Nicolas Roche rebounds with very strong ride on Tour de France | Video | Sticky Bottle

Nicolas Roche may have crashed just a couple of days ago on the Tour de France but on today's stage 12 - some 218km from Chauvigny to Sarran - he rebounded strongly and helped his team score a stage win

Nicolas Roche has rebounded from his stage 10 crash on the Tour de France to put in a very strong ride on today's stage 12 when he helped his Team Sunweb team mate Marc Hirschi to victory on the day.

While the 22-year-old Swiss rider, and former U23 world and European road race champion, attacked the finale of the stage solo, Roche was behind marking the moves.

The Irish rider eventually finished 10th himself after playing a crucial part in man-marking those who tried to attack after lone leader Hirschi, including Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep).

After a very strong early breakaway was caught on the Crouze du Pey climb with about 40km to go, Team Sunweb signaled its intent by firing Tiesj Benoot and Kragh Andersen up the road, with Marc Soler (Movistar) soon joining them.

*Marc Hirschi had gone on the attack on stages 2 and 9, claiming 2nd and 3rd those days. But today was his day; the impressive 22-year-old from Switzerland winning stage 12*

Their number was quickly swelled when they were joined by Max Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe), Quentin Pacher (B&B Hotels) and Hirschi; the latter attacking from that front group on the final climb of the day, Suc au May, and rode solo for about 25km before taking victory in Sarran.

However, behind Hirschi a very strong chasing group formed that included Alaphilippe, Alessandro De Marchi (CCC Team), Jesús Herrada (Cofidis), Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo), Schachmann, Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) and others.

As they attacked after Hirschi, with Alaphilippe proving a real handful, Andersen and especially Roche kicked into team mate duties and chased down the moves; Roche proving especially important in controling Alaphilippe.

That ensured a chase never got overly organised after the lone leader and while Rolland broke away from the chasers to take 2nd place, he never looked like catching the impressive 22-year-old up the road and finished 47 seconds down on him on the line.

*Primoz Roglic started stage 12 in yellow and Sam Bennett began in green; both riders having a smooth day today and keeping their classification leads*

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Some five seconds later came a seven-man group; Andersen winning the sprint for 3rd to take a 1-3 for Team Sunweb. Roche was just a couple of seconds off the back of that group for 10th and played a key role in securing the victory for his team.

Peter Sagan, whose Bora-hansgrohe team did much of the chasing after the early breakaway, came through to take 13th place on the stage and gained four points in the green jersey classification.

However, as Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-QuickStep) beat Sagan by two placings at the intermediate sprint, scoring two points more than him, Sagan's net gain on the Irishman today was just two points.

It meant Bennett comfortably held the green jersey; now with 252 points compared to the 186 point tally of Sagan in 2nd place.

Today the main favourites finished in a near 70-rider group - led home by Sagan - some 2:30 down on winner Hirschi. That ensured no change overall, with Priomz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) leading Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) by 21 seconds with Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) in 3rd at 28 seconds.

Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) finished just seconds off the back of the favourites' group, placing 71st. Bennett placed 160th, and last, on the stage but having done his job for another day protecting green.