green jersey points classification, holding a substantial lead over his rivals. The day's tranquility was shattered by a crash involving Alexey Lutsenko, which unfortunately took down Roglic, altering the dynamics of the general classification significantly.
Looking ahead, Stage 13 presents another flat route from Agen to Pau, yet approaching terrain challenges in the Pyrenees could unsettle sprinters like Cavendish in their pursuit of stage wins, with only a few opportunities left in this year's Tour de France for sprint victories.
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