Simon Yates Takes a FAST Stage 12!

Brit Simon Yates out-sprinted Pello Bilbao of Spain and Austrian Gregor Mühlberger to win a very fast Stage 12.  It was a lot of fun watching the three of them help each other on the rapid descent off La Hourquette d'Ancizan.  They alternated lead position and helped draft each other.  That kept the pursuers at bay.  Check out Yates coming in just ahead of Bilbao and Mühlberger (click on image for a larger view).

Bilbao is on the right; Mühlberger is on the left.  I was stunned that the winning time came in under five hours.  Our prediction wasn't great.

• Stage 12:  4h 57' 53" (actual), 5h 23' 17" (prediction), 25' 24" slow (8.53% error)

We were nearly perfect on the first mountain stage, which was the grueling Stage 6 with its category-1 climb finish.  That stage was 49 km (30 mi) shorter than today's stage, but the top cyclists today output 13% more power today than during Stage 6.  Were they holding back on Stage 6, going crazy today, or is there a better explanation?  This really has been a fascinating year for modeling the Tour de France!  Yates's average speed is given below.

• Stage 12:  11.72 m/s (42.20 kph or 26.22 mph)

I love watching the mountain stages.  Check out Tim Wellens crossing the top of Col de Peyresourde (click on image for a larger view).

A little later, Simon Yates and his two finishing companions were first atop La Hourquette d'Ancizan (click on image for a larger view).

On the first big descent, speeds reached over 90 kph (56 mph).  I just can't imagine going that fast on a bicycle.  And of course scenery was spectacular in the Pyrenees.  Check out one of the valleys on the final descent (click on image for a larger view).

The Tour de France is quite an advertisement for visiting France!

Tomorrow's Stage 13 is an individual time trial.  The 27.2-km (16.9-mi) route begins and ends in Pau.  Riders will loop south and then back north during their rides.  Our prediction is given below.

• Stage 13:  34' 52" (prediction)

Will there be a shakeup in the general classification tomorrow?