As it happened: Tour de France stage 12 sprint showdown as Roglič loses time in crash

Bonjour and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 12 of the 2024 Tour de France!

Just under two hours to go before today's stage starts and it's looking like another sprinter-friendly day in the saddle.

The full map of today's stage.

Mark Cavendish's lead-out man Michael Mørkøv is out of the Tour de France with a COVID-19 infection, his Astana Qazaqstan team has announced.

"Yesterday evening and this morning Michael Mørkøv was tested positive for Covid-19," the team announced on their website. "Despite the rider feels good and doesn’t have essential symptoms, the medical staff of Astana Qazaqstan Team took a decision to stop the rider, first of all, to protect his health from long-term effects the virus could provoke in the future."

Mark Cavendish lead-out man Michael Mørkøv leaves Tour de France after testing positive for COVID-19

Astana-Qazaqstan's veteran lead-out master and key lieutenant to Cavendish forced to leave the race ahead of stage 12

Astana have posted the news to social media now. Cavendish will fight on without his top lead-out man

Now a look back at yesterday's stage 11 which brought another chapter in the yellow jersey battle.

Tour de France: Jonas Vingegaard charges ahead of Tadej Pogačar to win gripping finale on stage 11

Remco Evenepoel third while Primož Roglič recovers from late crash but recovers for fourth place in battle to Le Lioran

A look at yesterday's stage result and subsequent updated GC rankings, powered by FirstCycling.

Around an hour to go to the start now.

Riders will be signing on ahead of the stage in Aurillac.

167 riders set to start today after Mørkøv's departure, barring any further withdrawals.

British rider Fred Wright was the previous man to leave the race after missing the time cut on stage 11.

'Worst day of my life' - Fred Wright suffers through stage 11 with broom wagon and misses time limit

Former British road champion struggles across finish line with 'no regrets, because that was what I had'

And now a look ahead to today's race with our stage 12 preview - Sprinters return to spotlight

Early hills should lure break attempts though flat finish delivers plenty of incentive for sprint teams to keep them in check

Television coverage starts when the race does so be sure to check out How to watch the 2024 Tour de France – TV schedule, live streaming worldwide

French squad TotalEnergies have reportedly fallen victim to bike theft in the night, with 11 of their bikes taken by thieves. Story to come...

The riders are now about to roll out and start the neutral zone at the start of stage 12.

Just a few minutes until the kick off the stage officially.

203km to go

The flag drops to start the stage.

Kevin Geniets (Groupama-FDJ) is the first man on the move.

Live pictures at the race are briefly down due to technical error.

Thomas Gachinard (TotalEnergies) joins Geniets in the attack.

Meanwhile Fabio Jakobsen is already out the rear of the peloton.

The Dutchman is 1:20 off the peloton now.

187km to go

More attacks fly at the front.

The attackers are caught and now it's Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) on the move.

182km to go

Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) and Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) now trying to come across.

Jakobsen now already four minutes down and counting. He surely doesn't have long left to run in this race.

Race leader Tadej Pogačar is held up by a tangle in the peloton meanwhile.

178km to go

Fabio Jakobsen (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) has climbed off his bike and abandoned the Tour de France.

Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) now in the attacking group.

Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) chasing.

Madouas, Pacher, Abrahamsen, Turgis is our break of the day as Martin gives up the chase.

The peloton slowing down to let Pogačar back in really helped the breakaway men there.

167km to go

3:30 fo the breakaway quartet.

Alpecin-Deceuninck, Intermarché-Wanty among the teams at the head of the peloton now.

A dowhill run onto lower roads and towards the first climb of the day now.

After 62.8km, the riders will hit the fourth-category Côte d'Autoire.

147km to go

Movistar now up front in the peloton working for sprinter Fernando Gaviria.

Over the top of the Côte d’Autoire (2.7km at 5.7%) and Abrahamsen gets the point.

He moves within two of Pogačar's KOM lead.

135km to go

Just two minutes between break and peloton now.

Pello Bilbao off the rear of the peloton currently. He looks to be ill.

The break of the day with Abrahamsen leading the way.

Primož Roglič's Tour de France GC hopes saved by modified 3km rule after late crash on stage 11

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Under 10km to go until the riders hit the Côte de Rocamadour (2km at 5.4%), another fourth-category climb offering one point.

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Dsm-firmenich PostNL sprinter suffered after fast start to stage 12

Bilbao got back and he's now off the rear of the race again.

120km to go

Two minutes between break and peloton now.

Abrahamsen leads the break over the Côte de Rocamadour, which hosted the Van Aert-Vingegaard one-two at the Tour's closing time trial two years ago.

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116km to go

We're coming closer to what has, once again for a flat day this Tour, been a largely uneventful stage so far.

Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) follows Fabio Jakobsen in leaving the race. That isn't too much of a surprise give how his stage was unfolding.

Mørkøv, Jakobsen, Bilbao leave the race today.165 riders remain.

111km to go

1:55 between break and peloton.

Tour de France momentum with Jonas Vingegaard as he gives Tadej Pogačar reason to doubt - Analysis

Dane gained a second at Le Lioran and much more in psychological battle

10km to the intermediate sprint in Gourdon now, then one final fourth-category climb left before the finish.

A scenic shot of the peloton during stage 12.

100km to go

The breakaway quartet soon to approach the intermediate sprint of the day.

Intermarché lead the peloton towards the sprint.

Up front it was Turgis who led Abrahamsen over the line.

Girmay leads Philipsen in the peloton to extend his KOM lead by a single point.

Now Alpecin-Deceuninck and Movistar are back leading the peloton, now 1:35 down on the break.

Remco Evenepoel remains upbeat after limiting losses on Tour de France favourites in Massif Central mountains

Belgian remains second overall after 'riding at my own pace' on tough day of climbing

Much of the day's climbing is now over and done with. One small climb left to tackle.

