Luis Leon Sanchez knows how to attack, how to climb and how to descend. He is one of the most aggressive men in the peloton and even though he was plagued with injuries sustained in a crash in stage one, he insisted on staying in the race even though he only has three team-mates along for support. Never mind if logic dictates that he should limp through to Paris: he wanted to give Rabobank a reward for what has been a Tour plagued with problems. He would ultimately win his fourth stage of the Tour de France but the 14th stage of the 2012 race will be remembered for the sabotage that threatened to influence the overall classification. Eventually cool heads prevailed and the biggest potential loser of the stage, Cadel Evans was given a lifeline by his main rivals who all realized that attacking a rider who was a victim of what the competition director of the Tour, Jean-François Pescheux claimed was sabotage by someone throwing tacks on the road causing the spate of punctures. More that 30 riders flatted.
Just at the top of the final climb of the Péguère there was a succession of punctures. Until that moment there hadn't been any attacks from the yellow jersey group but Evans was utterly stranded without mechanical assistance at the summit. He had his rear wheel out for what seemed like an eternity before, finally, Burghardt arrived to offer a wheel but there seemed to be some incompatibility and it wasn't until Moinard arrived on the scene that they started trying to swap wheels. But then Wiggins had been made aware of the situation and he signaled a truce in his group that contained about 15 men. Everyone but Rolland agreed that they would wait for the defending champion who was struck with misfortune of having to endure three wheel changes in a 10-minute span of as the result of the tacks being thrown onto the road.
BMC Racing Team President Jim Ochowicz said the sabotage of the stage endangered a lot of people's lives. "I don't know if they'll find the person who did it," he said. "But it was pretty stupid and it was dangerous. Several riders crashed as a result of the tacks."
Evans said he was disappointed the race fell victim to whomever spread the tacks on the road as a protest or to attract attention. "The main thing is that it happened to me three times and at crucial moments," he said. "Fortunately, we had George Hincapie, Michael Schär and Amaël – who went well beyond his limits today – along with Marcus Burghardt, and the chase was well organized." Race leader Bradley Wiggins said he told his Sky Procycling teammates to wait for Evans, who remains fourth overall, 3:19 off the race lead. "No one wants to benefit from someone's misfortune," Wiggins said. Evans arrived at the finish line in 16th place, with Wiggins and the rest of the peloton, 18:15 after stage winner Sanchez. The top 10 GC remain unchanged.
A tack in a Lampre team tire:
Note: one withdrawal, KISERLOVSKI Robert as a result of a crash due to the tacks.
GC:
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 64:41:16
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:03:19
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:48
6 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan 0:06:15
7 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:06:57
8 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:07:30
9 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:08:31
10 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:08:51
11 Andreas Klöden (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:09:29
12 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:09:45
13 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:10:49
14 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:11:27
15 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan 0:12:41
16 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:17:21
17 Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:17:41
18 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:18:04
19 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team 0:19:02
20 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:20:12
21 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:20:32
22 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:20:35
23 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:27:03
24 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:27:37
25 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:32:59
26 Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:33:13
27 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:44:45
28 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:45:13
29 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:45:35
30 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:47:17
31 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:47:32
32 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:48:34
33 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:54:40
34 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:56:06
35 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:56:19
36 Alexandr Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:56:43
37 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:58:59
38 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:59:50
39 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team 1:00:39
40 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1:04:31
41 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team 1:04:55
42 Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling 1:05:26
43 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:06:40
44 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:09:23
45 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:10:52
46 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar 1:11:52
47 Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar 1:12:30
48 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team 1:13:24
49 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 1:13:33
50 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:13:34
51 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 1:13:39
52 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 1:13:56
53 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 1:14:22
54 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 1:14:26
55 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 1:14:28
56 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 1:14:46
57 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 1:14:49
58 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 1:15:01
59 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 1:15:33
60 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 1:16:18
61 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 1:17:50
62 Dominik Nerz (Ger) Liquigas-Cannondale 1:18:57
63 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:19:19
64 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 1:20:15
65 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp 1:20:39
66 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Sharp 1:21:06
67 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha Team 1:21:40
68 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Movistar Team 1:22:23
69 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team 1:24:24
70 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team 1:26:05
71 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:26:07
72 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 1:28:05
73 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:28:16
74 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan 1:29:15
75 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 1:30:24
76 Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 1:30:38
77 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:31:48
78 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team 1:33:10
79 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 1:34:00
80 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 1:35:48
81 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:36:28
82 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - ISD 1:38:34
83 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 1:38:38
84 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD 1:41:23
85 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 1:41:54
86 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Sharp 1:42:39
87 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling 1:43:23
88 Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1:45:03
89 Simone Stortoni (Ita) Lampre - ISD 1:45:39
90 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team 1:46:52
91 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team 1:46:57
92 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 1:47:33
93 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar 1:47:36
94 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team 1:48:24
95 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 1:49:41
96 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 1:49:57
97 Federico Canuti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 1:50:21
98 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 1:51:08
99 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:52:00
100 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:52:06
101 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:52:07
102 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:53:12
103 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Sharp
104 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 1:53:41
105 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale 1:54:52
106 Julien Simon (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 1:55:39
107 Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 1:55:44
108 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team 1:55:52
109 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar 1:56:31
110 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos-Shimano 1:56:49
111 Baden Cooke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:57:46
112 Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team 1:59:11
113 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 2:01:51
114 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 2:02:43
115 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 2:03:38
116 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 2:03:53
117 Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar 2:03:57
118 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 2:05:04
119 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 2:05:37
120 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 2:06:10
121 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 2:06:24
122 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol Team 2:06:40
123 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 2:07:09
124 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 2:07:30
125 Juan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Katusha Team 2:07:40
126 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 2:09:07
127 Brice Feillu (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 2:10:46
128 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 2:11:57
129 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 2:12:04
130 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat 2:13:01
131 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 2:13:32
132 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Argos-Shimano 2:14:28
133 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 2:15:03
134 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 2:15:20
135 Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 2:15:41
136 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 2:15:47
137 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar 2:18:23
138 Roy Curvers (Ned) Argos-Shimano 2:19:04
139 Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar 2:19:56
140 Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 2:20:02
141 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Movistar Team 2:20:04
142 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 2:20:15
143 Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 2:21:50
144 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 2:21:56
145 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 2:22:06
146 Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 2:23:24
147 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Argos-Shimano 2:23:35
148 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 2:24:38
149 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling 2:24:43
150 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 2:24:58
151 Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 2:29:09
152 Yann Huguet (Fra) Argos-Shimano 2:29:10
153 Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 2:30:12
154 Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 2:31:55
155 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 2:32:30
156 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre - ISD 2:33:33
157 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team 2:34:45
158 Albert Timmer (Ned) Argos-Shimano 2:38:04
159 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 2:38:16
160 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin - Sharp 2:40:47
161 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 2:43:46
162 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Sharp 2:47:29
Photo: Bettini
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