There was something to play for Thibaut Pinot, but it was finally Ion Izagirre who did it. The Spaniard from Cofidis offered himself the 12th stage between Roanne and Belleville-en-Beaujolais after making the difference in the Col de la Croix Rosier, the last of the 5 difficulties of the day, while Pinot was in ambush but n couldn’t keep up with his acceleration, just like Mathieu van der Poel.
Izagirre, already a stage winner in the 2016 Tour de France, then finished the job solo over 30 kilometers, leaving a small group of pursuers 1′ away. Frenchman Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) finished 2nd, American Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) completed the podium.
After a somewhat crazy start to the stage, like Tuesday’s stage, the good breakaway ended up forming just under 80 kilometers from the finish. Despite the presence of Julian Alaphilippe, van der Poel or Pinot therefore, Dylan Teuns and other good adventurers, it is therefore the Basque Izagirre who wins. A remarkable blow for Cofidis, which won its second victory in this Tour de France after that of Victor Lafay during the second stage. Before this Tour de France, the French team had not won on the Tour since… 2008.
Finally 6th in the stage, Thibaut Pinot finished 3′01 ahead of the peloton and moved up to 10th place in the general classification.
