Tour de France 2015 Stage 12: Purito victory #2, Froome unbeatable

Stage 12 takes the riders over three cols, while the closing climb to Plateau de Beille is 15.8 kilometres at 7.9%. It's there Joaquim Rodríguez attacks and he solos to victory. Froome turns of attacks by Quintana, Contador and Nibal and the Briton is the mighty leader when leaving the Pyrenees. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 12th stage Tour de France

1. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa)
2. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 1.12
3. Romain Bardet (fra) + 1.49
4. Gorka Izagirre (spa) + 4.34
5. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 4.38
6. Jan Barta (cze) + 5.47
7. Romain Sicard (fra) + 6.03
8. Mikaël Cherel (fra) + 6.28
9. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 6.46
10. Chris Froome (gbr) + 6.47

11. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
12. Thibaut Pinot (fra) s.t.
13. Tejay van Garderen (usa) s.t.
14. Alberto Contador (spa) s.t.
16. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
17. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t.
18. Robert Gesink (nld) + 7.45
19. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.

GC after stage 12
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 2.52
3. Nairo Quintana (col) + 3.09
4. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 3.58
5. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 4.03
6. Alberto Contador (spa) + 4.04
7. Robert Gesink (nld) + 5.32
8. Tony Gallopin (fra) + 7.32
9. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 7.47
10. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 8.02

Race report
The stage really starts after Greipel takes all points in the intermediate sprint after 20 km’s. Lieuwe Westra is the first to attack and the Dutchman is accompanied by 21 riders. Among them Vanmarcke, Kwiatkowski, Bardet, Fuglsang, Meintjes, Rodríguez, Sicard, Izagirre and Chérel. Van Marcke and Kwiatkowski are the first to crest the penultimate col, the Port de Lers, with the others chasing. The pack is 10 minutes down.

It’s raining cats and dogs when closing in the closing climb. At the lower flanks Kwiat and Vanmarcke enjoy a 2 minutes gain over the chasers and 12 minutes over the pack.

After 2 km’s Kwiatkowski goes solo, while the chasers are closing in after an acceleration by Fuglsang. Bardet and Rodríguez are able to follow. Purito takes control and drops his companions to head for the front of the race. With 7.7 km’s left he gobbles up Kwiatkowski.

Contador attacks in the pack with 6.5 km’s left, but he doesn’t make it. Nibali gives it a go also, just like Valverde and Quintana, but Chris Froome doesn’t wink.

Purito climbs like a king in gushing rains and solos to his second victory in the Tour de France 2015.

The French experience a bad day with Gallopin and Barguil dropping out of the top-10, making way for Nibali, who is 9th after the Pyrenees. But at the the same time without hopes to win the Tour again as he is 7 minutes down on Froome in th overall.