Vuelta a España (st. 12)

Spaniard from Movistar Team part of 19-man breakaway formed after more than 100km full of attacks from the start. Gilbert (DQT) wins as GC contenders stay together before Los Machucos, Friday.

Former World Champion Philippe Gilbert (DQT) showed his everlasting quality in a lively stage 12 of the 2019 Vuelta a España, 171km between the Circuito de Navarra and Bilbao with a trio of decisive, cat-3 climbs in the Basque Country. Urruztimendi, El Vivero and Arraiz. The break actually didn’t formed until few kilometers before the ascents, with two opening hours full of attacks.

It wasn’t until 115km (!!) into the stage when a 19-man escape finally got green light, with José Joaquín Rojas in. The Murcian was intelligent to follow his companions’ accelerations, without responding directly, all the way before Arraiz, and ride on his own pace into the decisive ascent. Ahead of the Spaniard, 4th across the line, finished only Gilbert, Alex Aranburu (CJR) and Fernando Barceló (EUS), the strongest in the last climb.

Behind in the GC group, the consistent pace from Jumbo-Visma into all climbs avoided any attacks, except for a late move by López (AST) in Arraiz, which meant Alejandro Valverde -2nd overall-, Nairo Quintana (4th) and all main contenders crossed the line together, 3’02” after Gilbert. Friday’s stage 13 will be a real duel between them, with the grueling Los Machucos (HC; 7km at 9%, max above 20%) at the end of a route with six other rated ascents.

REACTION / Alejandro Valverde:

“There was such a tough fight for the breakaway, it was a really fast start. We stayed together and fully focused, all the team riders, before we were able to send Rojillas out to the front. After that, we just tried to survive and look to tomorrow’s stage. When López attacked into the Arraiz climb, I was a bit boxed in into the group, behind Pogacar, and it look a bit for me to react to that move, but in the end, it was not a problem. Tomorrow’s stage will be quite harder, and surely more decisive.”

Cover picture (c): BettiniPhoto