Rodriquez wins claims second stage victory of 2015 Tour de France as race leaves Pyrenees

Spain's Joaquim Rodriquez won his second gold of this year's race ©Getty Images

Spain's Joaquim Rodriquez claimed his second victory of the 2015 Tour de France in torrential rain after riding solo up the final climb of the stage 12 from Lannemezan to Plateau de Beille.

The main general classification riders allowed a breakaway to develop and stay away for second consecutive day, with 22 riders forming part of the early move 27 kilometres into the 195km route, the final Pyrenean stage of this year's race.

Michal Kwiatkowski, the reigning world road race champion, was among the lead group of riders and with 75km of the stage and two mountain passes remaining the Polish rider opted to go on the offensive breaking clear with Austria's Georg Preidler and Belgium's Sep Vanmarcke.

With rain pouring the trio where then pursued by a six-man group containing Romain Bardet, sixth in last year's race, and Rodriguez, winner of stage three.

Kwiatkowski was able to leave Preidler and Vanmarcke behind inside the closing 15km of the stage, but was made to pay for his early effort as an inspired Rodriquez caught and passed the 25-year-old with seven kilometre to the finish.

He remained clear to take victory in 5 hours 40min 14sec.

Lance Armstrong, stripped of the seven Tour de France titles he won after admitting doping, has drawn attention after taking part in a charity ride a stage ahead of the race ©AFP/Getty Images

"I like this climb to Plateau de Beille, I live about fifty kilometers away," said Rodriquez.

"I've come here a thousand times and I've dreamt of winning here a thousand times.

"It means a lot to me to have won two stages at the Tour this year."

"I have never won a Grand Tour but it doesn't mean that I don't deserve it, I just haven't had the luck that is the trademark of the big champions."

Attacks from Spain's Alberto Contador and Colombia's Nairo Quintana failed to change the current standings in the general classification.

Britain's Chris Froome still has a 2min 52sec advantage over his nearest challenger, Tejay Van Garderen of the United States.

Froome's biggest task at the moment is to fend off questions related to the reappearance of disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong near the race.

Armstrong, stripped of the seven Tour de France titles he won after confessing to doping in 2013, is riding stages 13 and 14 of the Tour ahead of the race to help raise funds for a leukemia charity.

The 43-year-old, who overcame testicular cancer during his career and established the cancer charity Livestrong, was invited to take part in the ride by former England footballer Geoff Thomas, who survived leukemia and has taken part in several charity events to raise funds to fight the disease.