Tour de France - report stage 12

Mark Cavendish wins his third stage of the 2008 Tour after a mass gallop to the line into Narbonne

Number three! - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

The route from Laveland to Narbonne followed a course pock marked with ruined castles and enough dungeons to throw Riccardo Ricco into. Prior to the stage news had come through that he had failed a drug test and once more scandal had hit the Tour.

Away from the drug testers, Arnaud Gerard (FD Jeux) and stage three winner Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) broke free and were later joined by Juan José Oroz (Euskatel). The three were able to stay away until the pack led by Team Columbia swamped them with nine kilometres to go.

Team Milram now joined Columbia at the front but no one could hold Cavendish as he sprinted to the line.

A new King of the Mountains leader after the expulsion of Riccardo Ricco and there is no change in either the race lead or in the green jersey competition. (Good to see Robbie McEwen back in the top ten in the later)

1 Mark Cavendish 43 Team Columbia 3h 40' 52"
2 Sébastien Chavanel 162 Francaise Des Jeux 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
3 Gert Steegmans 97 Quick Step 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
4 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
5 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
6 Francesco Chicchi 63 Liquigas 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
7 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
8 Leonardo Duque 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
9 Julian Dean 193 Garmin Chipotle 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
10 Heinrich Haussler 114 Gerolsteiner 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
11 Robbie McEwen 6 Silence - Lotto 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
12 Jimmy Casper 123 Agritubel 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
13 Robert Hunter 58 Barloworld 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
14 Martin Elmiger 105 Ag2r-La Mondiale 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
15 Alessandro Ballan 72 Lampre 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
16 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
17 Konstantsin Siutsou 49 Team Columbia 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
18 Xavier Florencio 143 Bouygues Telecom 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
19 Robert Förster 112 Gerolsteiner 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
20 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
28 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
29 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
35 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
37 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
40 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"
49 David Millar 198 Garmin Chipotle 3h 40' 52" @ 00' 00"

General Classification (Yellow jersey)1 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 50h 23' 05"
2 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 50h 23' 06" @ 00' 01"
3 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 50h 23' 43" @ 00' 38"
4 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 50h 23' 51" @ 00' 46"
5 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 50h 24' 02" @ 00' 57"
6 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 50h 24' 33" @ 01' 28"
7 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 50h 25' 01" @ 01' 56"
8 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 50h 25' 37" @ 02' 32"
9 Mikel Astarloza 22 Euskaltel - Euskadi 50h 26' 56" @ 03' 51"
10 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 50h 27' 23" @ 04' 18"
11 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 50h 27' 31" @ 04' 26"
12 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 50h 27' 46" @ 04' 41"
13 Tadej Valjavec 109 Ag2r-La Mondiale 50h 28' 28" @ 05' 23"
14 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 50h 28' 42" @ 05' 37"
15 Oscar Pereiro 37 Caisse d'Epargne 50h 29' 06" @ 06' 01"
16 Alexandre Botcharov 83 Credit Agricole 50h 29' 12" @ 06' 07"
17 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 50h 29' 16" @ 06' 11"
18 Maxime Monfort 189 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 50h 29' 52" @ 06' 47"
19 Roman Kreuziger 65 Liquigas 50h 30' 05" @ 07' 00"
20 Andy Schleck 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 50h 31' 39" @ 08' 34"
26 Stijn Devolder 91 Quick Step 50h 36' 41" @ 13' 36"
29 Christian Knees 153 Team Milram 50h 39' 44" @ 16' 39"

Sprint (Green jersey)
1 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 162 Pts
2 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 138 Pts
3 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 136 Pts
4 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 123 Pts
5 Mark Cavendish 43 Team Columbia 121 Pts
6 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse d'Epargne 96 Pts
7 Robert Hunter 58 Barloworld 95 Pts
8 Leonardo Duque 186 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 88 pts
9 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 76 pts
10 Robbie McEwen 6 Silence - Lotto 75 pts

Mountains (Polka Dot jersey)
1 Sebastian Lang 117 Gerolsteiner 58 Pts
2 Bernhard Kohl 115 Gerolsteiner 56 Pts
3 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 46 pts
4 Luis-Leon Sanchez 39 Caisse d'Epargne 31 Pts
5 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 30 pts
6 Vincenzo Nibali 67 Liquigas 30 Pts
7 Sylvain Chavanel 181 Cofidis Credit Par Telephone 27 pts
8 Thomas Voeckler 149 Bouygues Telecom 27 Pts
9 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 24 Pts
10 Vladimir Efimkin 104 Ag2r-La Mondiale 24 Pts