History-maker Biniam Girmay sprinted to his third victory at this year’s Tour de France but overall contender Primoz Roglic lost significant time after a late crash on stage 12.
Eritrean Girmay became the first black African to win a Tour de France stage with his opening win on stage three and also triumphed on stage eight.
Intermarche-Wanty rider Girmay, 24, beat Wout van Aert in a frantic bunch sprint in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, with Mark Cavendish originally finishing fifth before being relegated.
Tadej Pogacar retained the leader’s yellow jersey and remains one minute six seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard a further eight seconds behind.
But podium contender Roglic, who finished with a ripped jersey and bloodied shoulder, dropped from fourth to sixth in the general classification after he lost two minutes 27 seconds on the leaders after being caught up in a late crash.
Pogacar, of UAE Team Emirates, was also held up behind a crash in the peloton early in the stage, and required a bike change, but re-joined the main group without issue.
The 203.6km route from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot offered one of the few remaining opportunities for a bunch sprint – assuming the sprinter’s teams could control any potential breakaway.
A four-man group featuring Groupama-FDJ riders Valentin Madouas and Quentin Pacher, Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X Mobility and Total Energies’ Anthony Turgis managed to open up a three-and-a-half-minute advantage over the peloton.
But that move was shut down with more than 40km remaining to set up a long-inevitable dash to the line, in which Girmay prevailed to further assert himself as the fastest sprinter at this year’s race.
In doing so he also extended his lead in the green jersey points battle, opening up a likely unassailable 111-point advantage over Jasper Philipsen.
“The green jersey gives me wings – I feel super fast. It’s in the head. I’ve had my ups and downs in recent seasons but I changed things this year and it’s working,” Girmay said.
A rare moment of calm in the peloton was interrupted with 12km remaining when Alexey Lutsenko crashed and took down Slovenian Roglic.
The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider had been one minute 31 seconds adrift of the podium but that deficit now stands at three minutes 28 seconds.
Reacting to Roglic’s incident, race leader Pogacar said: “It is really devastating. He was in very good shape already and I could feel he was getting better with every stage.
“I’m pretty sure he would have been fighting for the GC in the next few days.”
Both Astana Qazaqstan rider Cavendish and Arnaud Demare, of Arkea-B&B Hotels, were relegated following illegal moves they made in the sprint.
Stage 13 on Friday is a relatively flat 165.3km route from Agen to Pau but, as the race enters the Pyrenees, hilly terrain approaching the finish could prove difficult for the sprinters.
That is one of only two expected remaining opportunities for the sprinters – including Cavendish, who claimed a record 35th Tour de France stage win last week – to take victories at this year’s race, along with stage 16 in Nimes.
Tour de France stage 12 results
1. Biniam Girmay (Eri/Intermarche-Wanty) 4hrs 17mins 15secs
2. Wout van Aert (Bel/Visma-Lease a Bike) same time
3. Pascal Ackermann (Ger/Israel Premier Tech) “
4. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Deceuninck) “
5. Arnaud de Lie (Bel/Lotto-Dstny) “
6. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/Uno-X) “
7. Phil Bauhaus (Ger/Bahrain Victorious) “
8. Bryan Coquard (Fra/Cofidis) “
9. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/Team Jayco-AlUla) “
10. Ryan Gibbons (SA/Lidl-Trek) “
Tour de France general classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 49hrs 17mins 49secs
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick Step) +1min 06secs
3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 14secs
4. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +4mins 20secs
5. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +4mins 40secs
6. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +4mins 42secs
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Soudal-Quick Step) +5mins 38secs
8. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 59secs
9. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +7mins 09secs
10. Giulio Ciccone (Ita/Lidl-Trek) +7mins 36secs