2012 tour de france teams

Tour de France 2012 standings: results (general classification)

The 2012 Tour de France marked the 99th edition of the renowned cycling competition. It kicked off on June 30, 2012, in Liège, Belgium, and wrapped up on July 22, 2012, in Paris.

The coveted yellow jersey, symbolizing the overall winner, was claimed by British cyclist Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky. Wiggins secured his victory during the first challenging mountain stage at La Planche des Belles Filles, making him the first British cyclist to achieve this feat. The second and third positions were secured by Christopher Froome (Sky), a teammate and fellow Brit of Wiggins, and Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale).

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) emerged as a standout by winning three stages and becoming the first Slovak rider to dominate the points classification. Meanwhile, French cyclist Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) claimed the polka dot jersey for leading the mountain classification. The white jersey, awarded to the best young rider, went to American Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing), who finished 5th overall. The team classification was secured by Luxembourg-based RadioShack-Nissan, and the Danish cyclist Chris Anker Sørensen (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) was recognized for his outstanding efforts with the super-combativity award during the Tour.

Yellow Jersey, Green Jersey, Polka Dot Jersey and White Jersey in the 2012 Tour de France

In Tour de France, different colored jerseys are awarded to riders based on their performance in various classifications.

These were the Jersey Winners of the 2012 Tour de France:

• Yellow Jersey (Overall Winner): Bradley Wiggins , a British cyclist riding for Team Sky, won the yellow jersey as the overall winner of the Tour de France.
• Green Jersey (Points Classification): Peter Sagan , a Slovak cyclist from Team Liquigas-Cannondale, claimed the green jersey for leading the points classification.
• Polka Dot Jersey (Mountain Classification): Thomas Voeckler , a French cyclist representing Team Europcar, won the polka dot jersey for being the leader in the mountain classification.
• White Jersey (Best Young Rider): Tejay van Garderen , an American cyclist riding for BMC Racing, secured the white jersey as the best young rider in the general classification.

Overall Ranking (General Classification)– Tour de France 2012:

The top 10 overall ranking (general classification) of the Tour de France 2012 was as follows:

• Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky): The British cyclist secured the yellow jersey as the overall winner of the 2012 Tour de France.
• Christopher Froome (Team Sky): Another British cyclist and teammate of Wiggins, Froome finished in the second position.
• Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale): The Italian cyclist claimed the third position in the general classification.
• Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol): The Belgian rider finished fourth in the overall standings.
• Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing): The American cyclist secured the fifth position in the general classification.
• Haimar Zubeldia (RadioShack-Nissan): The Spanish rider finished sixth overall.
• Cadel Evans (BMC Racing): The Australian, who won the Tour de France the previous year, finished seventh in the 2012 edition.
• Pierre Rolland (Europcar): The French cyclist secured the eighth position in the overall standings.
• Janez Brajkovič (Astana): The Slovenian rider finished ninth in the general classification.
• Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-BigMat): The French cyclist rounded out the top 10 in the overall

Stage Winners – Tour de France 2012:

• Prologue – Individual Time Trial: Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack-Nissan)
• Stage 1: Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale)
• Stage 2: Mark Cavendish (Team Sky)
• Stage 3 : Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale)
• Stage 4: André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol)
• Stage 5: André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol)
• Stage 6: Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale)
• Stage 7: Chris Froome (Team Sky)
• Stage 8: Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-BigMat)
• Stage 9: Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)
• Stage 10: Thomas Voeckler (Europcar)
• Stage 11: Pierre Rolland (Bbox Bouygues Telecom)
• Stage 12: David Millar (Garmin-Sharp)
• Stage 13: André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol)
• Stage 14: Luis León Sánchez (Raboban)
• Stage 15: Pierrick Fédrigo (FDJ-BigMat)
• Stage 16: Thomas Voeckler (Europcar)
• Stage 17: Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team)
• Stage 18: Mark Cavendish (Team Sky)
• Stage 19: Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)
• Stage 20: Mark Cavendish (Team Sky)

The 2012 Tour de France was significant for Bradley Wiggins, marking a historic moment for British cycling as he claimed the yellow jersey and became the overall winner. The race showcased a mix of exciting sprint finishes, challenging climbs, and strategic team performances.

Click  here  to remember who the winners of the Tour de France 2013 were.

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Tour de France 2012: Start list

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The official list of starters for the 2012 Tour de France has now been released ahead of the opening prologue time trial in Liege on Saturday, June 30.

Each of the 22 teams comprises nine riders apiece, bringing the total number of participants to 198.

Defending 2011 Tour champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) wears the number one plate.

Five British riders have been confirmed for the 2012 Tour: Steve Cummings (BMC Racing), Mark Cavendish (Sky), Bradley Wiggins (Sky), Chris Froome (Sky) and David Millar (Garmin-Barracuda).

