Degenkolb denied in Tour de France sprint, Trentin relegated

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Giant-Shimano let out a collective sign of disappointment on stage 12 of the Tour de France, after the team worked to bring John Degenkolb to the victory in a finale well-suited to his capabilities only to have him impeded in the sprint by Omega Pharma-Quickstep rider Matteo Trentin.

Trentin was relegated from sixth to 60th, but the unlucky 13th place for Degenkolb was little consolation.

"I’m very disappointed today as we worked really hard and knew that today was a big opportunity for us," Degenkolb said. "From the start of the stage we were focused on a sprint at the end and the guys worked really hard to make this happen.

“Big compliments to the guys as it wasn’t easy out there, it is a pity that it didn’t work out in the end. I have just heard about the disqualification of Trentin, and think it is fair as it shows that he did not do a fair sprint.”

Trentin issued a quick apology via his team, stating, "I'm really sorry for what happened with John. It was a mistake, but not intentional. I was focused on Kwiatkowski in front of me, and then swung on the left side to launch my sprint and didn't look behind me. I didn't realize I made a move that affected the sprint of John until I watched the images once we arrived at the hotel. Again, I apologize for what happened in today's sprint. I'm sorry also for the team because they did a great job and Kwiato delivered me perfectly."

The 12th stage is the last day for the sprinters until Saturday's 222km stage to Nimes. Only three more stages suit the sprinters, with stage 19 to Bergerac and the finale on the Champs-Élysées being the last chances for the fast men.