Tom Boonen of Belgium reacts as he crosses the finish line ahead of Erik Zabel of Germany (left) to win the 12th stage of the Tour de France between Montpellier and Castres yesterday. - Reuters

CASTRES, France (Reuters):

BELGIAN TOM Boonen made an important step towards his first green jersey with victory in the 178.5-km 12th stage of the Tour de France yesterday.

The Quick Step rider easily won a bunch sprint ahead of German rival Erik Zabel of the Milram team with South African Robert Hunter, winner of Thursday’s stage, coming home third for the Barloworld team.

Boonen, who won the sixth stage in Bourg-en-Bresse, now leads Hunter by 20 points in the sprinters’ standings.

“Yesterday, I was not lucky, today was okay,” said Boonen, who missed yesterday’s sprint after being delayed by a big crash in the final kilometre.

“I had won the last sprint before the Alps, now I win the last sprint before the Pyrenees. It’s good for my morale.”

Dane Michael Rasmussen finished safe in the peloton to retain the overall leader’s yellow jersey.

The Rabobank rider is at the centre of a controversy after the Danish Cycling Union (DCU) announced it had dropped him from the national team after he received several warnings from the International Cycling Union (UCI) and anti-doping authorities.

Rasmussen failed to inform the authorities of his whereabouts while training and, therefore, missed two random dope tests in May and June.

Spaniard Amets Txurruka of the Euskaltel team and France’s Pierrick Fedrigo of the Bouygues Telecom team broke away after 57km of yesterday’s stage from Montpellier.

The fugitives built up an 11-minute gap over the peloton but their advantage vanished 700 metres from the finish line, leaving the road open for another bunch sprint.

Today’s 13th stage will be a 54-km individual time trial in Albi.