The 2012 Tour de France concludes on Sunday July 22 in Paris.  

Abandoned riders' names appear in italics, with stage number they withdrew.

BMC Racing (USA)

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1 Cadel Evans (Aus)

2 Marcus Burghardt (Ger)

3 Steve Cummings (GBr)

4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel)

5 George Hincapie (USA)

6 Amael Moinard (Fra)

7 Manuel Quinziato (Ita)

8 Michael Schar (Swi)

9 Tejay van Garderen (USA)

RadioShack-Nissan (Luxembourg)

ABANDON: 11 Frank Schleck (Lux) (Pau rest day)

ABANDON: 12 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) (stage 11)

ABANDON: 13 Tony Gallopin (Fra) (stage 13)

14 Chris Horner (USA)

15 Andreas Kloden (Ger)

16 Maxime Monfort (Bel)

17 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)

18 Jens Voigt (Ger)

19 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa)

Europcar (France)

21 Thomas Voeckler (Fra)

22 Yukiya Arashiro (Jap)

ABANDON: 23 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) (stage 15)

24 Cyril Gautier (Fra)

25 Yohann Gene (Fra)

ABANDON: 26 Vincent Jerome (Fra) (stage 15)

27 Christophe Kern (Fra)

28 Davide Malacarne (Ita)

29 Pierre Rolland (Fra)

Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spain)

ABANDON: 31 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) (stage 8)

ABANDON: 32 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) (stage 6)

33 Jorge Azanza (Spa)

34 Gorka Izaguirre (Spa)

35 Egoi Martinez (Spa)

36 Ruben Perez (Spa)

ABANDON: 37 Amets Txurruka (Spa) (stage 7)

38 Pablo Urtasun (Spa)

ABANDON: 39 Gorka Verdugo (Spa) (stage 8)

Lampre-ISD (Italy)

41 Michele Scarponi (Ita)

42 Grega Bole (Slo)

43 Danilo Hondo (Ger)

ABANDON: 44 Yuriy Krivtsov (Fra) (stage 11)

ABANDON: 45 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) (stage 10)

46 Marco Marzano (Ita)

ABANDON: 47 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) (stage 11)

48 Simone Stortoni (Ita)

ABANDON: 49 Davide Vigano (Ita) (stage 6)

Liquigas-Cannondale (Italy)

51 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita)

52 Ivan Basso (Ita)

53 Federico Canuti (Ita)

54 Kristijan Koren (Slo)

55 Dominik Nerz (Ger)

56 Daniel Oss (Ita)

57 Peter Sagan (Svk)

58 Sylwester Szmyd (Pol)

59 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita)

Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda (USA)

ABANDON: 61 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) (stage 7)

ABANDON: 62 Tom Danielson (USA) (stage 6)

63 Tyler Farrar (USA)

ABANDON: 64 Robbie Hunter (RSA) (stage 7)

65 Dan Martin (Irl)

66 David Millar (GBr)

67 Christian Vande Velde (USA)

68 Johan Vansummeren (Bel)

69 David Zabriskie (USA)

Ag2r La Mondiale (France)

71 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra)

72 Maxime Bouet (Fra)

73 Mickael Cherel (Fra)

ABANDON: 74 Hubert Dupont (Fra) (stage 7)

75 Sebastien Hinault (Fra)

76 Blel Kadri (Fra)

77 Sebastien Minard (Fra)

78 Christophe Riblon (Fra)

79 Nicolas Roche (Irl)

Cofidis (France)

81 Rein Taaramae (Est)

ABANDON: 82 Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) (stage 10)

83 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra)

84 Nicolas Edet (Fra)

85 Julien Fouchard (Fra)

86 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel)

87 Luis Angel Mate (Spa)

ABANDON: 88 David Moncoutie (Fra) (stage 12)

89 Romain Zingle (Bel)

Saur-Sojasun (France)

91 Jerome Coppel (Fra)

ABANDON: 92 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) (stage 7)

93 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra)

94 Brice Feillu (Fra)

95 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra)

96 Cyril Lemoine (Fra)

97 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra)

98 Jean-Marc Marino (Fra)

99 Julien Simon (Fra)

Sky (Great Britain)

101 Bradley Wiggins (GBr)

102 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor)

103 Mark Cavendish (GBr)

104 Bernhard Eisel (Aut)

105 Chris Froome (GBr)

106 Christian Knees (Ger)

107 Richie Porte (Aus)

108 Michael Rogers (Aus)

ABANDON: 109 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) (stage 3)

Lotto-Belisol (Belgium)

111 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel)

112 Lars Bak (Den)

113 Francis De Greef (Bel)

114 Andre Greipel (Ger)

115 Adam Hansen (Aus)

116 Greg Henderson (NZl)

117 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel)

