Biniam Girmay Shines with Third Stage Victory
Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) continues to dominate the sprints in the Tour de France, securing his third stage win in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Despite initially planning for a breakaway, Girmay adapted to the race's dynamics, ultimately triumphing in the sprint finish. This victory further solidifies his lead in the green jersey ranking, now 111 points ahead of Jasper Philipsen.
Primoz Roglic Faces Setbacks
Primoz Roglic's (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) quest for the yellow jersey encountered significant hurdles during the 12th stage. Roglic suffered a fall 12 kilometers from the finish, causing him to lose 2 minutes and 27 seconds. This mishap saw him drop from 4th to 6th place in the general classification, now trailing 4 minutes and 42 seconds behind his compatriot Tadej Pogacar.
Vingegaard and Pogacar's Ongoing Rivalry
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) continue to be the main contenders for the yellow jersey. Vingegaard's performance in the Massif Central stage showcased his resilience, finishing wheel to wheel with Pogacar. Despite criticism for his earlier lack of aggression, Vingegaard's strategic collaboration with Roglic and subsequent effort to catch Pogacar highlight the intensity of their rivalry as they approach the Pyrenean stages.
General Classification and Other Rankings
Tadej Pogacar leads the general classification with a time of 49 hours, 17 minutes, and 49 seconds. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) follows at 1 minute and 6 seconds, with Jonas Vingegaard at 1 minute and 14 seconds. In the mountain classification, Pogacar and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) are tied with 36 points each. Girmay leads the points ranking with 328 points. Remco Evenepoel also tops the ranking of the best young riders.
- Wout van Aert's resilience was on display as he secured a podium finish despite a heavy fall the previous day. Van Aert's determination paid off, moving from third to 67th place after a dispute over Arnaud Démare's racing tactics.
- Jonas Abrahamsen continues to challenge for the polka dot jersey, matching Tadej Pogacar's points and wearing the jersey by proxy.
- The Bahrain-Victorious team faced challenges with the withdrawal of Pello Bilbao under extreme heat conditions, following Fred Wright's late arrival in the previous stage.
- Remco Evenepoel showed signs of fatigue but managed to retain his second place in the general classification, while Roglic's fall saw him reclassified under the 3-kilometer rule, keeping him in contention for the podium.
