SIMON YATES sprinted to stage 12 victory at the Tour de France after spending all day in a brutal mountain breakaway.
Bury ace Yates, 26, led Spaniard Pello Bilbao and Austrian Gregor Muhlberger over the final climb at Hourquette d'Ancizan before a 13-mile descent into the Pyreneean town of Bagneres-de-Bigorre.
This was the second major mountain stage of this year's Tour and the Yellow Jersey group, including Team Ineos leader Geraint Thomas drifted to over nine minutes behind the Yates group.
The Vuelta a Espana winner has now completed stage wins at all three grand tours, including the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta.
Simon is only at the Tour to work for his twin brother Adam, but rode a superbly judged 129-mile stage.
The Mitchelton Scott rider said: "Today I had my own chance so I grabbed it with both hands.
"I wasn't very confident of beating either of them, I knew I needed to be in front coming off the last corner and luckily I held on to win.
"I'm very proud, we'll see my main priority is to help Adam, today was one of my opportunities to get up the road.
"We're having a fantastic Tour, long may it continue."
Thomas remains second on general classification, 1min 12sec behind Yellow Jersey wearer Julian Alaphilippe.
But the Welshman is expected to pick up time in Friday’s 17-mile individual time trial before Saturday’s epic stage finish up the infamous Pyrenean climb, the Tourmalet.
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