118 Marcel Sieberg (Ger)

119 Jelle Vanendert (Bel)

Vacansoleil-DCM (Netherlands)

ABANDON: 121 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) (stage 11)

122 Kris Boeckmans (Bel)

123 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned)

ABANDON: 124 Gustav Larsson (Swe) (stage 11)

125 Marco Marcato (Ita)

ABANDON: 126 Wout Poels (Ned) (stage 6)

ABANDON: 127 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) (stage 11)

128 Rafael Valls (Spa)

ABANDON: 129 Kenny Van Hummel (Ned) (stage 15)

Katusha (Russia)

131 Denis Menchov (Rus)

132 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita)

ABANDON: 133 Oscar Freire (Spa) (stage 7)

ABANDON: 134 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) (stage 16)

135 Joan Horrach (Spa)

136 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr)

137 Luca Paolini (Ita)

138 Yuriy Trofimov (Rus)

139 Eduard Vorganov (Rus)

FDJ-BigMat (France)

141 Sandy Casar (Fra)

142 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra)

ABANDON: 143 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) (Stage 15)

144 Matthieu Ladagnou(Fra)

145 Cedric Pineau (Fra)

146 Thibaut Pinot (Fra)

147 Anthony Roux (Fra)

148 Jeremy Roy (Fra)

149 Arthur Vichot (Fra)

Rabobank (Netherlands)

ABANDON: 151 Robert Gesink (Ned ) (stage 12)

152 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned)

ABANDON: 153 Bauke Mollema (Ned) (stage 11)

ABANDON: 154 Mark Renshaw (Aus) (stage 11)

155 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa)

156 Bram Tankink (Ned)

157 Laurens ten Dam (Ned)

ABANDON: 158 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) (stage 4) ABANDON: 159 Maarten Wynants (Bel) (stage 7)

Movistar (Spain)

161 Alejandro Valverde (Spa)

162 Juan Jose Cobo (Spa)

163 Rui Costa (Por)

ABANDON: 164 Imanol Erviti (Spa) (stage 7) ABANDON: 165 Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) (stage 7)

166 Vladimir Karpets (Rus)

167 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr)

168 Ruben Plaza (Spa)

ABANDON: 169 Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa) (stage 3)

Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank (Denmark)

171 Jonathan Cantwell (Aus)

172 Juan Jose Haedo (Arg)

173 Karsten Kroon (Ned)

174 Anders Lund (Den)

175 Michael Morkov (Den)

176 Nick Nuyens (Bel)

177 Sergio Paulinho (Por)

178 Chris Anker Sorensen (Den)

179 Nicki Sorensen (Den)

Astana (Kazakhstan)

181 Jani Brajkovic (Slo)

182 Borut Bozic (Slo)

183 Andriy Grivko (Ukr)

184 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz)

185 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz)

186 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe)

ABANDON: 187 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) (stage 14)

188 Dimitry Muravyev (Kaz)

189 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz)

Omega Pharma-QuickStep (Belgium)

191 Levi Leipheimer (USA)

ABANDON: 192 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) (stage 15)

193 Dries Devenyns (Bel)

194 Kevin De Weert (Bel)

195 Bert Grabsch (Ger)

ABANDON: 196 Tony Martin (Ger) (stage 10)

197 Jerome Pineau (Fra)

198 Martin Velits (Svk)

199 Peter Velits (Svk)

Orica-GreenEdge (Australia)

201 Simon Gerrans (Aus)

202 Michael Albasini (Swi)

203 Baden Cooke (Aus)

204 Matt Goss (Aus)

205 Daryl Impey (RSA)

ABANDON: 206 Brett Lancaster (Aus) (stage 15)

207 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned)

208 Stuart O'Grady (Aus)

209 Pieter Weening (Ned)

Argos-Shimano (Netherlands)

ABANDON: 211 Marcel Kittel (Ger) (stage 5)

212 Roy Curvers (Ned)

213 Koen de Kort (Ned)

ABANDON: 214 Johannes Frohlinger (Ger) (stage 8)

215 Patrick Gretsch (Ger)

216 Yann Huguet (Fra)

217 Matthieu Sprick (Fra)

218 Albert Timmer (Ned)

ABANDON: 219 Tom Veelers (Ned) (stage 12)

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Tour de France 2012: Coverage index

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News and Updates for Tour de France 2012

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Tour de France 2012 : 198 riders from 31 nations grouped in 22 teams have enrolled to compete in the famous 3,497 km-long cycling loop. Twenty-three percent of the countries provide 67 percent of the competitors : France 43 riders, Spain 21, Netherlands 18, Italy 15, Belgium 14, Germany 13 and Australia 12.

