Andre Griepel (AFP)

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Le Cap D'agde - Germany's Andre Greipel claimed his third victory of this year's Tour de France as Bradley Wiggins of Britain held on to the yellow jersey at the end of the 13th stage.

Greipel, who rides for Lotto, finished just ahead of Slovakian sprint rival Peter Sagan (Liquigas) in a tight finish in which Wiggins astonishingly tried to set up Sky teammate Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Norwegian Boasson Hagen could only finish third on the 217 km stage which began in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux.

"I'm really happy with this victory," said Greipel, one of the few sprinters able to successfully negotiate the Mont Saint Clair climb whose summit was 20 km from the finish.

"The team did a great job for me today. It's amazing. You can be really happy with just one victory in the Tour de France, but this one is a bit special because of the Mont Saint Clair being there near the finish.

"We deserved this."

Despite a potentially treacherous finale due to crosswinds leading to Cap d'Agde, Wiggins stayed out of danger to retain his 2min 05sec lead over teammate Chris Froome.

Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) is still third at 2:23 while Australia's defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC) is fourth at 3:19.

Greipel won stages four and five in this year's race and now has four in total, having claimed his maiden Tour stage in 2011.

His main sprint rival Mark Cavendish (Sky), the winner of 21 stages but only one this edition, was one of a large bunch of riders left behind on the slopes of the Mont Saint Clair.

After an eight-man breakaway formed in the opening kilometres, they were allowed to go on and build a maximum lead of nine minutes on the peloton.

But with the stage win and points for the green jersey at stake, and the potential danger to the overall victory contenders, it wasn't long before the peloton upped the pace.

The Orica-GreenEdge team of Australian sprinter Matt Goss hit the front and with 70 km to race the leaders' gap had dropped to just over two minutes.

Minutes later, Denmark's Michael Morkov jumped away in the hope of taking his attack all the way to the finish in remembrance of his father, who died six years ago to the day.

But the first slopes of the Saint Clair ended his hopes and the peloton, which had also reeled in his seven companions, soon powered past.

Evans surged ahead in a bid to distance Wiggins and his Sky team and, despite failing in his mission, his move caused a split which left a select group at the front.

With 16 km remaining Kazakh veteran Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) launched his attack and, with Goss one of the sprinters dropped, was soon joined by the Australian's teammate Michael Albasini.

Their two-man bid was doomed by the sustained efforts of Greipel's Lotto team.

Although the Belgian outfit came apart in the closing kilometre when Wiggins made a rare appearance to lead out Boasson Hagen, Greipel finished the job off in style thanks to a timely lift of his front wheel at the finish.

Even Sagan, who has also won three stages, had to applaud.

"He lifted his bike faster than me, but that's the way it is. He deserved it," said Sagan.

Overall standings after the 13th stage of the Tour de France, a 217.0km ride from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chteaux to Le Cap d'Agde on Saturday:

1. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 59h32min 32sec

2. Chris Froome (GBR/SKY) at 2:05.

3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ) 2:23.

4. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) 3:19.

5. Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) 4:48.

6. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP/RSH) 6:15.

7. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) 6:57.

8. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/AST) 7:30.

9. Pierre Rolland (FRA/EUC) 8:31.

10. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 8:51.

11. Andreas Kloden (GER/RSH) 9:29.

12. Frank Schleck (LUX/RSH) 9:45.

13. Nicolas Roche (EIR/ALM) 10:49.

14. Jerome Coppel (FRA/SAU) 11:27.

15. Chris Horner (USA/RSH) 12:41.

16. Denis Menchov (RUS/KAT) 17:21.

17. Maxime Monfort (BEL/RSH) 17:41.

18. Egoi Martinez (ESP/EUS) 18:04.

19. Rui Costa (POR/MOV) 19:02.

20. Chris Anker Sorensen (DEN/SAX) 20:12.

21. Michele Scarponi (ITA/LAM) 20:32.

22. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/AST) 20:54.

23. Peter Velits (SVK/OPQ) 27:37.

24. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 32:59.

25. Michael Rogers (AUS/SKY) 33:13.

26. Eduard Vorganov (RUS/KAT) 33:59.

27. Laurens ten Dam (NED/RAB) 40:17.

28. Sandy Casar (FRA/FDJ) 44:31.

29. Jelle Vanendert (BEL/LTB) 44:45.

30. Ivan Basso (ITA/LIQ) 45:13.

31. Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ/AST) 46:40.

