Stage 12: Salobreña to Peñas Blancas

Richard Carapaz — A man with a point to prove! (credit: lavuelta.es/en/stage-12/image-gallery)

I came in after a day on the mainland (Winchester, thanks for asking – it was lovely) I only had few minutes before heading out again. I was eating and not 100% engaged when I dialled up the result and short highlights. What?! The mailot rojo crashed and finishing over seven minutes behind Carapaz on a summit finish?! Do I look away for a few hours and the race turns on its head!? Pardon the interrobangs, but it had slipped my mind that the Skynios rider was actually nearly 20 minutes behind before Stage 12, so of course Carapaz was allowed to get into the successful break, and Evenepoel, despite his grumpiness following another dusty slide (“it was the motorbikes wot made me do it”), who is still the strongest.

Photo of Remco Evenepoel remonstrating with the Vuelta Race Commissaire. — Dear Sir, imagine my frustration when I found out it was everybody else’s fault that I fell off and hurt my leg. What are you going to do about it in your nice red car? Yours, Disgusted of East Flanders. [paraphrase]

Team of the Day

Top Team on Stage 12 was Philippa’s It’s all downhill from here with their 4th stage winner the Ecuadorable Richard Carapaz (also selected by Linda, Dave and Stephen) and Jay Vine in 7th. With Jay Vine well established in the King of the Mountains polkadots, the Downhillers are the only team accumulating the blue dots on the jerseys and prizes chart:

chart of jersey and prize winners for the minileague teams, up to and including Stage 12 — Dave’s combative *Dream Catchers* are leading the trophy cabinet