Tadej Pogacar pulled off one of his most spectacular feats in Stage 12 of the 2025 Tour de France, from Auch to Hautacam, treating fans to a memorable ride on the Pyrenean climbs. The Slovenian champion attacked decisively with 12 kilometers to go and held on alone until the finish, outpacing all his rivals and reclaiming the yellow jersey.
The attack came decisively just as the Hautacam climb began to unfold. Pogacar, supported by the efforts of Wellens, Narvaez, and Yates, landed the decisive blow. Only Jonas Vingegaard initially managed to hold off, but the Slovenian was in a great mood and gradually increased his lead: 10 seconds, then 30, then a minute, until over two minutes at the finish. The Slovenian finished the stage alone, raising his arms to the sky after a 13.5km climb at an average gradient of 7.8%, with Vingegaard 2’10” behind.
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) also made the day’s podium, putting in a solid performance in third place at 2’23”. The young German confirmed his position as one of the revelations of this Tour, while Tobias Johannessen and Oscar Onley rounded out the top five, both exactly 3 minutes behind.
Remco Evenepoel, despite being 3:35 behind, holds on to the white jersey for best young rider, but loses valuable ground in the fight for the podium. It’s also a tough day for Primoz Roglic, who hasn’t been incisive, and for the outgoing yellow jersey Ben Healy, who sinks from the first categorized climbs and finishes more than six minutes behind, definitively dropping out of the race for the overall standings.
The new overall standings see Pogacar lead with a 3:31″ lead over Vingegaard, 4:45″ over Evenepoel, followed by Lipowitz (+5:34″) and Vauquelin (+5:40″). The Slovenian also takes the polka-dot jersey and is closing in on the green jersey in Milan: a dominance that propels him towards a possible historic triple jersey.
Tomorrow’s 13th stage promises fresh sparks: a short but intense time trial, from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes, 11 kilometers all uphill. Pogacar starts with a psychological advantage. It’s a huge victory, but the challenge remains wide open, with Vingegaard and Evenepoel facing a test of pride.
After his crash the previous day and concerns about his physical condition, Pogacar responded with one of his best performances. “I hope the blow doesn’t affect him, but I feel good. Today we’ll give it our all,” he said at the start. A promise kept. The Pyrenees have returned the scepter to him.
