Stage 12

The road

At the start

Three Basque walls into Bilbao

Mikel Iturria of the Basque wildcard team Euskadi-Murias slipped clear with 25 kilometres left and crossed the line shaking his head — a third wildcard win in this Vuelta. Roglič leads Valverde by 1:52, López by 2:11, Quintana by three minutes. Today runs into Bilbao over three steep walls in the last forty kilometres, the last of them the Arraiz at twelve per cent, ten out.

How it was won

1. 136 km to go

   Into the Basque climbs

   The long-awaited break hits the first of three steep third-category walls in the final 40km; riders are shelled out the back but no decisive move comes yet.

2. 28 km to go

   Gilbert attacks on the Arraiz

   On the last steep climb Philippe Gilbert accelerates; only Aranburu and Barceló can match him, but he nudges clear again and crests with nineteen seconds and 8km of tricky descent to hold.

3. 3At the line

   Gilbert solos into Bilbao

   Calm and precise on the drop into the city, Gilbert rounds the final bend knowing it is won — his first victory since Paris-Roubaix — while the favourites shadow-box three minutes back.

The result