Samuel Sanchez wins 12th stage and Thomas Voeckler retains overall lead in 2011 Tour De France
Euskaltel-Euskadi team’s Samuel Sanchez won the 12th stage in 2011 Tour de France on Thursday, July 14. Thomas Voeckler maintained his overall leader’s yellow jersey.
The race started in Cugnaux and ended in Luz-Ardiden. The 33-year-old Spanish cyclist took a total of 6 hours, 1 minute and 15 seconds to cover the distance of 209 kilometres.
After winning the stage, Sanchez said, "I knew it was an important day, and I had to try something because my position in the general classification meant that I was not a dangerous rival for some of the GC riders. “I had my chance and I decided to go.”
Jelle Vanendert of Omega Pharma-Lotto was the runner-up with 7 seconds behind Samuel. Frank Schleck of Leopard Trek was in the third place with a difference of 10 seconds.
The early breakaway came from a group of six riders which included Geraint Thomas (Team Sky), Ruben Perez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Movistar), Blel Kadri (Ag2R), Laurent Mangel (Saur-Sojasun) and Jeremy Roy (FDJ).
After a few kilometres to go, all of them gained a lead of four minutes, but Laurent Mangel took the first and second intermediate sprint. Soon after, Jeremy Roy and Geraint Thomas launched the attack over the peloton, while Roy took the lead.
In the final 8 kilometres, Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) worked together and closed on to the leader. Both of them moved in the right path, but Roy and Thomas faded away from the lead. However, Samuel Sanchez
maintained his pace and managed to take the final sprint of the stage and crossed the finish-line.
Sanchez further added, “On the descent after the Tourmalet, [Philippe] Gilbert helped widen the gap along with one of his team-mates, as I had also a teammate in front, Ruben Perez Moreno, I knew it was the right time to attack.”
Thomas Voeckler retained the overall lead with a timing of 51 hours, 54 minutes and 44 seconds. Frank Schleck of Leopard Trek was the runner-up with 1 minute and 49 seconds adrift, while BMC Racing rider Cadel Evans finished third with a difference of 2
minutes and 6 seconds.
The stage winner, Samuel, grabbed the eighth place with a difference of 4 minutes and 11 seconds.
The next stage will start in Limoux and end in Montpellier. All the cyclists will cover the distance of 187 kilometres.
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