Yates takes Tour de France Stage 12, Alaphilippe in yellow

BAGNERESDEBIGORRE France: Briton Simon Yates won the 12th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday a mountainous 210km ride from Toulouse as the main title contenders stayed quiet in the first Pyrenean climbs of this years race

Updated At : 02:41 PM Jul 19, 2019 IST

Breakaway group rides up to the Col de Peyresourde (Peyresourde Pass) during the 12th stage of the Tour de France between Toulouse and Bagneres-de-Bigorre on Thursday. AFP

BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE (France): Briton Simon Yates won the 12th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday, a mountainous 210-km ride from Toulouse, as the main title contenders stayed quiet in the first Pyrenean climbs of this year’s race.

With an individual time trial scheduled for Friday, none of the top guns attacked, and 40 riders broke away from the peloton. France’s Julian Alaphilippe retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey with a 1:12-minute advantage over defending champion Geraint Thomas. Tim Wellens, part of the breakaway, consolidated his lead in the mountains classification by reaching the top of the Col de Peyresourde (13km at 7%) first. Yates, Austrian Gregor Muehlberger and Spain’s Pello Bilbao were alone in front at the top of the last ascent of the day, the Hourquette d’Ancizan (10km at 7.5%), and they stayed ahead in the final descent into Bagneres-de-Bigorre. Reuters