Stages twelve to fourteen were flat stages, and were dominated by the sprinters. Mark Cavendish won another two stages, and Óscar Freire took his first. In the fifteenth stage, a group of four cyclists escaped and stayed away, a similar thing happened in stage sixteen.
The later stages (12-14) were characterized by flat terrain, where sprinters held sway. Mark Cavendish secured two more wins, while Óscar Freire claimed his first triumph. In the fifteenth stage, a quartet of cyclists managed to stay clear, mirroring what transpired in stage 16.