Sources: see Cycling

Stages of the 2012 Tour de France

Prologue, june 30, liege to liege: 6.4km.

The opening prologue of the race will hand the yellow jersey over to the rider who completes the 6.4km time trial quickest. The biggest contenders will be the power riders, such as 2004 Liege prologue winner Fabian Cancellara, but because the course twists and turns they will have to be "skillful," says Tour legend Bernard Hinault. "It's very technical, with no hiding places," he adds. "You really have to recon this route well to know exactly where the difficulties lie."

Stage 1, July 1, Liege to Seraing: 198km

"As of stage one and throughout the whole first week we'll be seeing the main favorites in action, even if it's seeing one of them getting out of breath, or losing 20secs to rivals," said race director Christian Prudhomme. With a slightly uphill finish that will prove too difficult for the sprinters, he hopes to replicate the successful opening stages of 2008 (Brittany) and 2011 (Vendee). "Punchers" like Cadel Evans, Philippe Gilbert, Alejandro Valverde, or Joaquim Rodriguez, are well suited to this stage, which is also technical in the finale.

Stage 2, July 2, Vise to Tournai: 207.5km

The 207km ride from Vise to Tournai on the Franco-Belgian border should host the first big sprint battle of the race. Look for Cavendish, Boonen, Farrar, Greipel, and Sagan.

Stage 3, July 3, Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer: 197km

A challenging route that has hosted the French national championship several times cannot be ignored. The stage's six small climbs, five of which are inside the last 50km, could be the first test for the GC riders. "The final 50km would, at least if Bernard Hinault was still racing, have the potential to split the peloton to pieces," said race director Christian Prudhomme.

Stage 4, July 4, Abbeville to Rouen: 214.5km

Although mainly flat, there is potential for drama on Stage 4. After leaving Abbeville, the peloton follows the Normandy coastline from Le Treport, from where a first volley of small climbs appear. After turning inland at Fecamp for Rouen, the peloton tackles the only intermediate sprint, then a category-four climb, before riding toward the town made famous, at least in cycling terms, by favorite son Jacques Anquetil.

Stage 5, July 5, Rouen to Saint-Quentin: 196.5km

With a stage finish in the district of Saint Quentin's very own Champs-Elysees, who among the sprinters could not be tempted to have a go? Robbie McEwen won here in the past, and in his new role as consultant for Orica-GreenEdge could have a few words for Matt Goss.

Stage 6, July 6, Epernay to Metz: 207.5km

While Epernay basks in the glory of being the world's Champagne capital, Metz can boast of being the first foreign city to be visited by the Tour, at the turn of the century when it—and most of the Lorraine region—were still in German hands. Lance Armstrong was the last man to win here, in 1999.

Stage 7, July 7, Tomblaine to La Planche des Belles Filles: 199km

Prudhomme's Tour route is peppered with steep climbs on many of the medium-mountain stages, and this is the first acid test. He said the climb to La Planche des Belles Filles in the southern Vosges is harder than it looks and will take a toll on the big yellow jersey teams. The first and only summit finish of the four medium-mountain stages ends with a 5.8km ascent to 1035 meters at an average gradient of 8.5 percent. Passages at the start and the middle, however, max out to 13 and 11 percent.

Stage 8, July 8, Belfortto to Porrentruy: 157.5km

The race's only foray into Switzerland coincides with the Tour peloton's debut ascension of the formidable Col de la Croix, one of five climbs ranging from 7.9km to 3.7km in length that combine to produce a race akin to a semi-Classic. "It's like a Liege-Bastogne-Liege," said Prudhomme. "Obviously it's shorter, but there's a succession of steep little climbs around 3km to 4km long and finishing with a technical descent (of the Col de la Croix) that a rider like (Vincenzo) Nibali, for example, could do well in."

Stage 9, July 9, Arc-et-Senans to Besancon: 41.5km Time Trial

The first of the race's two big time trials provides the likes of defending champion Cadel Evans and main challenger Bradley Wiggins with the chance to really distance their main rivals. Starting in Arc-et-Senans and finishing in the "City of Time," Besancon, it comes a day before the race's first rest day.

Stage 10, July 11, Macon to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine: 194.5km

The first real mountain stage of the race notably features the Col du Grand Colombier, a 17.4km ascent that makes its Tour debut and includes passages where the gradient reaches 12 percent. It should provide the climbers and all-rounders who lost out in the time trial a chance for redemption. AG2R's Maxime Bouet, the local rider, expects plenty of drama: "I think the main favorites will be battling it out on the climb to the Colombier summit, which is long and hard. The roads are in good condition, except for the descent of the Colombier, which is twisting, fast, and quite dangerous. Then we have to negotiate the Col de Richemont."

