Frenchman Smuel Sanchez won the twelfth stage of the Tour De France Thursday. The Olympic champion finished the 211 km ride into the Pyrenees just ahead of Belgium’s Jelle Vanendert.

Sanchez took the title King of the Mountains away from Dutch cyclist Johnny Hoogerland. Although he was biking with 33 stitches to his legs and abdomen after being catapulted onto a barbed wire fence on Tuesday’s tenth stage, he said his injuries did not affect him too much.

“I had a lot of pain, but it was not unbearable,” he told Dutch news agency ANP, adding optimistically, “This past week has been a dream. Who knows what is possible on this tour.”

Fellow Dutch rider Robert Gesink also lost his leader’s jersey, conceding the white jersey to Arnold Jeannesson of France.

(lo)

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