BEIJING, July 17 -- Team Saxo Bank rider Nicki Sorensen of Denmark powered to a solo victory in the 12th stage of the Tour de France, a 211.5-kilometer ride from Tonnerre to Vittel Thursday. The Saxo Bank rider beat France's Laurent Lefevre and Italian Franco Pellizotti, who were second and third, respectively.
Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini retained the overall leader's yellow jersey, six seconds ahead of Alberto Contador. The Spaniard's Astana teammate Lance Armstrong stayed third, two seconds further behind.
Sorensen featured in a seven-man breakaway at the 64-km mark that quickly built a gap of over four minutes - and he proved the strongest of the group.
Team Saxo Bank rider Nicki Sorensen of Denmark holds up his arms as he wins the twelfth stage of the 96th Tour de France cycling race between Tonnerre and Vittel, July 16, 2009.
Belgian Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans of Australia also tried their luck early but they were swiftly reined in by the bunch. Armstrong suffered a puncture after 150 km but the seven-time champion was quickly returned to the bunch by four teammates after having his rear wheel changed.
The stage went the fugitives' way as the sprinters' teams proved unwilling to work in the finale to set up a mass sprint.
Sorensen and Frenchman Sylvain Calzati attacked the breakaway group with 22 kilometers left with only Nocentini's AG2R team setting the pace.
The duo did not look back as the gap with the peloton went past the six-minute mark, and Sorensen went solo 5.5 km from the line.
Today's 13th stage will take the peloton over 209 kilometers to Colmar with the tricky ascent to the Col du Platzerwasel on the menu.
Earlier, the International Cycling Union overturned an earpiece ban set for today's stage, meaning riders will be able to race with electronic radio equipment as normal.
Tuesday's 10th stage was held without earpieces as an experiment, and a majority of riders and sports directors flayed the measure as being too dangerous.
"To put an end to the controversy which is compromising the running of the Tour de France, the (UCI) Management Committee has decided not to repeat the experiment of a stage without radio communication," the UCI said yesterday.
However, the earpiece ban could be experimented with again at a future race. "The UCI pursues the debate on the appropriateness of using radios during racing and will continue to consult all those involved in cycling as far as their use is concerned," the UCI said.