Tour de France stage 12 as it happened

Think it's time I went off for a lie down. Thanks for tweets, texts and company today. You really have helped me through it. After Millar's marvellous moment today, will we be clapping Cavendish over the line tomorrow? I'll be back for tomorrow's start at 10:55 BST. Make sure you join me.

We are back on the flat on Saturday for a 217km ride from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Le Cap d'Agde. It promises to be a sprinter's paradise but we've got added spice because it's 14 July, Bastille Day, and that means a Frenchman will make a crazy bid for the stage win.

Stage 12 result:

1. David Millar (GB) Garmin 5hrs 42 mins 46 secs

2. Jean Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R

3. Egoi Martinez (Spa) Euskaltel @ 6"

4. Cyril Gautier (Fra) Europcar

5. Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana

Millar standing pretty on top of the podium, collecting his flowers and a quick peck on the cheek from the ladies. The last rider is in, just in time to see Wiggins get a fresh yellow jersey. He waves his little lion, goes to shake a few hands and sign a few shirts and it's time I brought you the standings...

Today is all about David Millar though. Here's his thoughts: "It's particlarly poignant as an ex-doper [to win on the anniversary of Tom Simpson's death]. I'm proud to have done it today because we mustn't forget Tommy's memory and what we've been through as a sport. But we're British, we're clean riders and we're dominating the Tour de France."

Peter Sagan looks like he fancies a few points in the green jersey race here. Wiggins following Mick Rogers up that little climb and they are under the flame rouge.

"It's frightening to consider what might come," suggests Graham Jones on BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra, talking about the continued domination by British cyclists.

Millar immediately hits the deck, cameras swarm around him. He's okay though. Breathing incredibly hard, but he's good and soon back on his feet. That's a fourth British stage winner on the 2012 Tour. Staggering. Truly staggering.

Oh. My. Word. What a finish that was. Peraud came out of Millar's wheel but the British rider stomped on his pedals and held off the Frenchman with a terrific burst of speed.

Gautier, Martinez and Kiserlovski have not given this up but surely they are too far back now. Here comes Millar and Peraud. The Garmin rider from Britain out front. They are weaving across the road and Peraud makes his move in the final couple of hundred metres.

Peraud moves back into the lead with 1.5km to go. The pair are sharing the work but they need to keep the pace up. They whizz under the flame rouge - 1km to go.

The gap is up to 50 yards or so and Millar takes up the pace, Peraud follows him over the crown of the hill and Kiserlovski, Gautier and Martinez are labouring. One from two for the win. Go. On. Millar.

Up a bit of a hill here. Millar at the front, weaving across the road and Kiserlovski decides to have another go. Millar straight in his wheel. Peraud is the next to go but Millar is controlling this nicely. The duo are moving away from the other three.

Millar has a little wobble as they go past the 5km to go banner. Martinez has a wee dig off the front, but soon sits up and he goes again. Bit of cat and mouse going on here and here goes Astana's Kiserlovski but Millar is straight after him and that's going nowhere. 3km to go.

Still we wait for the attack. The rotation of Martinez, Millar, Gautier, Peraud and Kiserlovski working like a well-oiled machine. Each rider taking no more than a couple of seconds on the front before the next rider takes over. The peloton is upping its pace a bit as the lead drops to 10'30". Just 7.5km to go.

The peloton is 20km from the finish and they are yet to reach the summit of the Cote d'Ardoix. The lead is a touch over 11 minutes - that's largely irrelevant though. I've been trying to hold off saying this, but I can do it no longer. Is it Millar time? Sorry.

Not far to go now. Thanks for sticking with it. I feel like I'm about to hit the wall. The leaders have got just 15km remaining after five hours and 20 minutes in the saddle. Here's Boasson Hagen on the front of the peloton. Nobody looking like they want to have a go. Hoping someone might.

Kiserlovski ducks under one of the many Union flags littering the climb as he takes up the pace. No attack from the Croatian though. He's out of the saddle and dancing again. Millar sitting fourth, maintaining his rhythm.

The peloton is going through Sarras, the town at the bottom of the hill. Lotto on the right of the peloton, BMC on the left, Sky up the middle as the leaders move inside the last kilo.

Nobody fancying it at the moment in the front five as they approach 2km from the summit of the Cote d'Ardoix. Millar and Kiserovski on the front but here comes Martinez to take his turn - all five riders still working well together. 20km remaining.

More domestique work for Cavendish who is back at the team car loading up with more bottles of juice for Wiggins. Mick Rogers helping out. He hands out a couple of energy bars, takes one back, all in a day's work for the world road race champion who has won 21 Tour de France stages lest we forget.

Not great timing this, but my system appears to be going slower than the peloton - hopefully a crash is not imminent, particularly at this delicate stage of the race. Nobody attacking in the front bunch yet.