Stage 11, July 12, Albertville to La Toussuire–Les Sybelles: 148km

Twenty years after the 1992 winter Olympics in Albertville, the peloton moves into the Alps to tackle its second summit finish of the race. Short (140km) but intense, the 18km climb to the summit of La Toussuire is preceded by the Col de la Madeleine (25.3km), Col de la Croix de Fer (22.4km), and the Col du Mollard (5.7km). If the yellow jersey contenders whose time-trialling skills are not up to scratch don't seize the day, they could regret it in the end.

Stage 12, July 13, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Annonay-Davezieux: 226km

The last kilometer of this final alpine stage suggests it is perfect for a "puncher" like Philippe Gilbert or Alejandro Valverde. But with all the big climbs featuring inside the first 80 km, it's breakaway heaven and could, if legs are tired, prompt the yellow jersey favorites into calling an implicit truce.

Stage 13, July 14, Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Le Cap d'Agde: 217km

On France's national holiday, Prudhomme is hoping to see fireworks on the 215km ride to the nudist haven and Mediterranean party town of Cap d'Agde. Along with strong coastal winds, the Mont St Clair climb, a former regular on the Midi Libre stage race whose summit is 20km from the finish, should play a significant role. "It's a very steep climb, which is followed by 20km of riding along the coast with likely crosswinds. It could be damage-limitation time!" said Prudhomme.

Stage 14, July 15, Limoux to Foix: 191km

During their quest for novelty in the Pyrenees, organizers have unearthed the steep Mur de Peguere climb. Last featured, but not raced, in 1973 when the peloton refused to negotiate the tricky descent, the climb's steep gradients (some of which are 18 percent) are expected to leave most struggling and a select few going on to dispute victory during the 40km ride to the finish. "We've sought new, challenging routes," said Prudhomme. "Ones that will tempt riders into attacking. At one time or another, attacks will come and the big favorites should be in the mix."

Stage 15, July 16, Samatan to Pau: 158.5km

The last of Stage 15's three small climbs comes 30km from the finish, meaning any late breakaways will have to be fast and carried out with conviction. In all likelihood, a day before the final rest day, the sprinters will get a rare chance to shine. The final, mainly flat kilometers will favor the likes of Cavendish, Greipel, Farrar, and Boonen.

Stage 16, July 18, Pau to Bagneres-de-Luchon: 197km

After spending two days in Pau, the peloton will, theoretically, be rested and ready to go. But the 197km 16th stage is open to an early breakaway that has a chance of going all the way. It starts with the 16.4km climb to the hors categorie (unclassified) Aubisque, then descends before another, 19km slog to the summit of the hors categorie Tourmalet. Two category-one climbs, the Aspin and the Col de Peyresourde, should sort the men from the boys before the 16km descent into the spa town of Bagneres produces the winner.

Stage 17, July 19, Bagneres-de-Luchon to Peyragudes: 143.5km

For those still in yellow-jersey contention but with a handicap in the time trial, this final mountain stage will be crucial. Tour director Prudhomme has introduced more novelty with the race's first-ever ascent of Peyragudes, via the Col de Peyresourde and the hors categorie Port de Bales. Despite the importance of the Stage 19 time trial, this stage could be decisive. Frenchman Amael Moinard, who helped Cadel Evans to victory last year, knows the roads well: "It will be hard because before we get to the final summit we have to tackle the Port de Bales, which is an hors categorie climb. The downhill is really dangerous and tricky. Then you have no flat. You go directly up to the Col de Peyresourde and then just a little descent and then on to Peyragudes. There's no chance to rest between the climbs."

Stage 18, July 20, Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde: 222.5km

After their travails in the mountains, the yellow-jersey contenders still in contention get a chance to put their feet up—figuratively at least—on a stage that despite featuring a small climb 10km from the finish should end in a sprint finish.

Stage 19, July 21, Bonneval to Chartres: 53.5km Time Trial

This is where the likes of Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans—the two main favorites—get to show their worth as true all-rounders. Both can climb with the best, but crucially both are among the few riders in the world who can turn big gears consistently for over 50km. In 2011 Andy Schleck lost 2min 31sec to Evans in the same kind of exercise to hand the Australian the title.

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Team Sky Presents Line-Up for 2012 Tour de France

News & results.

Team Sky has revealed the team roster it has selected for this year's edition of pro road cycling's greatest race - the Tour de France.

The 2012 Tour de France starts in Liege, Belgium on June 30 and Team Sky will arrive in Liege highly focused on securing the overall Tour victory for Great Britain's Bradley Wiggins, who has delivered powerful performances throughout the Spring months.

Bradley Wiggins will lead the team after his consecutive victories at Paris-Nice, Tour of Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné, and will be joined by Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mark Cavendish, Bernhard Eisel, Chris Froome, Christian Knees, Richie Porte, Michael Rogers and Kanstantsin Siutsou (high resolution image attached).

