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Tour de France 12th stage at a glance

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SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) A brief look at the 12th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday:

Stage: An undulating 185.5-kilometer (115-mile) route from Bourg-en-Bresse to Saint-Etienne in south-eastern France favoring sprinters.

Winner: Alexander Kristoff of Norway beat Peter Sagan of Slovakia by nearly a bike length. Arnaud Demare of France was third. They were timed in 4 1/2 hours.

Yellow jersey: Italian rider Vincenzo Nibali maintained his lead of 2 minutes, 23 seconds over Australian Richie Porte and 2:47 over Spaniard Alejandro Valverde on a quiet day for the main contenders.

Quote of the day: ''In Norway, there was a lot of pressure on me: I am the only Norwegian (racing) this year!'' - Kristoff on what his win will mean to fans back home.

Stat of the day: 10 - the number of days Nibali has worn the yellow jersey.

Next stage: Friday's 13th stage is a grueling mountain trek over 197.5 kilometers (122 miles) from Saint-Etienne to Chamrousse in the French Alps. It ends with a daunting ascent of 18 kilometers (12 miles) with a gradient of 7.3 percent.