2012 Tour de France, Stage 10 Results

Just starting the Tour in 2012 seemed like a triumph for Thomas Voeckler in a season in which he has been plagued with injuries but the Frenchman has again won a stage and now he also leads the climbing classification.

Thomas Voeckler knows how to get the maximum out of himself at the Tour de France. He's out of contention for another stint in the yellow jersey or a top four overall finish in the race like he achieved in 2011 but on the day to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine he did enough to earn three appearances on the podium. First, he led over the first 'hors categorie' climb of the 99th Tour - the Col du Grand Colombier to take the lead of the climbing classification, then he was voted the most aggressive rider of the 10th stage and, ultimately, he timed his race to the finish line to perfection. He won the stage from a break that took almost an hour to establish on a day when the average speed or the first hour was a formidable 49.8km/h. There were 25 men in that move and, by the end, only 10 of them would finish ahead of the yellow jersey's group. The best was Voeckler. He is a racer who puts on a show. The French adore him, and he duly respond to their cheers. It was his third stage win in a Tour de France.

 “You know, when you love something you have to give it all you can," said Voeckler. "For many years I've said that, for me, a good Tour de France is a Tour de France when you arrive in Paris and you can say to yourself that you have no regrets. Today I know that I can finish my Tour without regrets but that doesn't mean that I'll just stay in the peloton for the rest of the race. The polka dot jersey… ah, you can not compare it to the yellow jersey. But this morning I had no chance to take the yellow. I've already worn the polka-dot jersey twice before this Tour, but never so late in the race. I thought about ‘Chartix' [Anthony Charteau] and how that got to Paris in 2010 with the polka-dot jersey. If it happened for him, I tell myself that I can also try. I will not let it go easily.”

Michele Scarponi, starting10'27" on GC, is now looking for stage wins and came in 3 seconds behind Voeckler today. "It was my aim to try to do something good in the upcoming stages in the Alps starting tomorrow but this morning a breakaway formed and thanks to the support of Hondo I joined it, " Scarponi explained. "I had good feelings so I tried to obtain the stage victory. I managed my effort then I raised the pace on Col du Grand Colombier that made the selection of Voeckler, Devenyns and Leon Sanchez. In the final kilometer, I chose to wait for Leon Sanchez to make his move, I really thought he would react to Voeckler's attack. Unluckily for me, the Spaniard waited too long and so I had to try to close the gap myself. It's a pity, but this stage will give me morale to try again to attack." The Lampre-ISD's captain is now 15th in the overall standing at 7'14" to Wiggins and 3rd in the Kom classification (21 points, 7 to Voeckler.

For all the action, the first stage in the high mountains yielded no change in the top 5 GC. Vincenzo Nibali demonstrated that he's willing to try attacking when he can and did so on the descent from the Grand Colombier but it was too far from the finish for real gains to be made. He succumbed to the strength of the Sky team which again did everything required to get their leader one day closer to the ultimate objective: victory in the 2012 Tour. During yesterday's rest day Nibali had this to say:

"I came into this Tour knowing that I’d done everything I could to prepare for it, » said Nibali. "And, so far I’ve managed to get the sort of results and feelings that I’d expected. Only two men have proved to be stronger, Wiggins and Froome, and the gaps between me and other riders are minimal: the predictions that Sky would be in top form were right. But I think the best of this Tour is still to come. We’ve got three stages tomorrow, Thursday and Friday that could do some real damage, as could next week in the Pyrenees. They may seem bombproof but no one is invincible. We need conviction and to try to separate Wiggins and Froome from their teammates then attack them one on one. I’ll be important to play this game with the head and not just go on instinct. "

"The first week was a nervous one and even though there weren’t any climbs we worked very hard to not run any risks. Every effort needs to be measured from now on. I know I’ve got a strong, motivated team with me and together we’ll find a way to invent something major, particularly in the big mountain stages. Ivan Basso will be a fundamental rider for me: he’s riding into a good rhythm and I know he’ll help me to make a difference. There are also opponents in the same situation as me and, if we get the right chance, we could form some form of alliance. There are also some riders further down the GC who might want to try an early break to get themselves back in the game. There are so many variables that can influence and change the race."

"My philosophy has always been not to build up too many expectations, not to put myself under any undue pressure and take the Tour one day at a time. I’ll try to do the same in the upcoming stages: tranquility is the key to not making any mistakes. Plus there are the dynamics within the race that can change from one day to the next. My style of racing won’t change. I’m an attacker, someone who tries hard and that’s what I’ll do from here to Paris to get the best possible result and finish without any regrets. "


Note: three riders did not start today:
MARTIN Tony, DI GREGORIO Rémy (suspended by COFIDIS as French police investigate alleged trafficking of doping products) and LLOYD Matthew.