Team Sky Captain Bradley Wiggins has five Tour de France appearances behind him and, if he has managed to remain on the high point of his form curve, goes into this year's Tour de France in the form of his life having secured consecutive victories at Paris-Nice, Tour of Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné this Spring.

"I'm really proud to be part of such a strong unit going into the Tour de France. The team's preparation has been perfectly managed and our form this season gives us a great chance of being successful," Wiggins told Roadcycling.com.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time and I'll do everything I can to win the Tour de France. Hopefully we can do the business for ourselves and our fans, and become the most successful British-based cycling team ever," Wiggins concluded.

Team Sky has also picked World Road Race Champion Mark Cavendish to be part of its Tour de France line-up. Cavendish rides his first Tour de France for Team Sky after moving from the now-dissolved Team HTC.

Cavendish has the honor of being the first Briton in 46 years to wear the fabled rainbow jersey in road cycling's biggest bike race. The Manxman, however, will have to balance his interest in defending the points classification title he secured in last year's Tour with his desire to win the Olympic road race in London later this summer. Cavendish' remarkable tally of twenty Tour de France stage victories has put him joint-sixth on the list of all-time Tour de France stage winners.

Because of Team Sky's dedication to helping Wiggins win the Tour de France 2012 the team has included only one lead-out man for Cavendish in its Tour roster. This is a new experience for the sometimes sensitive Cavendish who is used to seeing team management groups build whole Tour de France teams around him.

Edvald Boasson Hagen will be Cavendish's sole lead out man in the sprints, but he has also been told to offer his support to Wiggins when the Tour reaches the mountains. If the opportunity arises, Boasson Hagen is also highly capable of going for stage victories himself, as demonstrated in the 2011 edition when he sprinted to victory in Lisieux and then produced a triumphant and memorable solo attack as the race dropped into Pinerolo.

"If I get the opportunity to go for stage victories myself, I'll definitely try to take them, but I have a role in the team to fulfill and anything other than that will be a bonus. I'm really looking forward to riding the Tour. It's the biggest race of the year and we have entered a very strong team, so it's going to be great to be part of," Norwegian Boasson Hagen explained.

Commenting on the Sky team management's decision to direct most of the team's focus towards Wiggins in this year's Tour, Cavendish told Roadcycling.com "I know the push for the GC podium will make it more difficult for me to repeat the success I've enjoyed the last few years. But I'll compete and, as always, I'll dedicate myself to making it a successful Tour for Team Sky and, let's hope, for Britain."

2011 Vuelta a Espana runner up Chris Froome, Volta ao Algarve winner Richie Porte, and three-time World Time Trial champion Michael Rogers will be Wiggins' biggest allies on the most challenging Tour de France stages - as they have been in the team's Spring campaign.

Christian Knees and Kanstantsin Siutsou will function as wingmen for Wiggins during the flatter transportation sections of the race. Bernhard Eisel brings his invaluable experience to the squad and the team management expects his all-round capabilities to prove a huge asset to the team.

Team Sky Principal Director Dave Brailsford found it very hard to decide which nine riders to include in the team's Tour de France line-up. Brailsford is working hard to convince fans and members of the press of the team's ability to deliver powerful support for both Wiggins and Cavendish in the race.

"Deciding our final nine was a very tough challenge because we are blessed with a great depth of talent in our squad. We believe we have picked a strong and balanced team though, and one which can cater for any eventuality. Our priority this year is the General Classification with Bradley (Wiggins) but that doesn't mean we'll neglect the sprint stages, or Mark's bid for green jersey."

"This squad is truly world class with a proven pedigree of success. They have trained, raced and lived together since the start of the season and that has moulded them into a well-oiled, focused and close-knit team. They are all full of confidence after their recent run of results and it's going to be exciting to see how the race transpires," Brailsford explained.

While the team's chosen strategy may be helpful for Wiggins by transferring pressure and focus from Wiggins to Cavendish in beginning of the race, the team may also expend valuable energy on helping Cavendish in the sprints and end up disintegrated if Cavendish proves unsuccessful and overly challenged in the sprints and, therefore, tries to secure additional lead-out riders for the sprints.

An interesting 2012 Tour de France awaits!

Team Sky Roster for 2012 Tour de France: Bradley Wiggins, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mark Cavendish, Michael Rogers, Chris Froome, Bernhard Eisel, Richie Porte, Kanstantsin Siutsou, and Christian Knees.

Tour de France GC favorite Bradley Wiggins uses the Roadcycling.com/TrainingPeaks premium training diary to plan, register and analyze his training and racing. Sign up for the free version here to gain access to some of the same training tools - or upgrade to premium to gain the same advantage as Wiggins, Cavendish and the rest of Team Sky's Tour de France roster.