Just 25km remaining for the leaders and they are on the bottom of the final climb of the day. Will Kiserlovski or Martinez try to break Millar? Back down the road and the peloton zips across a beautiful bridge over the River Rhone and into the Ardeche region.

Team Sky continue to pace the peloton. The BMC team of Cadel Evans are keeping the Australian safe while Vincenzo Nibali is tucked away with his Liquigas team-mates. Will anyone go on the attack on the final climb to try to gain a few seconds on Wiggo?

Didi the Devil has indeed been ill, but he's on the mend: "I just got back from having my head x-rayed, the third time in three weeks, I feel like a Chernobyl reactor," he told Cyclingnews.

The roads are narrowing as we close in on the final climb. Millar looking in decent nick. Just 32km remaining, who you backing

Not a lot happening on the road. Millar's mob know they are home and hosed. It's just a question of who wants this more. Don't forget there is one more hill to get over today - the Cote d'Ardoix. It's a tiddler at just 5.9km long with an average gradient of 3.4% and there's still 20km to race one the hill is conquered.

I doubt you could ever call a race that features a couple of category one climbs as easy, but this has been about as comfortable a day for Team Sky as they could have imagined. A bit of hard work early doors but this has been a procession for the last 100km or so.

Bernie Eisel tapping out the pace for the peloton and the lead is staying way over 12 minutes. Millar, Kiserlovski, Peraud, Gautier and Martinez chasing the win. Millar is the only one to taste a stage win on Le Tour - he has four overall.

After that bit of minor excitement, it's back to business as usual on the front of the peloton with Team Sky leading the way, keeping the lead at 11'35". Here's Cavendish up at the front in full-on domestique role. He has half a dozen bottles stuffed inside his jersey and he is doling them out among his team-mates.

The riders have been in their respective saddles for just over four hours already today and there is still 65km or so of racing left to do. And I've just got food. Never has a prawn sandwich looked so good. Thanks Mr Standley.

We are in the final kilo leading into this sprint. Sagan, Goss, Cavendish all up near the front - who fancies this then?

The peloton splits for a second time, half going clockwise round a roundabout, half going anti-clockwise. Here comes Orica GreenEdge to the front. Pace edging up bit by bit. Lead still holding at over 11 minutes.

Cavendish looking thoroughly fed up, arms slumped over his handlebars, you wouldn't guess that his big moment is minutes away. He has Boasson Hagen for company, while the BMC train nudges its way to the front and Liquigas become more visible.

All eight Team Sky riders left in the race bossing the peloton. Cavendish sitting patiently at the back of the train, waiting for his moment to shine - just the 10km to the intermediate sprint. The leaders around 11 minutes up the road, or about 8km if you like.

Just 80km left on today's stage for the leaders - a quick reminder who we have out front. Britain's David Millar, riding for Garmin, is alongside Astana's Robert Kiserlovski, AG2R's Jean-Christophe Peraud, Egoi Martinez of Euskaltel and Europcar's Cyril Gautier. One Spaniard, one Croatian and two Frenchmen - I'll let you work it out, it's not too tricky.

Time then to doff our racing caps in the direction of Tom Simpson, Britain's first Tour de France yellow jersey wearer. Simpson passed away on this day in 1967, tragically dying on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during stage 13.

The leaders are more than 10 minutes clear of the peloton and Team Sky are content to let the lead continue to grow as they pedal through what can only be described as a fairly nondescript town.

It's a long way to Annonay Davezieux and the pace they are currently drifting along it makes me wonder if they'll get there before nightfall. In the meantime, can I direct you to a tremendous Bradley Wiggins column in the Guardian in which he talks more about doping, among other things. A few of you asking after Mark Cavendish - he is still more than four minutes behind the peloton - he's being looked after by Bernie Eisel, though. They also have Chavanel for company.

Pedestrian pace in the peloton. Team Sky are on the front but they are taking this along at a ridiculously slow rate. Eveyone free-wheeling and lots of chatting going on. Up ahead, the leading bunch continues to stamp on the pedals as their advantage rapidly approaches five minutes and goes beyond it while I type.

The meter is re-stocked with 50p pieces and we appear to be over our technical hitches. The front five take on board their food, which reminds me, the early start today means I didn't have time to get any grub before I began this marathon live text. If anyone is near MediaCity and fancies getting me a baguette, it would be much appreciated.

Frustratingly, we are starting to experience publishing problems on the website. I'll keep going as long as I can but if you don't get updates for a while, that's the reason why.

Time to put more cats among the pigeons. Saxo Bank owner Bjarne Riis, a man who won the 1996 Tour de France, has said he thinks Team Sky could be on the verge of changing captains mid-race. "Froome is favourite," said Riis. Bit of kidology from the Dane?

