History-maker Biniam Girmay sprinted to his third victory at this year's Tour de France but overall contender Primoz Roglic lost significant time after a late crash on stage 12.
Eritrean Girmay became the first black African to win a Tour de France stage with his opening win on stage three and also triumphed on stage eight.
Intermarche-Wanty rider Girmay, 24, beat Wout van Aert in a frantic bunch sprint in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, with Mark Cavendish originally finishing fifth before being relegated.
Tadej Pogacar retained the leader's yellow jersey and remains one minute six seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard a further eight seconds behind.
But podium contender Roglic, who finished with a ripped jersey and bloodied shoulder, dropped from fourth to sixth in the general classification after he lost two minutes 27 seconds on the leaders after being caught up in a late crash.
Pogacar, of UAE Team Emirates, was also held up behind a crash in the peloton early in the stage, and required a bike change, but re-joined the main group without issue.
The 203.6km route from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot offered one of the few remaining opportunities for a bunch sprint - assuming the sprinter's teams could control any potential breakaway.
A four-man group featuring Groupama-FDJ riders Valentin Madouas and Quentin Pacher, Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X Mobility and Total Energies' Anthony Turgis managed to open up a three-and-a-half-minute advantage over the peloton.
