After a transition stage, the peloton finds a first category climb on Thursday at the finish of the 12th stage between Salobrena and Penas Blancas.
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19 kilometers at almost 7% average, this is what awaits the peloton in the final of the 12th stage of the Vuelta 2022, Thursday September 1. At Penas Blancas, the climbers should be the best equipped to raise their arms after 192.7 kilometers of effort.
The abandonment of Julian Alaphilippe, Wednesday, after a heavy fall came to penalize the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl formation of the red jersey, Remco Evenepoel. “It’s absolutely a big loss for our team, especially on a quiet stage”, regretted the Belgian after the finish. It is without one of his lieutenants that he will have to defend his place as leader of the general classification against his two main rivals, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Enric Mas (Movistar). If the absence of relief during the majority of this 12th stage should limit the big time gaps between the favorites, the last raid could still do damage.
Another concern in the ranks of the peloton: the increasing cases of Covid-19. On Wednesday, the 5th and 9th overall, Simon Yates and Pavel Sivakov, in turn had to leave the race after a positive test.