32. Levi Leipheimer (USA/OPQ) 47:17.

33. Rein Taaramae (EST/COF) 48:56.

34. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (ESP/MOV) 54:40.

35. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/EUC) 55:54.

36. Rafael Valls (ESP/VAC) 56:37.

37. Jean Christophe Peraud (FRA/ALM) 56:46.

38. Giampaolo Caruso (ITA/KAT) 57:35.

39. Marco Marcato (ITA/VAC) 1h00:49.

40. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/RAB) 1h01:56.

41. George Hincapie (USA/BMC) 1h04:55.

42. Peter Sagan (SVK/LIQ) 1h05:00.

43. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) 1h05:26.

44. Fabrice Jeandesboz (FRA/SAU) 1h06:42.

45. Kevin De Weert (BEL/OPQ) 1h07:00.

46. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/OPQ) 1h07:47.

47. Dominik Nerz (GER/LIQ) 1h08:54.

48. Mickal Cherel (FRA/ALM) 1h09:23.

49. Jens Voigt (GER/RSH) 1h10:52.

50. Christian Vande Velde (USA/GRM) 1h11:03.

51. Pierrick Fedrigo (FRA/FDJ) 1h12:29.

52. Davide Malacarne (ITA/EUC) 1h12:30.

53. Michael Schar (SUI/BMC) 1h13:24.

54. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/SKY) 1h13:33.

55. Maxime Bouet (FRA/ALM) 1h13:34.

56. Amael Moinard (FRA/BMC) 1h13:39.

57. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/BMC) 1h13:47.

58. Yury Trofimov (RUS/KAT) 1h13:54.

59. Andriy Grivko (UKR/AST) 1h14:22.

60. Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE/AST) 1h14:49.

61. Cyril Gautier (FRA/EUC) 1h15:14.

62. Simon Gerrans (AUS/GEC) 1h16:04.

63. Sylvester Szmyd (POL/LIQ) 1h16:18.

64. Daniel Martin (IRL/GRM) 1h17:35.

65. Jeremy Roy (FRA/FDJ) 1h18:02.

66. Dmitriy Fofonov (KAZ/AST) 1h20:15.

67. Gorka Izagirre (ESP/EUS) 1h21:59.

68. Vladimir Karpets (RUS/MOV) 1h22:23.

69. Vladimir Gusev (RUS/KAT) 1h23:01.

70. Vasil Kiryienka (BLR/MOV) 1h23:07.

71. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BMC) 1h24:24.

72. Dries Devenyns (BEL/OPQ) 1h25:45.

73. Christophe Riblon (FRA/ALM) 1h26:25.

74. Arthur Vichot (FRA/FDJ) 1h27:20.

75. Johnny Hoogerland (NED/VAC) 1h28:16.

76. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR/RSH) 1h29:15.

77. Sergio Paulinho (POR/SAX) 1h29:50.

78. Marco Marzano (ITA/LAM) 1h30:48.

79. Guillaume Levarlet (FRA/SAU) 1h30:52.

80. Danilo Hondo (GER/LAM) 1h31:20.

81. Pieter Weening (NED/GEC) 1h31:48.

82. Michael Morkov (DEN/SAX) 1h31:51.

83. David Millar (GBR/GRM) 1h32:36.

84. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) 1h33:16.

