Cycling: Sanchez wins 12th stage

PARIS: Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez won the 12th stage of the Tour de France after a thrilling climax to the first mountain stage of this year’s race. Frenchman Thomas Voeckler retained his yellow jersey. Welshman Geraint Thomas led towards the end of the gruelling 211km trek, from Cugnaux to Luz Ardiden, before fading. Jelle Vanendert was second ahead of Frank Schleck, who leapfrogged Cadel Evans into second overall. Defending champion Alberto Contador, now seventh overall, struggled to an eighth-place finish and now sits a full four minutes behind race leader Voeckler.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2011.