🇫🇷 #TDF2024 The race exceeds the 200-kilometer mark for the second day in a row. But today the sprinters' teams will be chasing the breakaway. 📍Aurillac ➡️ Villeneuve-sur-Lot 🚩 Start 12:35 CEST 🏁 Finish 17:28 CEST 🛣️ 203.6 km
Primoz Roglic has had a roller-coaster of a Tour de France but at the start of stage 12 he starts off in fourth place, 2.15 minutes away from the yellow jersey of Tadej Pogacar but only a minute away from his main rival in the podium fight Remco Evenepoel. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe confirmed that the Slovenian isn't suffering from injuries after crashing on the finale of a thrilling stage.
"Today, we had the impression that he was the 3rd best in the race," Aldag told Cyclism'Actu. "Without a doubt, it was impressive what Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar did, but we are there. We see that the form is evolving, when you compare the first stages to now, it is really positive, so we are happy." The German team had great signs from the Slovenian who showed his best level, being able to distance the likes of Carlos Rodríguez, João Almeida, Mikel Landa and Juan Ayuso who are all direct rivals in the Top5 battle. Roglic had the explosivity on Puy Mary and although he struggled a bit later, he managed to cement his place in the overall classification.
In the final descent of the stage however Roglic suffered what is unfortunately overly common for him: A crash. "He slipped, but he quickly got going again," Aldag said of it. However the situation was saved as Roglic was given Evenepoel's time at the finish line, and the 34-year old suffered only minor injuries that shouldn't affect him latter in the race.
"In the bus he told us that everything is fine, even if he is a little scratched on the left side. It was 1.5 kilometers from the finish, they repeated on race radio that the 3 kilometers rule was applied on this stage," he concluded. Roglic will have to remain upright for two more tense days however before reaching the high mountains once again this Saturday in the Pyrenees.
🇫🇷 #TDF2024 The race exceeds the 200-kilometer mark for the second day in a row. But today the sprinters' teams will be chasing the breakaway. 📍Aurillac ➡️ Villeneuve-sur-Lot 🚩 Start 12:35 CEST 🏁 Finish 17:28 CEST 🛣️ 203.6 km