Summary

  • Katusha's Alexander Kristoff wins stage 12

  • Vincenzo Nibali retains race leader's yellow jersey

  • Team Sky's Richie Porte stays second, +2:23 behind

  • Tony Gallopin loses 5:45; drops out of GC top 10

  • Geraint Thomas and Simon Yates only GB riders left

Live Reporting

Peter Scrivener

  1. And that feels like a decent place to leave it. Thanks for your texts and tweets this afternoon.

    We are heading into the mountains on Friday and the first hors categories (ridiculously difficult) climb to a summit finish at Chamrousse.

    Expect a big battle among the likes of race leader Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte, Alejandro Valverde et al. Who will emerge with the psychological advantage as we head into the Alps?

    Join me from 13:00 BST to find out - and we will have live radio commentary from 15:00 BST.

  2. A quick word from stage winner Alexander Kristoff, who is tasting Tour victory for the first time: "I have been dreaming about this since I was a child. I have been close before and it is great to have my first time on the top of the podium."

  3. General Classification

    Yellow Jersey
    Classification

    Standings after stage 12:

    1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Astana) 51hrs 31mins 34secs

    2. Richie Porte (Aus/Team Sky) +2mins 23secs

    3. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +2mins 47secs

    4. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R) +3mins 01secs

    5. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/FDJ.fr) +3mins 47secs

  4. Rob Hayles
    Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    "No change in the General Classification with Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte and Alejandro Valverde all finishing together - apart from poor old Tony Gallopin. He started fifth this morning and on the run-in to the finish he lost time but he won't be too disappointed given how his race has gone, winning a stage and wearing the yellow jersey.

    "Tomorrow is a day for the GC guys - for those who are trying to claw some time back on Nibali."

  5. Stage 12 result

    1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/Katusha) 4hrs 32mins 11secs

    2. Peter Sagan (Svk/Cannondale) Same time

    3. Arnaud Demare (Fra/FDJ.fr)

    4. Michael Albasini (Swi/Orica)

    5. Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania / Garmin)

  6. Rob Hayles
    Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    "I think Sagan is missing a bit of top end. Had he ridden in a more conservative way he may have won a stage. He desperately wants one and he should be winning them. Today he did everything right but just didn't have the legs."

  7. Well, hands up who saw that coming? Kristoff has been sprinting without a lead-out train all Tour and he has been left feeding off scraps but today he managed to get on the Omega Pharma - Quick-Step train and the Norwegian used it to full effect.

  8. Courtesy of Tim Peach, the 5 live producer out in Saint Etienne - here's Kristoff winning stage 12.

    Alexander Kristoff (red and white jersey) wins stage 12

  9. Rob Hayles
    Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    "Sagan can only blame his legs there which perhaps goes to show he has lost a little bit. Greipel will be ruing his bad luck. But no taking away from Kristoff who finished that perfectly."

  10. Rob Hayles
    Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    "The Katusha rider finishes ahead of Sagan, who played it right but he just didn't have the legs. Demare, the French national champion got third."

  11. CHAMPAGNE MOMENT

    ALEXANDER KRISTOFF WINS STAGE 12.

  12. Demare, Trentin, Sagan, Kristoff. all fighting this out, who is going to get home first?

  13. Here we go under the Flamme Rouge. 1km to go. Peter Sagan and Matteo Trentin are right up there.

  14. Sylvain Chavanel is getting both barrels from Greipel at the back of the bunch. Think we can suss out whose fault that crash was.

  15. A four-man Cannondale train setting this up for Sagan - they are looking very well organised but don't count out Matteo Trentin who has four OPQS team-mate pacing him. There's an uphill drag coming up though. 2km to go.

  16. OUCH!

    Andre Greipel is down - he will not make this sprint. Just 3km to go.

  17. Looks like we're in for a nice big bunch sprint folks. Team Sky are out on the left side of the road, staying safe.

    French champion Arnaud Demare has made the final selection, could the FDJ rider take this. But then, here comes the green Cannondale machine round the the side of the peloton trying to set this up for Sagan.

  18. Break over

    Gautier leads Clarke and the Aussie is happy to get a tow here. The Frenchman keeps asking Clarke to help out but he's staying put so Gautier attacks and Clarke finds a bit of something in his legs to stay with him.

    The peloton comes sweeping by though as they enter the final 5km.

  19. Lotto-Belisol, the team of sprinter Andre Greipel hits the front and Omega Pharma - Quick-Step show their faces for the first time today. Could Matteo Trentin fancy this finish again?

    Simon Clarke glances behind him and grimaces as he sees the peloton closing in - he knows this is not going to be his day. 7.5km remaining.

  20. Rob Hayles
    Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    "Quemeneur's jacket is open and flapping in the breeze and that is putting him at a huge disadvantage. It is an extra 10-15% of effort wasted. And he's had one big effort there and swung away."