La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2023 – Stage 12

The sprinters get another shot at a stage win.

Route

A day with more descending than ascending.

Moving east, finishing in Zaragoza.

Finale

Wide roads for entire finale with no sharp bends. I would call this a boulevard sprint.

Weather

Another day with a headwind. Well, today ending up being more a tailwind. Not sure how much the wind will blow in Zaragoza but it is a headwind sprint.

How will the stage unfold?

It should be a sprint really. Alpecin are down to seven riders which can be an issue. Who is going to help them? Dainese could hope the team is willing to help chase. Molano should not expect any help at all. Lotto Dstny for Menten? How much are they willing to invest in their sprinter? I think we will see EF setting up a win for M. van den Berg, meaning we should have atleast two teams interested.

That does not mean we will see a sprint. There are a few WT teams who could be willing to send their riders up the road too. It is not guaranteed we will see a sprint.

Contenders

Groves – you can bet your house that they want to sprint for him. It is a big loss for him that Gaze is no longer a part of the team here, that will make it more difficult to get in that pole position he had two stages in a row. Looking at it, he must start as the favorite.

Molano – with a bit of help from Rui Oliveira, he should keep on knocking on the door for a stage win. The podium is very likely.

M. van den Berg – he can’t be happy with 6th as his best result here. The issue is the sprint train, it is not working very well. If he manages to sprint from a good position, he is good enough to challenge for the win.

Dainese – he has the speed. It all depends on where he starts sprint. He is quick enough to win a stage.

Theuns – he is a good wheel surfer, meaning he will be hoping for another top 3.

Heiduk – Breakaway hope #1. INEOS may opt for Ganna once again, I think they should let their talents unfold.

Denz – Breakaway hope #2. 14th in the TT. If you watched the Giro, you’ll know he is a strong breakaway rider.

Herregodts – Breakaway hope #3. He wason the move today a few times, just the wrong moves. He is strong breakaway contender.

Lazkano – Breakaway hope #4. Some say he is one of the best breakaway riders in the World. I say he must win a GT stage to even be considered in that conversation. I think he has a good chance of that tomorrow.

Van Gestel – Breakaway hope #5. Either that or from a bunch sprint.

Stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Groves
⭐⭐⭐ M. van den Berg, Molano
⭐⭐ Dainese, Herregodts, Lazkano
⭐ Heiduk, Denz, Theuns, Gestel

Who will win?

This stage is simply to easy to control to let the breakaway win. A third for Groves.

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