82km to go

Madouas, Pacher, Abrahamsen, and Turgis still together out front.

1:20 for the move and the time is only coming down.

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76km to go

A minute for the break now and there's very little chance of them staying away to the end now.

5km to the final climb of the day, the Côte de Montcléra (2km at 4.8%).

Abrahamsen leading the break up the final climb of the stage now.

They're 55 seconds up on the peloton here. Turgis dropping from the break.

68km to go

Another point for Abrahamsen. He's now level with Pogačar on 36 points at the top of the KOM standings.

Tour de France leader Tadej Pogačar - 'Jonas Vingegaard is in the form of his life'

Slovenian suffers first straight defeat of 2024 against Danish arch-rival in mountain sprint finale

60km to go

Abrahamsen, Pacher, Madouas out front now and they have a minute on the Movistar- and Alpecin-led peloton.

The peloton only closing in now as the finish nears.

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49km to go

30 second for the three leaders and their time is numbered.

42km to go

The last of the breakaway's lead swiftly disintegrates and now the peloton is all together once more.

The peloton earlier on during stage 12.

38km to go

Inside the final 40km now and it looks like the peloton will race all together to the finish.

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Dane strikes weighty psychological blow by catching and beating Tadej Pogačar on breathless day in Massif Central

We're looking set for a fairly dull run into the final few kilometres of the stage here.

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Race leader Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates teammates in the peloton.

28km to go

No change in the situation. The peloton is all together.

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Mostly flat roads towards the finish now.

Jonas Vingegaard riding towards the finish on stage 12.

20km to go

Not long now before the sprinter's teams set up for the final.

The day has averaged 47kph, quicker than the fastest predicted time schedule, so at least we're finshing earlier than expected.

16km to go

A wealth of teams spread across the front but the pace isn't at its highest just yet.

UAE, Ineos, Israel, DSM, Jayco, Bahrain, Movistar, Alpecin all spread across the front of the group.

12km to go

A crash in the peloton and a big chunk of the riders have stopped in the road.

An Astana rider crashed into an island in the middle of the road, falling over to the other side and then causing a chain reaction further back.

Riders from Lotto, Jayco, Arkèa, Astana still at the scene, getting up slowly after the crash.

It looks like a Lotto rider on the left of the road might be in trouble. Two of his teammates have stayed behind with him. He's being attended to by medics.

Meanwhile, Primož Roglič is chasing back to the peloton after being caught in the crash.

Alexey Lutsenko is reportedly still being tended to at the site of the crash.

8km to go

Back to the front and Roglič is 1:20 off the front of the race currently. Disaster.

It'll be very hard for him to get back. The timing is going in the wrong direction here.

DSM move to the front of the peloton.

5km to ho

Roglič 1:34 down now. Visma lead the peloton under the 5km banner, where the GC times will be taken today.

UAE now up front.

Pogačar is staying safe up there.

DSM, Astana, Uno-X among the teams represented up front.

3km to go

Roglič at 1:43 now.

Abrahamsen leads the way with Israel, Bahrain, and Astana lining up behind him.

All setting up for the sprint now.

2km to go

Abrahamsen still up front.

It looks as though all the big-name sprinters are up there.

1km to go

Two minutes for Roglič now...

A big mix of teams up front.

Bahrain with the leadout.

Israel, Arkéa, Uno-X behind.

Now Arkéa take over.

Démare kicks off the sprint

Behind him it's Girmay, Cavendish, Van Aert.

It looks like Démare will hold on but no, there's a late surge on his left.

Finish

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) wins stage 12 of the Tour de France!

Roglič just now reaching the final kilometre.

Biniam Girmay celebrates his third Tour de France 2024 stage victory in Villeneuve-sur-Lot.

Girmay beat Van Aert and Démare into second and third. Pascal Ackermann and Mark Cavendish finished fourth and fifth.

Primož Roglič suffers another crash in final kilometres of stage 12 at Tour de France

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe leader struggles to regain contact with main peloton

No full confirmation of Roglič's time loss yet.

There we go – he finished in 120th place at 2:27 down on Girmay and the peloton. Brutal for the Slovenian. He did go down in the crash, as evidenced by the tears in his jersey.

Tour de France: Biniam Girmay the new sprint boss, takes third win on stage 12

Green jersey holder beats Van Aert, Démare as Primož Roglič loses time in late crash

After that stage, Roglič drops from fourth to sixth in the GC behind João Almeida and Carlos Rodríguez. He's now at 4:42 down on Pogačar.

Girmay, meanwhile, extends his points classification lead. He has 328 points to Jasper Philipsen's 217.

Here's what Girmay had to say after his third stage win of the Tour...

"First of all I would say thanks God giving me a lot of strength and power. Without God we cannot do anything so I'm super happy. Second, I want to say thanks to my teammates. Thank you for everyone, without them I cannot prove I am the fastest. I'm super happy.

"From the start of the Tour I feel like I knew I can do good results if I have the right time and the right wheel. I proved in the last three sprints if I'm in the right position I am able to win Especially today, We didn't have any stress. We think the break will arrive, don't take risk, but in the end when everyone came together I got on the radio and said I feel good. I'm super happy I can deliver."

Here's the stage result today...

And here's the new GC

Arnaud Démare has been relegated from third position so now Pascal Ackermann moves up onto the stage podium. More to come on that soon.

Another day in yellow for Tadej Pogačar, who also leads the king of the mountains competition.

Girmay extended his green jersey lead, meanwhile.

And Evenepoel has another day in the white best young rider jersey to enjoy.

The current GC standings at the Tour de France 2024

A big drop for Primoz Roglič as disaster strikes on stage 12