Intxausti, Bruseghin lead most offensive attempt in Vuelta's first big Asturian mountain stage, attacking midway through San Lorenzo and putting the GC riders into problems before getting caught with 5k left. Pardilla, 11th at the finish, still close to top-10 Movistar Team showed again their valiant manners after a 2011 Vuelta a España full of brave attempts and took their best cards into the game during the first of two big mountain stages in Asturias, the fourteenth in the Spanish grandtour over 176 kilometers starting in Astorga and featuring the climbs of Ventana (Cat. 2), San Lorenzo (Cat. 1) and the finish atop La Farrapona. After not getting into the break with Pablo Lastras and a remarkable Ángel Madrazo -also into the fore yesterday-, the telephone squad set a brave move on front into the second climb, making a duo attack with 40k left with Beñat Intxausti and Marzio Bruseghin.

The Basque and the Italian led an interesting pulse against the favourites’ group, reaching gaps up to 1.15 into the first slopes of La Farrapona before Intxausti, after a colossal teamwork, left Bruseghin alone in his quest for a better place into the GC. Broken out after two ascents on the front, the veteran Italian ended up caught with 5k remaining, with Sergio Pardilla taking control of the situation for the Blue squad with a good performances behind the group of GC leader Wiggins (SKY), which keeps him around a minute behind the overall top-ten -he’s now 14th, with Bruseghin 19th- as the race’s showdown is ridden in 24 hours’ time. Stage 15 will be a 142k trek departing from Avilés, with the climbs of Tenebredo (Cat. 2), Cordal (Cat. 1) and the famous L’Angliru, with slopes up to 23%.

Marzio Bruseghin: “I think we worked well as a team, trying to make a bit of revolution into the race, and even though we couldn’t make it, at least we tried. We also wanted to do sort of that yesterday with Pardilla, but we couldn’t. I thought of attacking this morning, and though we had terrain for that, maybe we lacked some legs. Beñat did an amazing work, he sacrificed for myself and the squad, showing that he’s recovered well from his attempt on Thursday and that he’s a strong hopeful for the future. I hoped they left us some gap behind, but Liquigas was pushing and we couldn’t get to where we wanted. I spent so much energy today and maybe lost too much for the GC, but I had to try it; we didn’t know how it would run, but gambles are made before knowing the final result. The aim was to get into the overall top-10, and that’s difficult after today’s result, but I can still fight for a stage victory.”

Sergio Pardilla: “The race went on full gas right from the start, with several breaks, a first climb done rapidly and an even faster descent. The racing was really hard through San Lorenzo, with some moves from the favourites to measure the others’ force and the attempt by my teammates Bruseghin and Beñat. In general, we all did what we could: I did myself attack in the final kilometers after some moves from Froome and Cobo, but Froome was indeed the one catching me. After the attack, I felt a bit fatigued, and that’s probably the reason I got dropped into the final 300 meters, though the pace form Froome and Wiggins was really strong and I think that left them a bit closer to the overall win. Tomorrow will be a hard day for everyone, very spectacular, and we’ll do our best. This is a stage I recon’d with my teammates on the bike, as well Cordal as Angliru, the last one by car through the hardest, final 6k. I think this is a climb that could suit me well, because it’s made for thin riders, though stamina will be decisive for any rider after 14 stages.”