The stage start in La Seu d'Urgell, Provincia de Lérida, where we also started stage 12.
Form here the route travels west trough the southern part of the Spanish Pyrenees, over 5 mountain passes, the last and hardest Hors catégorie Puerto de Sahún, the summit just 12 downhill km from the finish in Plan, a small village of about 300 inhabitants in Province of Huesca.
The stage is the last mountain stage in this year’s edition of Vuelta a Espana, almost certainly the stage where the winner will be found and the GC will be settled. Let’s take a look at what is at stake.
Just 10” between 1st Joseph Dombrowski and Andy Schleck 2nd
Just 6” between 3st Angel Madrazo and Aleksandr Pluchkin 4th, a total of just 2’32 between these 4 riders
Just 7” between Tiago Machado 5st and Timofey Kritskiy 6th
Just 9” between Yonathan Monsalve 9st and Peter Velits 10 th
In the KoM we got 72 points at stake today, in theory all these riders can still be crowned King of Mountain in Salamanca tomorrow, Daan Olivier, Andy Schleck, Mike Aaron Egger, Joseph Dombrowski, Zachary Hughes, Aleksandr Pluchkin, Angel Madrazo, Christian Mager and Jesús Herrada.
The White Jersey competition is a lot more closed with substantial time differences and there is no realistic possibility that Andy Schleck can lose the Green Jersey provided he finish the race.
The sun is shining on the start-line, but it is quite clouded in the mountains ahead and also wind speeds up to 40 km/h
The first 8 flat km very relaxed, but the road rises up towards Coll de Canto 22.4 km at 4.8%
Blikra attacks, (GC 15th) Haig follows.
Less than a kilometer later a new acceleration this time Brambilla (GC 18th)
Edmondson and Downey leading the pack.
None of the riders in the breakaway are well placed in the KoM and do not attack for the points, this is clearly a breakaway for the stage and GC.
From the peloton another attack Egger (KoM 3rd) Hughes (KoM 5th) and Herrada (KoM 9th), chasing the remaining KoM points.
Result of KoM Blikra Haig Brambilla Egger Hughes Herrada Edmondson
The two groups join forces on the downhill.
The next climb is Montcortes 9.7 km at 4.5% Egger attacks for the KoM from 1.8 km and make it to the top first
Result of KoM Egger Hughes Haig Blikra Brambilla
Egger is now virtual KoM leader.
Still Pendleton's leading the Pack, over the top distance is 4’48”
The Breakaway starts the climb to Coll de la Creu de Perves, 8.2 km at 6.3 %
Haig now setting a harder pace up front splitting the breakaway, Hughes and Herrada can’t keep up.
From the Peloton Vysna attacks, when he passes the top he already has 1’38 to the bunch.
Result of KoM Brambilla Haig Blikra Egger Hughes Herrada Vysna
There is a false flat before the next climb, making it hard for Herrada he does not come back, and even before the climb has officially started also Hughes are dropped by the pace set by Haig and Brambilla.
The riders start Puerto de Esplina, 5.3km at 7.2%
Pendleton's still leading the peloton Copeland, Rosch, Edmondson and Kohl in front of Dombrowski.
In the breakaway now also Egger and Blikra being droped by Haig Brambilla
Result of KoM Haig Brambilla Blikra Egger Hughes
The pace in the peloton is not very high, only the weakest riders being dropped. 108 rider makes it to the top of Puerto de Esplina with the pack.
The situation is Haig and Brambilla in front, they got 26.9 km to the top of the ultimate climb Puerto de Sahún, 39.2 to the finish in Plan.
At 24” Blikra and Egger
At 3’09” Hughes
At 3’44” Vysna
At 6’56” Herrada
At 9’27” The Peloton
The first rider start the climb to Puerto de Sahún, 14.8 km at 7.2%, the last half clearly the hardest.
At the downhill the stage leaders have further increased the lead to Blikra and Egger now 1’16”, but the peloton have come closer now at 8’51.
About 14 km to the top for the peloton when we get another attack, it is GC 17th Guldhammer
About 10 km to the top for the peloton, another attack Lecuisinier start the initiative, a little later Arndt able to catch up, and behind the two also Abal has accelerated.
