Mont Ventoux (France), July 14 (IANS) A motorbike crash caused chaos in the final kilometres of Thursday's Stage 12 of the Tour de France, embroiling then race leader Chris Froome and causing him to lose the yellow jersey.
During the final ascent to the finish line on Mont Ventoux, a motorbike carrying a cameraman suddenly used its breaks, causing a pile-up involving Australian rider, Richie Porte (BMC), Dutch rider Bauke Molema (Trek Factory) and Briton Froome (Team Sky), whose bike was damaged in the accident, reports Efe.
Froome, who started the day with the race leader's yellow jersey and was defending, spent several minutes running on foot up the final climb before he was given a bike.
As a result, Froome dropped to sixth in the provisional overall classifications.
Belgian rider Thomas De Gendt of team Lotto-Saundal, who avoided the pile-up, won the 184 km (114 mile) stage from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux in 4 hours, 31 minutes, 51 seconds.
Fellow Belgian, Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) and Spaniard Dani Navarro (Cofidis) came in second and third, respectively
Briton Adam Yates (Orica-Bike Exchange) ranked top of the provisional general classifications.
Mollema sat in second overall, 0:00:09 behind the leader.
Colombian rider, Nairo Quintana (Trek-Segafredo), who benefited from the crash, rose to third 0:00:14 behind Yates.
The classifications were subject to change, as officials pondered what decision to take, given the unusual circumstances of the race.
--IANS
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