Stage 12 Winner & Top 10 Finishers

1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) – powerful solo at summit

2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma–Lease a Bike) – +2 min 10 s

3. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull) – +2 min 23 s

4. Tobias Halland Johannessen – ≈ +3 min

5. Oscar Onley

6. Kevin Vauquelin

7. Remco Evenepoel

8. Jonas Rutsch

9. Matteo Jorgenson

10. Michael Storer

Based on stage dynamics where GC contenders finished more than 3 minutes behind

GC Shake-Up After Stage 12

• Pogačar takes back Yellow, now 3:31 ahead of Vingegaard

• Evenepoel sits third, ~4:45 behind

• Lipowitz moves to fourth overall (≈ +5:34) 

Ben Healy, who wore yellow before, dropped out of the top 10, losing 13 minutes and falling to 11th 

How Pogačar Took Control

1. Dominant Team Tactics

• UAE Team Emirates led a massive 52-rider breakaway and maintained a tight grip on the peloton before Hautacam On the final climb, teammates Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narváez set up the platform for the assault: narváez's tempo capped Jonas Vingegaard’s response before Pogačar launched the decisive move 

2. Decisive Mid-Climb Attack

• With around 12 km to go, Pogačar surged—sending Vingegaard and the rest reeling. The gap widened dramatically as Pogačar pressed on.

• His acceleration mirrored a “Classics-style lead-out”—already distancing rivals early 

3. Mental & Personal Redemption

• A clear personal narrative: revenge on Hautacam for Vingegaard’s 2022 victory. In the searing heat, Pogačar showed no ill effects from Saturday’s crash, saying he was “at the best moment of his career” 

4. Field Obliteration

• Pogačar crossed the line with a 2:10 lead. Behind him, Vingegaard couldn’t respond; Evenepoel, Lipowitz, and others lost even more time, cementing Pogačar's dominance 

Analysis: Why This Matters

• Tactical superiority: UAE executed a textbook climb strategy—controlling the break, pacing, and perfectly timing Pogačar’s strike.

• Power on display: A 2+ minute winning margin on Hautacam is a seismic shift. Pogačar turned a tight duel into near-guaranteed overall victory .

• Rivals exposed: Vingegaard’s teammates couldn’t support him; Evenepoel faltered. Visma looked disorganized, amplifying psychological advantage for Pogačar Reuters.

• Big narrative win: He avenged 2022, silenced all doubts, and showed he peaks when it counts most .

What’s Next

• Stage 13 TT to Peyragudes: With a massive buffer, Pogačar can ride time trial calmly; rivals need a perfect ride to chip time back.

• Psychological edge: Pogačar’s supremacy on the mountains now gives him both physical and mental leverage in upcoming Pyrenean stages.

Summary

Stage 12 was a turning point: Pogačar took full control with a breathtaking solo on Hautacam, reclaiming yellow and creating a buffer few rivals can close. UAE used perfect execution; challengers were left scrambling. The Tour’s mountain narrative—and its victor—is likely settled.

Let me know if you’d like a breakdown of the TT stage, weather impact, or mountain stage-by-stage forecasts!