- Simon Yates won Stage 12 of the Tour de France after joining a three-man break that led the course in the Pyrenees.
- The 2018 Vuelta a España winner launched an attack at the line to beat Pello Bilbao and Gregor Mühlberger.
- The peloton finished 9:35 behind and kept the General Classification intact, with Julian Alaphilippe defending his yellow jersey for the fourth day straight.
Simon Yates won his first stage at the 2019 Tour de France on Thursday after leading in a three-man break during the race’s first day in the Pyrenees.
The 26-year-old Brit finished with Pello Bilbao and Gregor Mühlberger almost a minute and a half ahead of the chase group. The trio managed to survive over two Category 1 climbs and stay away on the fast, 30.5K descent to the finish in Bagnères-de-Bigorre.
With no pursuers in sight, Yates began his charge to the line with about 100 metres to go. Mühlberger failed to respond in time and finished third, while Bilbao, a Spanish climber, held on to take second.
Yates, who won the Vuelta a España last September, used his track cycling background to his advantage, easily out-sprinting his two rivals for the stage win. Meanwhile, his twin brother Adam Yates has proven himself as a contender for the overall Tour title, sitting in seventh on the General Classification at 1:47 behind.
“My main priority here is to help Adam,” Simon Yates, almost an hour behind on the GC, said after the stage. “Today was just one of the chances I had to get at the road.” Later, he added, “But I’m really happy with this win. I got the green light to go from the team and timed it well.”
Cameras on the distant peloton showed Adam Yates, connected by radio to his team car, smiling at the news of his brother’s victory.
The chase group crossed the line 1:28 behind the three leaders, with 2018 Strade Bianche winner Tiesj Benoot taking fourth. Yates’s Mitchelton–Scott teammate, Matteo Trentin – whose ride in support of the stage winner earned him the red number as most combative rider – placed sixth behind fellow Italian Fabio Felline.
The peloton finished at 9:35 behind, letting the breakaway escape to keep the top-10 overall rankings intact. Ineos set the pace, with Julian Alaphilippe attaching himself to the front of the pack to defend his yellow jersey for the fourth-straight day.
Things will likely change, however, on Friday’s 27K individual time trial in Pau. Returning champion Geraint Thomas traditionally does well on TTs and will aim to put significant time in on his rivals. Alaphilippe, however, vowed to defend his overall lead once more.
“I have a lead of one minute [and] 12 seconds, and I’m real looking forward to pushing myself to a new limit,” the 27-year-old race leader said.
Tim Wellens extended his lead in the King of the Mountains competition, now sitting 17 points ahead of Thomas De Gendt. Peter Sagan won the Intermediate Sprint in Luchon and grew his lead on the Points Classification to 86.