Favorite Roglic crashes, Tour dream dramatically shattered
The 12th Stage of the Tour de France is overshadowed by a crash close to the finish. Involved is leading rider Primoz Roglic. The Slovenian fought fiercely to keep up with the pack but couldn't make it despite team support. He lost significant time in the general classification.
Professional cyclist Biniam Girmay won the 12th Stage of the Tour de France. The 24-year-old from Eritrea at Team Intermarche-Wanty celebrated his third stage win at the annual French Grand Tour in a mass sprint in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Best German was Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) in fourth place after 203.6 km. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) finished ninth.
Captain Primoz Roglic of the German Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe crashed heavily about twelve kilometers from the finish and lost a lot of time to the leading trio. He was reportedly hit hard on the shoulder by a rider in front of him. On the last kilometers, he was escorted by his team but couldn't make up the gap. He looked heavily fatigued at the finish line. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) is still 66 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Soudal Quick-Step) and the Danish title defender Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike/+ 1:14 minutes).
The day was marked by several premature retirements of cyclists, including Dutch sprinter Fabio Jakobsen, who won a Tour stage in 2022. The Danish Michael Morkov was withdrawn from Astana's team before the stage start. Cavendish's important lead-out man is the first known Covid-19 case of the race. On Friday, another flat stage with the goal in Pau is scheduled. The Pyrenees await at the weekend, where the fight for the Yellow Jersey could erupt again.
Despite the crash in the 12th Stage of the Tour de France, Primoz Roglic continues to show his prowess in cycling, determined to make a comeback in the upcoming stages. The Tour de France, being one of the most prestigious events in sports, showcases the skill and endurance of its top riders like Roglic.