Tomorrow: Stage 11, Albertville - La Toussuire-Les Sybelles, 148 km. TdF analysis by Jean-François Pescheux: "One of the shortest stages in the 99thedition. But riders beware, it is a tough one! The course is simple: after the first thirteen kilometres from Albertville, the peloton will be hard pressed to find a single inch of flat terrain! The cyclists will tackle La Madeleine, La Croix de Fer and Le Mollard one after the other before the final climb up La Toussuire. Let me tell you, the final podium will start to take shape on the finish line here! Those who falter in this stage will get no second chances. The winner will not be known yet, but the losers certainly will."

GC:
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 43:59:02
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:53
3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:07
4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23
5 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:03:02
6 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan 0:03:19
7 Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:04:23
8 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:48
9 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:05:29
10 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:05:31
11 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team 0:05:46
12 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:05:56
13 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:06:29
14 Andreas Klöden (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:06:33
15 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:07:14
16 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:08:19
17 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:08:31
18 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:08:53
19 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:08:58
20 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:09:28
21 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:09:30
22 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan 0:09:45
23 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:10:46
24 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:14:46
25 Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:15:23
26 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:17:23
27 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:18:37
28 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:20:01
29 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:20:32
30 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:20:41
31 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:22:51
32 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:24:07
33 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:24:32
34 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:24:48
35 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana Pro Team 0:25:47
36 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:27:49
37 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:29:53
38 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:32:14
39 Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:32:24
40 Alexandr Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:32:25
41 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:32:38
42 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 0:33:00
43 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:33:50
44 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:34:13
45 Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan 0:34:38
46 Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar 0:34:58
47 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team 0:35:36
48 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:35:41
49 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:36:31
50 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:36:46
51 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:37:40
52 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan 0:38:44
53 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:39:04
54 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:40:10
55 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:40:13
56 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:40:15
57 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:40:36
58 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:41:24
59 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:42:05
60 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team 0:42:27
61 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:43:04
62 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:43:06
63 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:43:20
64 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:43:30
65 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:43:31
66 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:43:35
67 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:45:01
68 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:45:03
69 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:45:41
70 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:45:44
71 Dominik Nerz (Ger) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:46:01
72 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan 0:46:21
73 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:46:47
74 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp 0:47:52
75 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 0:48:14
76 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:50:00
77 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:50:13
78 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team 0:50:23
79 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:51:22
80 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:52:03
81 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:52:05
82 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:52:23
83 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:52:36
84 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:52:37
85 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:52:41
86 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:53:10
87 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:54:48
88 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar 0:55:41
89 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD 0:56:36
90 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:56:48
91 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:57:05
92 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar 0:57:29
93 Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:59:41
94 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:59:49
95 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar 1:00:13
96 Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 1:01:44
97 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team 1:02:30
98 Simone Stortoni (Ita) Lampre - ISD 1:02:40
99 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:03:00
100 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Movistar Team 1:03:07
101 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling 1:03:19
102 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 1:03:24
103 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Sharp 1:03:35
104 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:03:38
105 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team 1:03:42
106 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:03:55
107 Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team 1:04:58
108 Federico Canuti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 1:05:10
109 Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar 1:05:33
110 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
111 Baden Cooke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:05:41
112 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale 1:05:43
113 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos - Shimano 1:05:47
114 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 1:06:56
115 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 1:07:15
116 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 1:07:23
117 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol Team 1:07:38
118 Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Katusha Team 1:08:49
119 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:10:46
120 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:11:43
121 Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
122 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 1:12:00
123 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team 1:12:25
124 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 1:12:57
125 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team 1:12:58
126 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 1:13:29
127 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:14:31
128 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:14:34
129 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:15:02
130 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 1:15:12
131 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1:15:31
132 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 1:17:07
133 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1:18:19
134 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:18:39
135 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat 1:18:43
136 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 1:19:41
137 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:20:17
138 Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar 1:20:27
139 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar 1:20:32
140 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 1:20:49
141 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1:21:08
142 Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 1:21:57
143 Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 1:22:39
144 Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 1:22:59
145 Julien Simon (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 1:23:16
146 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Movistar Team 1:23:17
147 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 1:23:36
148 Roy Curvers (Ned) Argos - Shimano 1:24:13
149 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Argos - Shimano 1:24:23
150 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 1:25:21
151 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 1:25:28
152 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 1:26:07
153 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 1:26:47
154 Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:27:25
155 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 1:27:48
156 Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 1:28:07
157 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling 1:29:21
158 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:29:32
159 Brice Feillu (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 1:29:36
160 Yuriy Krivtsov (Fra) Lampre - ISD 1:30:30
161 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Argos - Shimano 1:30:48
162 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 1:31:19
163 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre - ISD 1:32:58
164 Yann Huguet (Fra) Argos - Shimano 1:32:59
165 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:33:39
166 Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1:33:55
167 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team 1:34:31
168 Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1:34:37
169 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team 1:35:31
170 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1:37:26
171 Tom Veelers (Ned) Argos - Shimano 1:38:04
172 Albert Timmer (Ned) Argos - Shimano 1:39:02
173 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin - Sharp 1:40:12
174 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Sharp 1:47:11
175 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 1:48:12

Photos: Bettini

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