The Tour de France entered a critical phase with Stage 12, as the race hit the high mountains for the first time on a punishing 181km route from Auch to the summit finish at Hautacam. After 11 challenging stages, the general classification battle was expected to ignite on the day’s category-one and hors catégorie climbs.
The stage began with questions surrounding defending champion Tadej Pogacar, who was recovering from a crash the previous day. “My whole left arm is open, burned off skin,” Pogacar said before the start, though he insisted he was “OK” and ready for the challenge. His main rival, Jonas Vingegaard, anticipated a difficult day, stating, “There is no hiding today. You have to go full-gas.”
The race began with immediate intensity as riders vied for a place in the breakaway. Early attacks from riders like Geraint Thomas and Ben O’Connor signaled aggressive intent from multiple teams. Yesterday’s stage winner, Jonas Abrahamsen, also made an early move, while Cees Bol became the day’s only non-starter, abandoning due to illness.
A decisive moment occurred early in the stage when the peloton fractured, creating a formidable lead group of nearly 50 riders. This powerful breakaway quickly established an advantage of over a minute, suggesting the stage winner would likely emerge from this contingent.
The group contained a host of strong riders, including Tiesj Benoot, Maximilian Schachmann, Julian Alaphilippe, Michael Woods, Mathieu van der Poel, and Aleksandr Vlasov. Crucially, several teams placed key riders in the move, with Ineos Grenadiers represented by half its squad, including Carlos Rodriguez, and Ben O’Connor also present. The composition of the breakaway has the potential to profoundly reshape the tactical landscape of the race and the general classification standings.
