Tour de France: Stage 12 Cugnaux > Luz-Ardiden, 211lms

The first mountain stage sees an escape going away, led by Geraint Thomas...

SKYTDF

This is a big sunflower region of the Tour - the peloton flies by...

SCENERYSUNFLOWERSTDF

Jose-Ivan Gutierrez lends his strength to the escape - they lead by eight minutes now...

Europecar leads the chase, a French team in control on Bastille Day...

The peloton is heading towards the Pyrenees - against the flow of water coming away from the Pyrenees...

SCENERYTDF

Thomas is leading the escape towards the Tour's first real mountain ascent - and they still have a six minute lead..!

SKYTDF

Green on green - Mark Cavendish descends the first Col in his Green jersey...

HTCTDF

Ouch - Andreas Kloden bears the scars of a big crash on the first descent...

SHACKINJURYTDF

Fabian Cancellara leads a Leopard train at the foot of the Col du Tourmalet....

LEOPARDTDF

Roman Kreuziger is in no-mans land, chasing the escape but chased by Leopard-Trek on the Tourmalet...

Thomas leads the escape up the Tourmalet with little sign of them being caught anytime soon...

SKYTDF

Andy Schleck has to make a very quick wheel-change on the Tourmalet...

LEOPARDATTACKTDF

Sammy Sanchez leads a group of riders towards the last climb after attacking on the Tourmalet descent...

EUSKATELTDF

Thomas leads what's left of the escape up towards Luz-Ardiden, but they are about to be caught by Sanchez...

SKYTDF

Jens Voigt has found the energy to get back on the descent and to lead a ferocious chase behind Sanchez...

LEOPARDTDF

Sanchez has attacked with Jelle Vanenden with just six-kilometres to go...

Ivan Baso starts to show himself at the head of the Voeckler group...

LIQUIGASTDF

Cadel Evans looks less than comfortable as he closes the gao on Basso...

BMCTDF

Frank Schleck and Alberto Contador look back at Evans as another move fails...

Schleck attacks with a few kilometres left...

LEOPARDATTACKTDF

Cadel Evans chases while Basso looks on - Schleck is flying away to 3rd place on the stage..!

BMCTDF

Sammy Sanchez wins stage twelve to Luz-Ardiden in a great tradition of Basque victories on the mountain...

EUSKATELTDF

Thomas Voeckler is congratulated by Pierre Rolland after doing enough to keep his Yellow Jersey...

EUROPCARYELLOWTDF

Andy Schleck finishes at 30-seconds to keep his Tour dreams alive - but is brother Frank the official leader of Leopard now..?

LEOPARDTDF