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Froome leads double Sky success on La Planche des Belles Filles

Wiggins takes the overall lead

In shades of the 2011 Vuelta a España, Christopher Froome   led a doubly successful stage for Team Sky on the first mountaintop finish of the 2012 Tour de France . He was the only one who could match and top Cadel Evans (BMC) in the brutal final 100 meters of the climb up La Planche des Belles Filles in the seventh stage. Evans was second, with Sky's Bradley Wiggins third.

Froome: Keeping Wiggins in yellow still the priority at Tour de France

Fabian Cancellara fought long and hard but had to drop back on the climb. Wiggins thus moved into the overall lead. Evans is now second at 10 seconds, with Vincenzo Nibali third at 16 seconds, as the top ten was tossed around.

“It wasn't the plan to go for the stage, it was just keeping Brad up there,” said an overjoyed Froome. “But we came to see the climb previously and I knew what the finish was like. I thought, 'I'm there, I've got the legs, why not give a kick and see what happens?' I gave it a nudge and couldn't believe when Cadel didn't follow my wheel."

The end result was the icing on the cake of a dominant performance by Team Sky , who drove the pace and whittled down the field on the newest climb in the Tour. They dropped several big names along the way, due to either crash-related injuries, mechanicals or simply an inability to stay with the high speed set mainly by Edvald Boasson Hagen, Michael Rogers and finally Richie Porte.

In the end, Froome and Wiggins led the high-powered group with Evans and Nibali into the final kilometer. The Froome-Wiggins combination was a familiar one from the 2011 Vuelta a Espana, and once again Froome showed his superior climbing abilities. Evans was the first to jump from the group as the gradient eased, and only Froome could go with him. As the road kicked up again, Froome passed the Australian to claim his first Tour de France stage victory.

“I was expecting someone to surge on that flat bit, and Cadel came through. I jumped onto his wheel. I could see him slowly hurting as the climb got steeper. that was fantastic for us. Having Bradley right there 2 seconds behind, We couldn't ask for more. It puts the team in a fantastic position going forward.

“I'm speechless. That was a dream come true. I never thought of winning a stage here. I'm chuffed to bits.”

Wiggins was equally breathless. "It’s an incredible feeling to have done what we’ve done and it hasn’t sunk in yet," he said on the team website. "It sounds corny but this is something I’ve dreamt of since I was a child – sat on the home trainer in Kilburn watching my hero Miguel Indurain do it. Those dreams have come true now and I’m sat here at the top of a mountain in yellow. It’s phenomenal."

Evans was equally amazed by the young Briton. "Froome was incredible - he rode the front the last 3km or something and he was able to follow me and accelerate past me."

The Australian conceded that the better men and the better team had won."We could have taken a more aggressive role in the race, but when you see [Wiggins] has three guys with him and I've got one or I'm isolated already, what can you do?

"It was a category 1 climb but there were some flat sections, and when you have teammates you're at a greater advantage. It might be a different case on a more consistent gradient. It showed the strength of their team."

While the main battle played out between Evans and Froome for the stage win, Vincenzo Nibali and Rein Taaramae had minor victories of their own, becoming the only other riders to hang onto the front of the race. The Cofidis rider moved into the white jersey of best young rider after Tejay Van Garderen was dropped early in the climb, while Nibali moved into third overall, now 16 seconds behind Wiggins.

With his stage win, Froome also displaced Michael Morkov as best climber, while Peter Sagan padded his lead in the points classification in the intermediate sprint.

A reduced field

There were 12 fewer riders at the start of the seventh stage, four of them having abandoned during Friday's stage. All eight DNF's today were victims of the many crashes in the sixth stage, including Giro d'Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal. They were soon enough joined by Anthony Delaplace of Saur-Sojasun.

About 20 km into the stage, an escape group formed and got away: Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Christophe Riblon (AG2R), Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank), Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank), Dmitriy Fofonov (Astana), Martin Velits (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), and Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge). The gap reached a maximum of about six minutes before settling in at around five and a half minutes.

The only excitement in the first half of the stage came at the intermediate sprint. Orica-GreenEdge looked to determined to take the remaining points for Matt Goss, but the team seemed to have started its jump far too early. In the end, Peter Sagan of Liquigas sailed on by the Australian to add to his lead.

The first two climbs of the day – the Col de Grosse Pierre and the Col du Mont de Fourche (both category three) - did nothing at all. The seven leaders rolled right over them, although on the approach to the latter, Sanchez complained about the fans running alongside.

The gap finally started coming down for good with about 40 km – and the final category one climb – to go. As the road went up and the gap went down, more and more sprinters and injured riders fell back.

The Planche de Belles Filles was an unknown factor, as it was making its Tour debut. The 5.9km closing climb featured an average gradient of 8.5 percent, with sections up to 13 percent, and the final 100 meters at 14 percent.

