Stage 12 - Redemption

Pretty regulation intermediate stage of the Tour de France, with Stage 12, 226km from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Annonay Davezieux, won by a breakaway. In yet another feel good story at this year’s race, victory on the day went to journey pro David Millar, who won the fourth Tour stage of his career, and his first since 2003. Millar was the most vaunted rider in the day’s break, and had enough nous in the finishing sprint to defeat Frenchman Jean Christoph Peraud with Egoi Martinez in third.

The two big climbs of the day came to early to do any real damage to the peleton, and as a result there was no change to the GC, and neither of the leaders in the mountains classification scored points on the climb. The bigger controversy was the sprint finish of the peleton – with Australian Matt Gloss relegated to last in the bunch for dangerous sprinting. He had led the main group over the line but his interference with Peter Sagan was deemed illegal by the race committee. As a result, he sacrificed his green jersey points on the stage, allowing Peter Sagan to take an ominous 50 point lead in the competition.  If the competition wasn’t already as good as over, it is now.

In a fairly mundane stage it was good to see Millar finally get another win at the Tour almost 9 years after his last. He has been to hell and back in the world of professional cycling and there is no one more deserved of success.  The victory, 45 years to the day that arguably Britain’s greatest cyclist, Tom Simpson died on the climb of Mount Vontoux could not have been more timely.

Yellow Jersey – Bradley Wiggins

Green Jersey – Peter Sagan

Polka Dot Jersey – Frederick Kessiakoff

White Jersey – Tejay Van Garderen

Brock McLean Tweet of the Day

@richardbirdge7 – Wiggins won the 4km at Beijing and may win #letour – is that not the same as someone winning the 1500m and the marathon in athletics