Top Ten in GC for UAE Team Emirates’ Meintjes after stage 12 of Le Tour

Stage 12 came to a conclusion with UAE Team Emirates’ Louis Meintjes taking fifth place as part of the leaders group crossing the finish line, moving him up to tenth position in the overall General Classification of Tour de France.

The stage was won by Romain Bardet (Fra) (AG2R La Monidale) whilst Fabio Aru (Ita) (Astana Pro Team) clinched the GC lead taking the Maillot Jaune from Chris Froome (Team Sky) after he missed a turn and lost 21 seconds in the final 300 metres of the stage.

Commenting on his top five finish, South African Louis Meintjes said: “Towards the end everything happened very fast. I’m really pleased with my performance. In stages like these, you have to plan your attack well and know the course in advance especially when you’re up against teams like Team Sky, otherwise you are just wasting your energy. The White Jersey is still something I am working towards, however the other day I lost quite a bit of time to Simon Yates that I think will be hard to get back. But who knows, anything can happen! I am hoping for the best.”

With stage 12 having come to an end, an extremely tough day is in store for the riders as they depart Saint-Girons and head 101km to Foix in stage 13 the three category one climbs make this an enticing test for climbing specialists looking for a short, sharp victory.

Stage 12 results

1 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 5:49:38

2 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac +2’’

3 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team +2’’

4 Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky +5’’

5 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates +7’’

General Classification results after stage 12

1 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 52:51:49

2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky +6’’

3 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale +25’’

4 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac +35’’

5 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 1’41’’

10 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 4’51’’