Garmin was suffering the loss of three riders, with others having dropped back, but those remaining riders spent much time at the front of the field. They were finally replaced by Bosson Hagen, who led the capture of Gautier, the first rider to fall out of the lead group.

Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto Belisol) suffered a mechanical with about 11km to go, and had to race hard to try and catch the field again. Adam Hansen was there to help him, but it was a long haul. Alejandro Valverde punctured shortly thereafter, so another top rider had dropped out of the main field.

Boasson Hagen put up such a speed that the field split. And only moments after starting the final climb, the lead group was caught. But the brutal pace and the new climb did their work, as more and more riders suffered, including Robert Gesink (Rabobank), Philippe Gilbert (BMC) ad Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep).

With five km still to climb, Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan) had to bid farewell to the lead group, the overall lead and his yellow jersey. Only a small group went into the final four km – but neither Fränk Schleck nor Andreas Klöden was among them.

In there, though were Wiggins, Evans, Nibali, Boasson Hagen, Froome, Richie Porte, Rein Taramaae and Denis Menchov.

Froome, who proved himself in last year's Vuelta a Espana, took over from Boasson Hagen and pulled the increasingly smaller group up the final climb. Even Menchov fell back with less than two km to go.

Froome, Wiggins, Evans, Nibali and Taaramae went together unter the flamme rouge. Evans moved into the lead with 400 m to go and the sprint started. Taaramae was dropped it was Froome who made his move on the 14% gradient to take the win, with Evans taking second and Wiggins third.

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Sprint | Mas-de-Londres (125.6 km)

Finishline points, mountain sprint | mont saint-clair (191.6 km), team day classification, race information.

• Date: 14 July 2012
• Start time: -
• Avg. speed winner: 43.69 km/h
• Race category: ME - Men Elite
• Distance: 217 km
• Points scale: GT.A.Stage
• Parcours type:
• ProfileScore: 50
• Vert. meters: 1795
• Departure: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux
• Arrival: Cap d'Agde
• Race ranking: 0
• Startlist quality score: 1703
• Won how: Sprint of large group
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Tour de France 2012: What next for Team Sky?

Will wiggins defend his tour title.

Given his respect for the event and his perception that his time in the sport is limited to three or four years at most, yes

Can they win green and yellow at the 2013 Tour?

Depends whether Peter Sagan can be stopped because the Slovak is clearly a superior climber and can score in uphill finishes and hilly stages where Mark Cavendish cannot.

The green jersey battle would have looked a little different this year had Cavendish had a team behind him devoted solely to that goal, because they would have done their utmost to prevent Sagan escaping to take intermediate sprints as he did several times. But no amount of team help would have prevented Sagan winning. Depends on the route, and whether Sagan turns up in form

Can they hang on to Cavendish?

Cavendish is in familiar hands at Team Sky and may find it easier to adapt a successful, winning setup to his needs rather than going and potentially losing a year setting up something entirely new, always assuming some other sponsor has the cash to buy him and Mark Renshaw out of their current contracts and hire most of a leadout train, which is what it would take.

The bigger question is what else does Cavendish want to try and win in the future? He has won the world road race title, all three points jerseys in big Tours, and earned his place as best Tour sprinter ever. If he wants to limit himself to winning Tour stages and tilting for the green jersey each year, perhaps other pastures may beckon.It's up to Dave Brailsford, Rod Ellingworth and company to offer him a new challenge. Why not get him to spearhead the team's challenge in the Classics?

What does Chris Froome's future hold?

Potential Tour de France winners are so thin on the ground at present that Froome will be courted from many sides, particularly as, having trained all year with Wiggins, he knows more than most about what the Briton did to win the Tour. If he stays, the chances are he will be given his chance to win the Tour of Spain this August and that he will be part of Dave Brailsford's ambition to win all three Grand Tours in one year. Equally Sky may say to the two men that they can both start next year's Tour as joint leaders with the road deciding the strongest after which the weaker will work for the other. If Froome, left, felt he could live with that, he might well stay

What else do Sky want to win?

Everything. Once Brailsford, Ellingworth and Yates are on a roll with Cavendish, Wiggins and the rest firing, they won't rest on their laurels. Brailsford said it in an interview with the Guardian: "Let's win the Tour 10 times. Let's do it in a way no one thought was possible. Let's go and win Classics." The latter is an area where Sky flopped this year and Brailsford was talking about improving there earlier this year so that is the first priority. The team head has spoken about winning all three Grand Tours in one year which is a colossal proposition, involving as it does putting together three winning teams and persuading at least one potential Tour de France winner to set his sights elsewhere William Fotheringham

• Bradley Wiggins
• Mark Cavendish

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