the top ten, in ninth place. Stage 1 4 June 2012 — Seyssins to Saint-Vallier, With no fewer than six categorised climbs during the parcours, the first mass-start stage was not ideally suited towards the sprinters, but was favourable towards puncheurs, as the final of the six climbs – the third-category Côte de la Sizeranne – came just from the stage's finish in Saint-Vallier. Six riders – Giovanni Bernaudeau (), rider Markel Irizar, 's Maarten Tjallingii, Nicolas Edet of , Sep Vanmarcke () and rider Yukihiro Doi – advanced clear of the main field in the early running of the stage; the sextet managed to extend their advantage to a maximum of over thirteen minutes around a quarter of the way through the stage. Around the same point, a crash involving Pierrick Fédrigo () and Samuel Sánchez () brought both riders down. Neither rider returned to the main group, as Fédrigo lost over six minutes and Sánchez almost four times that; losing almost 24 minutes, after reports that he had been suffering with broken ribs. He was taken to hospital after the stage, where he was diagnosed with bruised ribs. The teams of several of the general classification contenders were prevalent on the front of the peloton as they set about reducing the advantage that the breakaway group of six riders were holding over them. The gap had been reduced to around the three-minute mark with left of the stage to cover. Another big crash happened some later with 's Simon Gerrans, rider Pim Ligthart and Dan Martin of among those to hit the tarmac. moved forward, and pulled the gap under two minutes and caused the breakaway to splinter through pressure. Bernaudeau – who had figured at each of the mountain passes to the point – and Doi failed to stay with their companions as they approached the day's final climb, the Côte de la Sizeranne. Tjallingii was also dropped by the remaining members of the breakaway, while in the main field, Alexander Vinokourov () and Andy Schleck of – who had been criticised by team manager Johan Bruyneel for his poor opening half to the season – were both struggling off the back of the group. Both riders lost over three minutes by the stage end. As the lead group approached the top of the Côte de la Sizeranne, Irizar attacked from the group of the remaining three