Spanish rider Ion Izagirre of Cofidis crossed the line to win the twelfth stage of the Tour de France, a 169-kilometer course stretching from Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais. It marked a second triumph for the Spaniard in this 110th edition of the Grande Boucle, a victory coming after Pello Bilbao’s earlier win sealed just days before with his first Spanish success since 2018.
Izagirre broke clear in the final kilometers, riding away from the main peloton and launching his attack with roughly 30 kilometers left. His solo move was supported by a strong performance from the breakaway, and the Spaniard managed to hold off a chasing group until the finish, securing his second Tour stage win and adding another notable chapter to his career.
Victory for Ion Izagirre at the Tour de France and celebration ahead
Inside a day that lent itself to escape artistry, the field started with intense pace from the opening kilometers. Early attempts to form the day’s decisive break were stifled by a high tempo set by the peloton, with the big favorites keeping their powder dry as the race moved quickly toward the mountains. The few riders who tried to break away were reeled back in, leaving the legs of riders like Mads Pedersen and Mathieu van der Poel to test the group, though neither could sustain a decisive advantage.
It took nearly seventy kilometers for the day’s first credible break to establish itself. Tiesj Benoot, Mads Pedersen, and Dylan Teuns anchored a growing group, with a handful of others joining as the gap widened. Meanwhile, Izagirre remained in the thick of the action, staying well placed as the top contending teams watched one another. Van der Poel, Izagirre, and Thibaut Pinot each tried to press the tempo later in the ascent, but the fortunate balance of power kept the race open for a longer period than expected.
The break gradually extended its advantage beyond four minutes at one point, before the race settled into a rhythm that allowed the front runners to contest the stage’s key climbs. Van der Poel launched a bold move on the Col de la Croix Montmain, breaking free and opening a gap that appeared to unfold into a race of attrition among a select few. He rode solo for a stretch, but was eventually brought back by a determined chase of nine riders who sought to crown the day with a stage-win through a late push.
On the final ascent of the day, thirty kilometers from the finish at Col de la Croix Rosier, Izagirre launched a precise and controlled attack. He rode clear by twenty seconds atop the summit, turning the final thirty kilometers to the line into a high-stakes time trial. Using the favorable terrain to his advantage, he rode into Belleville-en-Beaujolais with a narrow margin ahead of the pursuers and claimed victory by a comfortable margin, his second Tour stage triumph and a moment of personal significance on the world’s most famous cycling stage.
In the overall standings, the drama of the day did not overshadow the ongoing competition among the GC contenders. Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar remained close in the early moments of the stage, but ultimately stayed within the peloton as the field reorganized. Their margins were trimmed in the process, while Spaniards Carlos Rodríguez and Pello Bilbao held solid positions further down the line, reinforcing the dynamic tension that characterizes the Tour’s early mountain phase. This stage reinforced Izagirre’s reputation as a reliable all-rounder who can execute a decisive late move on challenging terrain, a trait valued by his team and appreciated by fans around the world.
Looking ahead, the race returns to the mountains with a challenging sequence, including the Grand Colombier climb, and a new chapter in the battle for the yellow jersey. The route features a shorter, 138-kilometer profile that begins in Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne and culminates with a demanding ascent. The narrative promises a fresh clash among the top contenders, with Pogacar likely to be pressed by Primoz Roglic, and the possibility of new shifts in the general classification as the climbers push toward the summit. This phase of the Tour is the opening act of a mountainous trilogy that could redefine the race’s leadership in the days to come, as the race moves deeper into the Alps and the Pyrenees. [Source: Official Tour de France results and subsequent stage reports].
General classification of the Tour de France
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Jonas Vingegaard Rasmussen TJV 50:30:23
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Tadej Pogacar UAD +0:17
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Jai Hindley BOH +0:02:40
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Carlos Rodriguez IGD +0:04:22
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Peio Bilbao López de Armenti TBV +0:04:34
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Adam Yates IAD +0:04:39
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Simon Yates JAY +0:04:44
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Thomas Pidcock IGD +0:05:26
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David Gaudu GFC +0:06:01
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Thibaut Pinot GFC +0:06:33
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Sepp Kuss TJV +0:06:45
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Romain Bardet DSM +0:06:58
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Guillaume Martin COF +0:08:11
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Louis Meintjes ICW +0:08:50
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Emanuel Buchmann BOH +0:09:09
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Mikel Landa TBV +0:09:09
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Felix Gall ACT +0:09:46
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Ben O’Connor ACT +0:11:07
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Jonathan Castroviejo IGD +0:16:33
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Valentin Madouas GFC +0:18:56