85. Andrei Kashechkin (KAZ/AST) 1h34:00.

86. Sebastien Minard (FRA/ALM) 1h34:43.

87. Lars Ytting Bak (DEN/LTB) 1h36:49.

88. Yukiya Arashiro (JPN/EUC) 1h37:33.

89. Stephen Cummings (GBR/BMC) 1h39:11.

90. Jurgen Roelandts (BEL/LTB) 1h39:38.

91. Jorge Azanza (ESP/EUS) 1h39:45.

92. Alessandro Vanotti (ITA/LIQ) 1h39:54.

93. Jerome Pineau (FRA/OPQ) 1h41:05.

94. Michael Albasini (SUI/GEC) 1h41:57.

95. Stuart O'Grady (AUS/GEC) 1h42:03.

96. Blel Kadri (FRA/ALM) 1h42:04.

97. Simone Stortoni (ITA/LAM) 1h42:35.

98. Daryl Impey (RSA/GEC) 1h43:09.

99. David Zabriskie (USA/GRM) 1h43:09.

100. Christian Knees (GER/SKY) 1h43:23.

101. Martin Velits (SVK/OPQ) 1h45:04.

102. Romain Zingle (BEL/COF) 1h45:41.

103. Giovanni Bernaudeau (FRA/EUC) 1h46:28.

104. Koen de Kort (NED/ARG) 1h46:46.

105. Matthieu Ladagnous (FRA/FDJ) 1h47:33.

106. Baden Cooke (AUS/GEC) 1h47:43.

107. Adam Hansen (AUS/LTB) 1h48:24.

108. Christophe Kern (FRA/EUC) 1h50:19.

109. Federico Canuti (ITA/LIQ) 1h50:21.

110. Ruben Perez Moreno (ESP/EUS) 1h50:37.

111. Luca Paolini (ITA/KAT) 1h51:25.

112. Kris Boeckmans (BEL/VAC) 1h51:36.

113. Sebastien Hinault (FRA/ALM) 1h52:40.

114. Andre Greipel (GER/LTB) 1h53:35.

115. Nick Nuyens (BEL/SAX) 1h53:50.

116. Kristjan Koren (SLO/LIQ) 1h54:52.

117. Bert Grabsch (GER/OPQ) 1h55:01.

118. Julien Simon (FRA/SAU) 1h55:39.

119. Manuel Quinziato (ITA/BMC) 1h55:52.

120. Greg Henderson (NZL/LTB) 1h56:37.

121. Matthew Goss (AUS/GEC) 1h57:06.

122. Joan Horrach (ESP/KAT) 1h57:37.

123. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA/COF) 2h00:19.

124. Yauheni Hutarovich (BLR/FDJ) 2h02:58.

125. Nicki Sorensen (DEN/SAX) 2h03:06.

126. Anders Lund (DEN/SAX) 2h03:29.

127. Mathieu Sprick (FRA/ARG) 2h04:25.

128. Marcel Sieberg (GER/LTB) 2h05:00.

129. Brett Lancaster (AUS/GEC) 2h05:17.

130. Jonathan Cantwell (AUS/SAX) 2h05:38.

131. Karsten Kroon (NED/SAX) 2h05:44.

132. Nicolas Edet (FRA/COF) 2h06:03.

133. Daniel Oss (ITA/LIQ) 2h06:24.

134. Francis de Greef (BEL/LTB) 2h07:30.

135. Vincent Jerome (FRA/EUC) 2h08:08.

136. Anthony Roux (FRA/FDJ) 2h08:53.

137. Roy Curvers (NED/ARG) 2h09:01.

138. Yohann Gene (FRA/EUC) 2h09:41.

139. Jean-Marc Marino (FRA/SAU) 2h09:59.

140. Rubn Plaza (ESP/MOV) 2h10:01.

141. Cyril Lemoine (FRA/SAU) 2h10:12.

142. Brice Feillu (FRA/SAU) 2h10:46.

143. Cedric Pineau (FRA/FDJ) 2h11:47.

144. Bram Tankink (NED/RAB) 2h11:53.

145. Juan Jose Haedo (ARG/SAX) 2h12:03.

146. Luis Angel Mate (ESP/COF) 2h12:04.

147. Borut Bozic (SLO/AST) 2h13:11.

148. Patrick Gretsch (GER/ARG) 2h13:32.

149. Bernhard Eisel (AUT/SKY) 2h14:35.

150. Mark Cavendish (GBR/SKY) 2h14:40.

151. Maxim Iglinskiy (KAZ/AST) 2h14:55.

152. Pablo Urtasun (ESP/EUS) 2h19:06.

153. Yann Huguet (FRA/ARG) 2h19:07.

154. Kenny van Hummel (NED/VAC) 2h20:09.

155. Julien Fouchard (FRA/COF) 2h21:52.

156. Sbastian Langeveld (NED/GEC) 2h22:27.

157. Grega Bole (SLO/LAM) 2h23:30.

158. Aliaksandr Kuschynski (BLR/KAT) 2h24:42.

159. Albert Timmer (NED/ARG) 2h28:01.

160. Jan Ghyselinck (BEL/COF) 2h28:13.

161. Johan Van Summeren (BEL/GRM) 2h30:44.

162. Jimmy Engoulvent (FRA/SAU) 2h33:43.

163. Tyler Farrar (USA/GRM) 2h37:16.