I think that was an interesting little burst from Wiggo. A bit of a I'm the boss here and I'm feeling good. This Tour is mine. Or maybe just trying to negate a Nibali attack on the descent? Jurgen van den Broeck was the first rider to get after Wiggins.

The leading group is inside the final kilometre. Astana's Kiserlovski is dancing on his pedals, teasing his fellow escapees - when will he make the push for the summit? Team Sky pounding away on the front, brutal pace set by EBH and lots of riders struggling with the pace - lead down to 45 seconds.

Edvald Boasson Hagen is on the front of the peloton, as Norwegian champion he's allowed to wear his national colours rather than Team Sky's usual shirt colour. At the back of the peloton, yesterday's winner Pierre Rolland is dropping away - his Europcar team-mate Tommy Voeckler trying to pace him back.

I really thought an escape may stick today but Team Sky, with Knees on the front have already reeled in the Voigt breakaway attempt and the leading group is just over one minute up the road. Could this play into the hands of the sprinters late on? A little cat three hump to get over - surely not another day for Superman Sagan?

Germany's Voigt, no doubt telling his legs to shut up, is with Brice Feillu, Kashesckin and Levarlet and the quartet quickly catch Kern and Roy and the newly-formed sextet are 1'45" behind the leaders with the peloton just 20 seconds back.

It's all starting to kick off on the Granier. None of the big names getting involved, but Jeremy Roy and Christophe Kern are on the counter-attack. Martinez is up with the leaders to make it a dozen. And here comes Jens Voigt.

The road flattens out as the riders reach the bottom of the Col du Grand Cucheron and prepare to take on the Col du Granier. It's a shorter climb at 9.7km but the average gradient is a little steeper at 8.6%. We still have more than 160km to race today.

There is a group of five riders between the leading 11 and the peloton. Chris Horner of RadioShack, Egoi Martinez and Ruben Perez of Euskaltel, Vacansoleil's Marco Marcato and Saxo Bank's Anders Lund. The quintet is 40 seconds adrift of the escapees, 45 seconds clear of the yellow jersey.

Team Sky are, usurprisingly, bossing the peloton. Christian Knees the man on the front at present, keeping the escapees at 1'15".

Burghardt is back in the peloton after a brief foray this morning. Those of you extolling Chris Froome - he's at the back of the peloton at the moment. Sure he's just taking it a bit steady though. The main contenders - Wiggo, Nibali, Evans, Jurgen van den Broeck - are just 47 seconds down the road, this escape is a long way from properly sticking.

The leaders are approaching the summit of the Col du Grand Cucheron. The climb started at 366m above sea level - it ends at 1,188m. A nice early morning stretch of the legs. Some of the 19 out front are struggling to keep pace and a few have dropped off. Millar staying with the front bunch.

The riders are powering up the slopes of the first big climb of the day - the Col du Grand Cucheron. The 19 out front have an advantage of just 50 seconds as others continue to try and bridge the gap from the peloton. David Millar is in the leading group. I'm building up to naming them all, promise. Mark Cavendish by the way, has somewhat predictably dropped off the back of the peloton.

Sorry to report for all you Voigt fans, but the 40-year-old German - the oldest man in this year's race - has missed the breakaway today. Astana's Robert Kiserlovski is in there - the Croatian was also involved in yesterday's bid for glory and he is the best-placed rider in the overall standings, a little over 28 minutes behind Wiggo. Full list of 19 coming up.

The breakaway is formed. A group of 19 riders is one minute clear of the peloton. Among the leaders are Britain's David Millar, who rides for Garmin, BMC's Marcus Berghardt and Kristjan Koren of Liquigas - full list to follow.

It looks a perfect route for a successful breakaway. Team Sky will be content to let riders who are not in contention for the overall victory to go clear over the mountains - they probably need a bit of a break after Thursday's exertions. There are currently a dozen or so riders chancing their arm with Voigt very much at the heart of things.

It's not going to be quite as demanding day as Thursday, but there are still two category one climbs to get over in the opening 80km of today's stage - the 12.5km slog up Col du Grand Cucheron, which peaks at 1,188m and the Col du Granier which is just 9.7km long with a summit at 1,134m. A gentler category three climb up the Cote d'Ardoix comes towards the end of the stage and we have an uphill ride to the finish.

Hello and welcome to stage 12 of the Tour de France. Hope you've all recovered from yesterday's day in the high mountains. It turned out to be a great day for Team Sky and British riders Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome - although could it have been even better for Froome?

Team Sky's Chris Froome: "I follow orders at all costs. I'm part of the team and I have to do what the team asks me to do. Bradley is just as strong as me and stronger than me in the time-trials."