Solo win for Denmark’s Nicki Sorenson of Saxo Bank in the 131.4 mile stage 12 from Tonnerre to Vittel that featured six minor climbs.

Sorensen said this about his first Tour stage victory, “I’m 34 years old now and it’s a big thing for me to perform at this level at this age. I started bike racing when I was 19 and I always hoped that I could maybe go on for many years and I think it shows today that it is possible.”

When Saxo Bank decides to play their cards they nearly always play and win. They started in the yellow jersey with Fabian Cancellara for much of the first week. Today was a perfect day for a break to go and win with the harder day tomorrow and Sunday the peloton wanted to relax on today’s tough course. Team Columbia didn’t put their guys on the front for Cavendish for the stage win, though he did win the bunch sprint over Thor Hosvvd. Sorensen watched as the classy members in the breakaway Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) and Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) sprinted for the mountain points beating each up he waited. With 12 kilometers to go he attacked and only Sylvain Calzati (Agritubel) could grab his wheel. Has the five others chased and their time gap dropped from 30 to 12 seconds he attached again with two kilometers to go and increased his lead to win by .48 seconds.

Sorensen’s attack seems like it was also part of a Saxo Bank plan or the day. General Classification contenders tried to bridge up to the breakaway at the mid-point of the race. Saxo’s Tour hope Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans, and Astana’s Levi Leipheimer were in on the move. If Schelck would have been able to bridge to the leaders it would have set him up well with Sorenson to drive the group and take some time back. Not all plans at breakfast work out on the road.

Later in the day a few of the GC favorites had difficulties today including Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, and Cadel Evans. Armstrong flatted but was helped back to the peloton by four teammates without a problem. Leipheimer and Evans found themselves together again, but this time in a crash. Luck had it that they were inside the 3 kilometers to go safety zone and didn’t loose any time. Levi took the worse with a sore wrist and road rash on his legs and back.

“My wrist hurts, but surprisingly it’s OK. It could have been a lot worse,” Leipheimer said. “I was a bit surprised by a left corner. … My tire was sliding and I couldn’t quite save my bike from sliding out.”

The polka-dot jersey competion seems to be heating up between Franco Pellizotti and Egoi Martinez. Pellizotti won the final three head-to-head sprints on the climbs today and moved to 71 points, 16 behind Martinez.

Yellow jersey holder Rinaldo Nocentini , had this to say about the day, “We let the breakaway go after four minutes, It’s a tough stage tomorrow, but I’m already really happy and I will do my best to keep the yellow jersey.”

Friday’s 13th stage is a 124.2-mile ride between Vittel and Colmar that features two difficult climbs: the Col de la Schlucht, and the Col du Platzerwasel. The Col de la Schlucht was the climb that Armstrong was attacked and left without teammates on in 2005. Here’s what he had to say then, “It was definitely a crisis within the team. We’re suffering perhaps from being over-confident,” Armstrong analyzed. “But it was a very fast assault on the climb, nearly 40 kmh, so it’s not necessarily an indication of what will happen in the Alps. I suffered, I’d had a bad night’s sleep, and when you go into the red zone you have to let some attacks go.”

The UCI has decided to not ban radios for tomorrow’s stage like the Tour organization had planned.