Sanchez takes mountain glory

Olympic Champion Samuel Sanchez

After a couple of stages designed for the sprinters, stage 12 was one which would shake up the General Classification, sorting out the ‘false positions’ from the riders who would challenge for Tour glory.

A day for stage 11 winner Mark Cavendish to trundle home safely in the ‘Autobus’ at the back of the field after consolidating his Green Jersey with a few more points in the intermediate sprint.

The Pyrenees has always had great drama, big mountains, and big challenges.  Much like a marathon, the Pyrenees cannot decide the Tour, but it can begin to shape and define it, and this year is no exception.

Thomas Voeckler, in scenes reminiscent of his 2004 race managed to hang onto his leaders jersey despite the main protagonist’s constant attacks, more on each other than Voeckler. But on Bastille Day the popular Frenchman was cheered loudly as he received the Yellow to wear for another day.

Andy Schleck, after last year’s disappointment of second was widely regarded as being Giro D’Italia winner Alberto Contador’s main rival, teamed up with his brother to take turns attacking the field. Finally Frank Schleck broke the resistance to power away and into second overall, first amongst the real contenders. Contador was again dropped; tiredness? Injured? Mentally worn after his drug case rumbles on? Maybe he is biding his time. He is after all the best time trialist of all the current top eight and that may well help him to overall glory.

Not to be overlooked was the stage winner, Samuel Sanchez. The Olympic champion put himself back in the top eight, eleven seconds behind Contador, and if he carries on in the same vein of form who knows where it might take him.

2115 metres of pain!

The days early exchanges saw an attack from Sky’s Geraint Thomas (stage twelve’s most aggressive rider), who’s assault up the famed Col Du Tourmalet put him at one stage leader overall on the road. A few wobbles on the descent destroyed his confidence, eventually losing touch with only seven kilometres to go. Thomas, now Sky’s leader after the Wiggins crash earlier in the Tour, has now given himself a great chance of a good finish and a shot at the young riders White Jersey. I feel more days like this one will be needed however, if he is to achieve this.

Sanchez also picked up the Polka Dot Jersey of the King of the Mountains, from the ever more popular Jonny Hoogerland. Hoogerland, with Juan Antonio Flecha, will surely provide the year with the most iconic image after being carelessly struck by a French media car whilst in a breakaway group, (Hoogerland ended up entangled in a barbed wire fence whilst Flecha was lucky not to have more serious injuries).

The day's big winner was Samuel Sanchez, but the Shlecks and indeed Cadel Evans who finished alonside Andy Schleck and Ivan Basso. Contador, surely now needs to show some form in the coming days if he is to be a winner in Paris