Rather surprising stage podium yesterday and we have an interesting hilly one today.
Pretty flat for the first 140 kilometres and then two climbs up the tough 8km climb of Alt de Pauneres. The final ascent finishes just 18km before the finish and we have a strange little sprint prime just 5km from the end. That's Spanish stage racing for you!
Speaking of Spaniards much of the talk was of Alberto Contador
before the start. His manager seems confident as does the ever vocal Santander manager talking up his charge Justo Tenorio
It looks like an important day for those riders whose mountain climbing is not quite as good as their medium hill climbing - an example of this is Daniel Martin
We also have an interesting question about our top two on GC Jaime Suaza
and Petar Panayotov
both probably the second strongest riders in their squads, how will they fare?
Before that we have our breakaway attempts and it is mental again at the beginning things do not settle down before the first sprint.
The attacking Paolo Scarponi
takes the first prime from Marconi Durán
and Philip Deignan
These three are part of a huge 19 man breakaway.
The other 16 then: Tschopp, Zaugg Vysna, Stybar Orozco, Duque Yonathan Monsalve José Antonio Pecharroman Martin Hacecký Max Öste-Macdonald Michael Van Stayen João Cabreira Roger Kluge Behnam Khalilikhosroshani Wout Poels
It is however chased down by the pack, who are unwilling to allow such a huge break start to work together. They find the next break of three more palatable.
The obligatory presence of a Warner Brothers rider seemingly becalming them Santiago Perez Fernandez
who has 15 KoM points is there with fellow King of Mountains threat Paolo Scarponi
and
best placed on GC of the break at 7.41 Edwin Orozco
Three is a pretty small number for a break but we saw a small group hold off the peloton yesterday albeit starting from a large group. This group is unfortunately reduced before the climbing when Perez Fernandez punctures.
Into the last 60 kilometres in which toughest racing lies.
The lead two have 1.20 on Perez Fernandez and 6 minutes on the peloton. The pack is led by Festina, B and O and Santander.
Onto the climb and Festina send up their big gun domestique José Serpa
Having launched that brilliant attack on the Green Mountain in Oman, Serpa is showing he is a team man here. He is dramitically reducing the lead and the peloton.
Paolo Scarponi
still has plenty in hand to add to his 18 King of the Mountains points nabbing the 10 point top prize at the top of the first Pauneres ascent.
Edwin Orozco
takes second Santiago Perez Fernandez
third.
As they begin the descent the lead two have 4 minutes still on the pack, Scarponi has a great chance of snatching the King of the Mountains away from GC leader Suaza.
The pack will likely have one less team chasing as Santander decide on an alternative approach launching Rafael Valls
on the descent.
There seems to be an understanding of sorts in the front two as Orozco takes the sprint prime between the climbs or maybe it's just coincidence.
Before todays stage the Carmuese manager indicated that he would like the team to maintain focus on team leader Rein Taaramäe
despite Suaza's GC lead. Something has changed however as Taaramae is seen working on the front of a pack of now 52 riders.
Rafael Valls
catches and passes Santiago Perez Fernandez
at the bottom of the second ascent of the Pauneres.
He is still some 2.30 back from the lead two and only 45 seconds clear of the pack as you can see. It will be touch and go for him and perhaps our leaders. Scarponi's priorty must be that 10 points at the top of the climb.
His chances begin to look slim as Aleksandr Pluchkin
attacks with 3.7km to go till the top.
Justo Tenorio Rubén Plaza
and Alberto Contador
respond to this move resulting in some cheer at the finish line.
It has to be said though an Italian is winning some fans too as Scarponi kicks on away from Orozco with 1500m of climb left.
Note here that Plaza and Contador are just at the back of the picture, as we pan back we see a leaders group of these two plus Pluchkin and Tenorio. Also here is Rein Taaramäe
and Timofey Kritskiy
However Wiggle's young Italian grits his teeth and holds on to the lead over the King of the Mountains banner. This means he will take the jersey.
Really good teamwork by Wiggle as Kritskiy attacks past the favourites to get the second place prime. It is José Rujano
in third.
A lot of riders have joined the favourites group but some names have been dropped, the most obvious is the yellow jersey of Jaime Suaza
It looks terminal as the gap over the top is 1.30. But worse news perhaps for the team manager as against instructions Rein Taaramäe
drops back to help his struggling teammate.
This is a big news is that the other rider who made it to the finish with Suaza yesterday Petar Panayotov
is still in the lead group which now reels in the new King of the Mountains leader Paolo Scarponi
This makes a lead group of just 22 riders.
The lead 22: Scarponi, Kritskiy Tenorio, Valls Martin, Menchov, Ji Panayotov, Machado Marquez, Gomez Marchante Pedraza, Kohl Contador, Serpa David Abal Rubén Plaza Thomas Rohregger Aleksandr Pluchkin Beñat Intxausti Robert Kiserlovski
and José Rujano
It is bad news really for the likes of Vitor Rodrigues
and Yeison Delgado
they are with the Taaramae/Suaza group.
As we go down the descent on of the Sony riders goes for a downhill attack in Pedraza.
He gets caught but an oppurtunistic Pluchkin pounces with the knowledge of a sprint prime coming up very soon.
It is a well taken six bonus seconds, with Tenorio and Abal responding a bit too late to catch him but at least also going some time.
It's a strong move from Pluchkin and coming into the last 3 klicks he has 20 seconds on the others.
Into the last 1500m, Kritskiy is leading the charge back, the Wiggle loanee having a very strong day really.
Also going well here is Intxausti and Plaza with Tenorio and Contador not so far away.
Plaza really pushes hard to get that gap down.
They are running out of road, the line is in sight for Pluchkin.
But Pluchkin really ties up in the last 50 or so metres allowing Plaza in to take the win.
Plaza looks stunned himself to get there, but get there he does ahead of Pluchkin, meanwhile Contador manages an okay third place.
Finishing 16th on the day on the same time is Panayotov who moves into the GC lead ahead of tomorrows mountain top finish. Suaza's group finish at 2.25, ruining his and Taaramae's chances. Plaza moves up to second overall and into the Points lead, a word for Pendleton's who made up ground on the team classification.