Chris Froome loses Tour de France lead in Stage 12

Chris Froome lost the Tour de France yellow jersey to Italian Fabio Aru by fading in the final kilometer of Stage 12 in the Pyrenees on Thursday.

France’s Romain Bardet, third in the overall standings, won the stage.

Rigoberto Uran and Aru were second and third, two seconds behind. Froome, who entered the day with an 18-second lead on Aru, was 22 seconds back of Bardet.

The Brit Froome is trying to move within one Tour title of the career record of five shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

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Stage 13 on Friday is the shortest mountain stage in Tour history, half the length of Thursday’s trek into the Pyrenees.

Riders face three category-one climbs on the 63-mile day, with a 16-mile descent to the finish on Bastille Day, when French riders are always motivated to go for stage wins.