Summary

  • Marcel Kittel win his fifth stage of 2017 Tour de France

  • GB's Chris Froome retains overall lead

  • Eymet - Pau, 203.5km

  1. Thanks and farewellpublished at 17:01 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Well after a rather unremarkable day that turned into a frantic finish.

    You have to feel for Maciej Bodnar, it would've been a wonderful story for him to stay away all day and win.

    But Marcel Kittel is writing his own stunning story here. A fifth stage win and the green jersey firmly in his grasp.

    Chris Froome still in yellow. You can read all about it here.

    Catch you tomorrow.

  2. Froome stays in yellowpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Chris Froome eased in and will pull on his 51st yellow jersey shortly.

    Here are the top five on GC:

    1. Chris Froome (GB/Sky) 47hrs 01min 55secs
    2. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) +18secs
    3. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R) +51secs
    4. Rigoberto Uran (Col/Cannondale-Drapac) +55secs
    5. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +1min 37secs
  3. Postpublished at 16:58 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Maciej Bodnar, speaking to ITV4, after being caught late on: "I am disappointed because I was caught in the last 250m and it was my best day and I wanted to win for my team, for Peter Sagan and my dad who died two months ago.

    "I was sprinting out of the corners. The last 20km was my best time trial.

    "I'm not happy about today. I can be happy about my legs but not about the result.

    "After 200km in the break and then you have 200m left...well, you know how I feel."

  4. Top Fivepublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    There was, by the way, yet another impressive sprint from Britain's Dan McLay today as he came home in fifth. Here's the top five:

    1. Marcel Kittel (Ger/Quick-Step)
    2. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo)
    3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Team Dimension Data)
    4. Michael Matthews (Aus/Sunweb)
    5. Dan McLay (GB/Fortuneo-Vital Concept)
  5. Postpublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Marcel Kittel celebratesImage source, Getty Images

    Here's stage winner Marcel Kittel: "It's incredible because when you're on the top level as a sprinter, it's like playing tetris and you're just trying to find the gaps.

    "I've not made a mistake and today agian I could just jump from wheel to wheel.

    "It's really ince to give the team a victory because Jack Bauer, Julien Vermote and Philippe Gilbert all worked today. They're champions and they're killing it for me.

    "It's perfect at the moment. The race [for the green jersey] is not over but I've used all my chances that I've got so far."

  6. Postpublished at 16:49 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Chris Froome did indeed have the unremarkable day he was looking for and finished safely in the bunch.

    The Briton remains 18 seconds clear of Fabio Aru in second and 51 seconds ahead of Romain Bardet in third.

    Job done and onto the Pyrenees tomorrow.

  7. Postpublished at 16:46 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    With the first stage being a time trial, that means the Tour has had 10 mass start stages so far and Marcel Kittel has won half of them.

    OK, so Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan are out, as is Arnaud Demare, but that is still remarkable dominance. The Quick-Step sprinter looks unbeatable and there a few more chances left - mainly the final stage on the Champs Elysees.

  8. Kittel wins his fifth stagepublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    A word for Bora's Maciej Bodnar, having been out front for 203.3km of a 203.5km stage.

    Those last 200m are sadly all that matters, though, and the Pole was swept up ruthlessly by a surging peloton.

    And when a peloton sprints like that in this Tour, there is no other result than a Marcel Kittel victory.

  9. KITTEL WINS STAGE 11published at 16:38 British Summer Time 12 July 2017
    Breaking

    Marcel Kittel celebratesImage source, Getty Images

    Marcel Kittel claims his fifth stage win of this Tour. Dominance.

    The German comes from a fair way back but just has so much power that he easily reels in Edvald Boasson Hagen and Michael Matthews on their left and even has enough time to coast over the line with his arm aloft.

    Dylan Groenewegen does well to hug Kittel's wheel for as long as possible and finish second, with Boasson Hagen third.

  10. Bodnar caughtpublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Fabio Sabatini reels in Maciej Bodnar.

    Here comes the sprint...

  11. 1km to gopublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar still leads

    Bodnar takes the flamme rogue signalling 1km to go by himself.

    Surely he can't do this? Can he?

  12. 1.5km to gopublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Zdenek Stybar hits the front for Quick-Step. A fifth win for Marcel Kittel beckons?

  13. 2km to gopublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar leads by five seconds

    Into the final 2km but brave Bodnar has barely any advantage left. The peloton can see him clearly now on the wide, straight roads of Pau.

  14. Postpublished at 16:35 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar has just 10 seconds. He'll be swept up soon.

  15. 3km to gopublished at 16:35 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar leads by 15 seconds

    Right, Marcel Kittel is up there now and Quick-Step are locked in, their lead-out men hitting the front.

    Oh no, Bodnar has started to look round. This one could be over very quickly for the Pole.

  16. 4km to gopublished at 16:34 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar leads by 18 seconds

    Bodnar finally gets back into a bit of road furniture and a few turns, looking to stay out of sight of the charging peloton.

  17. 5km to gopublished at 16:33 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar leads by 21 seconds

    Tony Martin hits the front for Katusha, perhaps setting it up for Alexander Kristoff.

    The four-time world time trial champion's effort is brief but good enough to cut the gap down to 21 seconds to Maciej Bodnar out front.

  18. 6km to gopublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar leads by 28 seconds

    Real signs of worry in the peloton but it's translated into the gap coming down under 30 seconds.

    Bodnar looks in pain as he goes deep, grimacing and staring down at his stem.

  19. 7km to gopublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar leads by 33 seconds

    The peloton is being drive by Quick-Step, with former world champion Philippe Gilbert doing some massive turns for his sprinter Marcel Kittel.

    Julien Vermote hits the front yet again as Gilbert peels off, exhausted. Vermote has been a powerhouse in this Tour.

  20. 8km to gopublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 12 July 2017

    Bodnar leads by 36 seconds

    A long straight road now, which is exactly what Bodnar doesn't want as the peloton will be able to better gauge the distance to him.

    He's nailing this, though, and the advantage just isn't coming down yet.