The pace in the peloton still not very hot, with 84 riders left in the bunch.
The situation is Haig and Brambilla in front, they got 5.5 km to the top
At 4’27” Blikra and Egger
At 5’57” Vysna
At 6’40” Hughes
At 8’02” Guldhammer
At 9’21 Lecuisinier and Arndt
At 9’36 Abal
At 9’53 The Peloton
Seems now that the win is between Haig and Brambilla
After another kilometer things chance in the peloton, with Vesuvio – Accumalux taking the lead, Goos with several small accelerations trying to close in on the riders in front and at the same time fragmenting the pack into many smaller pieces.
A view of the gaps when the stage leaders have 3.5 km to the top, 15.8 to the finish.
At 5’40 Blikra and Egger
At 6’25” Vysna
At 7’21 Guldhammer
At 8’10 Hughes
At 8’36 Lecuisinier and Arndt
At 8’53 Goos, Dombrowski, Pluchkin, Schleck and Abal
At 9’23 Monsalve and Galta
At 9’41 Madrazo and Kritskiy
At 10’03 Kirsch and König
At 10’35 23 riders with most notable Machado, Olivier, Keizer, Velits, Bibby, Nepomnyachsniy and Preidler
the situation seen from a motorcycle camera from the rear right the side of Galta
2.0 km to the top for the stage leaders, 4.2 km for the favorites.
Another important development, Pluchkin has passed Lecuisinier and is now chasing a group of Vysna and Guldhammer
Schleck has countered and is now sitting with Lecuisinier 20” behind Pluchkin
Dombrowski was not able to respond to the accelerations now alone 52” behind Schleck
11” behind Dombrowski a larger group of 8 riders have united Arndt Goos, Abal Hughes Galta Madrazo Kritskiy and Monsalve
Pluchkin get contact with the group of Vysna and Guldhammer who has also caught Blikra and Egger
Soon Blikra drops out of the group
Then Schleck and Lecuisinier close the cap to the group and finally also Dombrowski have been able to join.
7 riders now form the poursuivant, this group has 2 km to the top.
Haig and Brambilla passes the top, now just 12 fast downhill km to the line, no doubt now they will share the stage win between them, if they don’t crash.
At 5’07” the poursuivant: 7 riders as mentioned above.
At 6’12” Blikra
At 6’39” Madrazo and Kritskiy
At 6’55” Abal, Galta, Arndt and Monsalve
At 7’35” Goos and Machado
At 8’24” Keizer, König
At 8’50” Velits
At 9’36” Kirsch and Hughes
At 9’59” Olivier, Vosekalns, Nesset, Koch, Preidler, Nepomnyachsniy, Kruijswijk, Kunshin, Laengen and Van den Broeck
From the favorite group Schleck attacks on the last kilometer of the climb, opening a gap of 50”, large enough to win the Vuelta a Espana if the can keep it on the downhill.
Result of KoM Haig Brambilla Schleck Pluchkin Guldhammer Dombrowski Lecuisinier Vysna Madrazo Kritskiy Egger
Haig wins the sprint in Plan, in front of Brambilla, both gaining some important minutes on their competitors, we will see how far it will get them later when the other riders have arrived.
Schleck comes in 3rd at 2’59 claiming the last podium, with the bonus seconds he just need another 2” over Dombrowski who is not in sight, surely he will win this edition of Vuelta a Espana.
This was the 9th podium for him is this race.
Guldhammer 4th , Pluchkin 5th and Dombrowski 6th, they lose 3’28
Pluchkin need to beat Machado with 6” to podium the Vuelta
At 3'57 Lecuisinier 7th comes in alone, just one podium for him in this race, but he will win the youth competition.
At 4’38 Machado 8th, had a brilliant finish of the stage, closing almost a minute up to this group passing many opponents in the process. Madrazo 9th and Kritskiy 10th
The final mountain stage is over with some significant changes in the GC, Andy Schleck reclaiming the race lead, Aleksandr Pluchkin passing Angel Madrazo for the last podium position.
Also Jack Haig and Gianluca Brambilla’s aggressive racing providing improvement to their GC.
[PTM] Vuelta a Espana 
