Summary

  • Stage 12: Briancon to Alpe d'Huez, 166km

  • Summit finish on famous Alpe d'Huez

  • Three hors categorie climbs

  • Second time up Col du Galibier in two days

  • Vingegaard in yellow jersey as overall leader

  • Bardet second - 2mins 16secs behind

  • Defending champion Pogacar third - 2mins 22secs adrift

  • GB's Thomas fourth, Yates sixth

Live Reporting

Chris Bevan

  1. 'An important day for the French'

    We've been waiting for a move from a French rider - it is Bastille Day after all... and we've just seen one!

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

  2. Recreating the route from 1986

    Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault on Alpe d'Huez in 1986Getty Images

    Alpe d'Huez has seen some memorable battles in the 70 years since the legendary Fausto Coppi led the race up the mountain for the Tour's first ever summit finish, and today deliberately mirrors one of the most famous of them all.

    Today's stage from Briancon to the Alpe is an exact replica of the 18th stage of the 1986 Tour, when team-mates Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault broke clear then put aside their personal rivalry for the overall lead, crossing the finish line hand-in-hand.

    Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault on Alpe d'Huez in 1986Getty Images

  3. 140km to go

    No fireworks yet from the big hitters today, but there's been a few attempts to get across from the main bunch to the escapees.

    At the moment Giulio Ciccone is about 40 seconds behind the breakaway, while Louis Meintjes and Georg Zimmermann are another minute or so back.

    Then come the peloton, another two minutes back.

  4. "It's not over yet"

    Jonas VingegaardReuters

    Speaking of jerseys, Jonas Vingegaard is the man in yellow today after his heroics on Wednesday. Let's not write off defending champion Tadej Pogacar just yet though, hey?

    Pogacar cracked at the end of yesterday's stage after fending off repeated attacks by Vingegaard's Jumbo-Visma team-mates, but is he about to concede defeat. Not a chance...

    "It is not over yet," Pogacar said at the stage finish. "He got three minutes today, maybe tomorrow it's me who gets three minutes. We will fight until the end."

    The stage is set then. This is the General Classification after stage 11, with less than a minute separating second from seventh.

    1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 41hrs 29mins 59secs

    2. Romain Bardet (Fra/DSM +2mins 16secs

    3. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 22secs

    4. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +2mins 26secs

    5. Nairo Quintana (Col/Arkea Samsic) +2mins 37secs

    6. Adam Yates (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +3mins 06secs

    7. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +3mins 13secs

    8. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +7mins 23secs

    9. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz/Astana) +8mins 07secs

    10. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +9mins 29secs

  5. More points for Wout van Aert

    Today's intermediate sprint came after 12km, at Le Monetier-Les-Bains. The front six were first over, obviously, but the man in green, Wout van Aert, was at the front of the main bunch to hoover up nine points and this is how that leaves the green jersey standings.

    1. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), 3132. Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), 1553. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), 1484. Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost), 1295. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), 116

    Wout van AertEPA

  6. An early move...

    148km to go

    More on Alpe d'Huez later, of course... much more! - but here is what is happening on the road.

    Today's stage has only just begun but the race is already heading uphill and a six-man breakaway has been allowed to escape early on the way up Col du Galibier.

    Those riders are: Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Anthony Perez (Cofidis), Gerhard Schönberger (B&B Hotels-KTM), Kobe Goossens (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) and Matis Louvel (Arkea-Samsic).

    They are about one minute and 20 seconds clear at the moment.

  7. Geraint's verdict...

    So, a huge test awaits... but the atmosphere on the unique arena that is Alpe d'Huez is quite a pay-off for all the pain.

    This is what Geraint Thomas thinks...

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

  8. Stage 12 - Shut up legs!

    Stage 12Tour de France

    So, Wednesday had the highest stage finish, and the highest point of the race... today has got the highest vertical gain (4,750m), and almost 65km of climbing in total, with the race heading uphill for over a third of the total 165.1km route.

    That is going to hurt. I'm sure a lot of the 159 remaining riders who just rode over the start line about 20 minutes ago will be echoing the thoughts of Tour legend Jens Voigt at some point today, and thinking - or shouting - "shut up legs!"

  9. 70 years of Alpe d'Huez

    Alpe d'HuezGetty Images

    So, we're still in the high mountains, the day after the race has been blown completely apart, and waiting to see who has got what left in the tank after a stunning day of what has been a truly extraordinary Tour, even by this race's ridiculous standards.

    What else could you ask for?

    How about a summit finish on the famous Alpe d'Huez, celebrating 70 years of one of the Tour's most iconic climbs?

    Oh, and it's Bastille Day too; France's national holiday. There is always a party on the slopes of Alpe d'Huez (and all 21 of its hairpin bends), but this one is going to be extra special.

    If you had any other plans for today, it's pretty simple: cancel them now.

    Dutch fans on bend sevenGetty Images

    Dutch fans have traditionally made bend seven of Alpe d'Huez their own

  10. Let's do it all over again

    Jonas VingegaardEPA

    So, have you got your breath back yet? I hope so...

    Yep, Wednesday's 11th stage of the Tour de France delivered a truly epic day of bike racing in the high mountains that saw the main contenders go head to head in a Battle Royale in the Alps.

    A thrilling story of team tactics, spirit and raw power unfolded on the slopes, before Jonas Vingegaard ultimately climbed into yellow, while defending champion Tadej Pogacar cracked.

    The good news? We're going to do it all again today, in the 2022 Tour's Queen Stage.

    Tadej Pogacar.EPA