Mark Cavendish takes third stage this year with his sprint finish win in Narbonne.

Cavendish is now fifth in the green jersey standings even after he finished dead last out of 169 riders just three days ago on the Hautacam climb in the Pyrenees.
Cavendish, who also eased to sprint victories in stages five and eight, again showed himself to be the fastest man in the peloton on a day that was marred by the news that double stage winner Riccardo Ricco had tested positive for EPO.

Stage 12 results:
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Columbia
2 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux
3 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step
4 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
5 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
6 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
8 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis
9 Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin Chipotle - H30
10 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
Full Results — cyclingnews

General classification after stage 12
1 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto 50.23.05
2 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 0.01
3 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle 0.38
4 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 0.46
5 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0.57
6 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.28
7 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Columbia 1.56
8 Juan José Cobo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott 2.10
9 Riccardo Riccò (Ita) Saunier Duval-Scott 2.29
10 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 2.32