The 10th stage of the Tour de France 2012 took place on July 11, 2012 and led from Mâcon to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine . With a distance of 194.5 kilometers there was a mountain classification of the Hors Catégorie and one of the 2nd and 3rd category. 175 of 198 drivers still competed.
After the first day of rest in Mâcon ( 169 m ), the stage initially led in an easterly direction towards the Jura , the last section led in a northerly direction to the destination in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine ( 427 m ). The stage began in the Saône-et-Loire department and ended in the Ain department . After a flat first third of the stage, after 73 kilometers in Ambronay ( 248 m ), the ascent of the 2nd category up to the Côte de Corlier ( 762 m ) was tackled. On the high plateau there was the official refreshment point six kilometers further in Aranc ( 849 m ). After the descent from the plateau, the intermediate sprint of the day was held in Béon ( 255 m ), and the ascent to the Grand Colombier ( 1501 m ) began there . The Grand Colombier mountain is accessible by road and is considered one of the most difficult climbs in France. It was included in the Tour de France route map for the first time. The descent down to Lochieu ( 662 m ) was followed by the ascent of the 3rd category to the Col de Richemond ( 1051 m ). From there it went down to the destination Bellegarde-sur-Valserine.
Mørkøv won the first mountain classification on the Côte de Corlier. After 100 kilometers, the field was seven minutes behind. In Béon Goss won the intermediate sprint, just ahead of Jauheni Hutarowitsch and Peter Sagan. Shortly afterwards, the 17-kilometer climb to the Grand Colombier began. Goss and Hutarowitsch had to tear down on the first few meters, followed by Sagan and other drivers a little later. The main peloton tackled the climb six minutes behind and after a short time split up into many small groups; This is mainly due to the increased tempo of Team Sky .
The top group also fell apart. Sánchez tried to profit from it and dared to break away. Although he had a lead of 30 seconds in the meantime, Voeckler, Scarponi and Devenyns caught up with him after a few kilometers. Voeckler won the mountain classification on the Grand Colombier. About a minute behind the leading group followed another group of four with Voigt, Casar, Martínez and Fofonow; the group around the yellow jersey were five and a half minutes behind at the top of the pass. Voeckler tried to shake off his pursuers on the descent, but could not distance them decisively.
Voeckler was also the first to pass the Col de Richemond and the group of four was still together. Jens Voigt escaped from the second group and gradually approached the leaders on the steep descent and finally caught up with them nine kilometers from the finish. Voigt tried to attack, but was immediately caught again. Three kilometers before the finish, Devenyns apparently set himself apart from the leading group, but Voeckler caught up with him at the beginning of the last kilometer and immediately launched a counterattack. Voeckler was able to win the stage and also took the lead in the mountain price classification. The group around overall leader Bradley Wiggins arrived 3:16 minutes behind.
Mountain ratings
Corlier category 2 after 90 km at 762 m 6.4 km at 5.5%
045 - Matthew Lloyd (LAM): Did not start the stageAustralia
082 - Rémy Di Gregorio (COF): Not started for the stage; arrested on the day of rest on suspicion of organized doping drug trafficking and suspended from the team.France
196 - Tony Martin (OPQ): Did not start the stage (abandoned on rest day)Germany
