Astana's Vincenzo Nibali will attack in the Tour de France mountains

The Astana rider was able to negotiate the undulating stage 12 on Thursday and finish within the peloton to ensure he did not lose any time to his rivals Richie Porte (Team Sky) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).

With a lead of over two minutes, the Italian is more than ready to deal with any attacks, knowing the mountain stages could provide those chasing him with the chance to cut his overall advantage.

"We'll handle the race with the team," said Nibali. "It's not easy to control.

"I'm sure our rivals will try to attack but on the other hand, if I can gain some seconds, I'll go for it.

"Attacks from far out can happen, but whatever happens tomorrow, the Tour de France will not end tomorrow.

"I'll have to evaluate the strength of my adversaries and consider every race situation. I'm not worried because I know I'll be able to count on the support of Jakob Fuglsang, Tanel Kangert and Michele Scarponi.

"They can give a lot in the climbs!

"I'm more afraid of the second Alpine stage than the first one. In the first one, everybody's got energy. But the second one requires more efforts than the first one."

Katusha's Alexander Kristoff took the stage win on Thursday, beating Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Arnaud Demare (FDJ.fr) in a sprint finish.