Pidcock is crowned in the Alpe d'Huez and Vingegaard continues to lead the Tour News

There was no trap or hard attacks from Pogacar in the 21 mythical curves

The British cyclist Thomas Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) conquered the Alpe d'Huez this Thursday, in the twelfth stage of the Tour de France starting in Briançon and of 165.1 kilometers, while there was no trap for the leader Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo- Visma) in the 21 mythical curves of the French colossus.

Pidcock, a young mountain bike and cyclocross specialist, was crowned in road cycling and in the elite of the WorldTour with a solo victory attacking his breakaway companions on the Alpe d'Huez, with Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty- Gobert Matériaux) second and the reborn Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech) third.

It was nice to see Chris Froome fight to be in the lead. He did not get into the good break from the start, jumped later from the peloton and reached the leading group. And when Thomas Pidcock attacked with 10.5 kilometers to go, already on the final climb up Alpe d'Huez (13.8 kilometers at 8.1 per cent average gradient), he tried to follow in his wake alongside Louis Meintjes.

In the end, the strength of the young British rider got the better of both the South African and the four-time Tour de France winner, who had his best stage in the French round since his last triumph. Pidcock, among the crowd that filled the road, shot without looking back and managed 48 seconds and 2:06 minutes over Meintjes and Froome, respectively. In addition, he is eighth overall, 7:39 behind leader Jonas Vingegaard.

Among the contenders for the final victory, after the very tough previous stage and the incessant mutual attacks between Vingegaard's Jumbo-Visma and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), there were no attacks or strategies and they reached the finish line together, so the Dane continues in yellow with the same advantage of 2:22 over Pogacar and 2:26 over Geraint Thomas, who suffered and partially gave in but reached the finish line with both.

On the other hand, Frenchman Romain Bardet came in 3:42 behind Pidcock, 19 seconds behind Pogacar, Vingegaard and Thomas, and dropped from second to fourth place overall to now be 2:35 behind the Dane. Nairo Quintana (Arkéa Samsic) also suffered after his good stage in the Granon and is fifth, behind Adam Yates (INEOS Grenadiers). Spaniard Enric Mas (Movistar Team) regains a place, who held on until almost the end with the best and is ninth at 9:32 behind Vingegaard.

This Friday, in stage 13, tranquility is expected for the applicants for the general classification and a new option for the stage chasers or the sprinters. There will be three mountain climbs, but the 192.6 kilometers will be flatter than uphill and, after leaving Le Bourg d'Oisans, the finish line in Saint-Étienne could see a sprint.

--CLASSIFICATIONS.

-Stage.

1. Thomas Pidcock (GBR/INEOS Grenadiers) 4:55:24.

2. Louis Meintjes (RSA/Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) has 48.

3. Chris Froome (GBR/Israel-Premier Tech) 2:06.

4. Neilson Powless (USA/EF Education-EasyPost) 2:29.

5. Tadej Pogacar (SVN/UAE Team Emirates) 3:23.

...//...

6. Jonas Vingegaard (DIN/Jumbo-Visma) m.t.

8. ENRIC MAS (ESP / Movistar Team) 3:26.

-General.

1. Jonas Vingegaard (DIN/Jumbo-Visma) 46:28:46.