2012 Vuelta a España

August 18 - September 9, 2012

Saturday, September 8: Stage 20, La Faisanera Golf - Bola del Mundo, 170.7 km

Back to 2012 Vuelta | Stage 20 map and profile | Photos from Stage 20

Saturday, September 8: Stage 20, La Faisanera Golf - Bola del Mundo, 170.7 km

Rated ascents:

• Km 39.1: Puerto de Navafría, 10.1 km @ 5.6% gradient, Category 1
• Km 72.8: Puerto de Canencia, 9.8 km @ 3.9%, Category 2
• Km 90: Puerto de la Morcuera, 9.2 km @ 6.9%, Category 1
• Km 120.8: Puerto de Cotos, 13.8 km @ 4.9%, Category 1
• Km 170.7: Bola del Mundo, 11.4 km @ 8.6%, Special Category

Results:

1. Denis Menchov (Katusha) 4hr 48min 48sec. 35.5 km/hr
2. Richie Porte (Sky) @ 17sec
3. Kevin de Weert (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 42sec
4. Frederik Kessiakoff (Astana) @ 1min 16sec
5. Romain Sicard (Euskaltel) @ 1min 39sec
6. Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 2min 30sec
7. Maxime Bouet (Ag2r) @ 2min 39sec
8. Simon Geschke (Argos-Shimano) @ 3min 14sec
9. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 3min 31sec
10. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 3min 56sec
11. Tiago Machado (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 4min 8sec
12. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 4min 15sec
13. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) s.t.
14. Igor Anton (Euskaltel) @ 4min 24sec
15. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) @ 4min 34sec
16. David De La Fuente (Caja Rural) @ 4min 37sec
17. Thomas Peterson (Garmin-Sharp) @ 4min 38sec
18. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) s.t.
19. Christopher Froome (Sky) @ 4min 43sec
20. Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel) s.t.
21. Matteo Montaguti (Ag2r) @ 4min 47sec
22. Denys Kostyuk (Lampre) @ 4min 54sec
23. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) @ 4min 58sec
24. Christophe Le Mevel (Garmin-Sharp) @ 5min 9sec
25. Beñat Itxausti (Movistar) @ 5min 15sec
26. Tomasz Marczynski (Vacansoleil) s.t.
27. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 5min 35sec
28. Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
29. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 5min 50sec
30. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre) s.t.
31. Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
32. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
33. Sergio Luis Henao (Sky) 2 6min 7sec
34. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r) @ 6min 21sec
35. Rémi Pauriol (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
36. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) @ 6min 34sec
37. Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 6min 39sec
38. Andre Fernando Cardoso (Caja Rural) s.t.
39. Winner Anacona (Lampre) @ 6min 42sec
40. Jesús Hernández (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 6min 50sec
41. Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 7min 19sec
42. Lusi Angel Mate (Cofidis) @ 7min 31sec
43. Juan José Cobo (Movistar) @ 7min 35sec
44. Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank) @ 7min 52sec
45. Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 7min 58sec
46. Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 8min 12sec
47. Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel) @ 8min 22sec
48. Nairo Alexander Quintana (Movistar) @ 8min 32sec
49. Cayetano Sarmiento (Liquigas) s.t.
50. Amaël Moinard (BMC) s.t.

GC after Stage 20:

1. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) 82hr 14min 52sec
2. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 1min 16sec
3. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 1min 37sec
4. Christopher Froome (Sky) @ 10min 16sec
5. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 11min 29sec
6. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 12min23sec
7. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) @ 13min 28sec
8. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) @ 13min 41sec
9. Igor Anton (Euskaltel) @ 14min 1sec
10. Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 16min 13sec
11. Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel) @ 16min 22sec
12. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 17min 50sec
13. Tomasz Marczynski (Vacansoleil) @ 19min 14sec
14. Sergio Luis Henao (Sky) @ 19min 59sec
15. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre) @ 20min 48sec
16. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 20min 50sec
17. Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) @ 20min 56sec
18. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r) @ 22min 30sec
19. Winner Anacona (Lampre) @ 23min 38sec
20. Maxime Bouet (Ag2r) @ 26min 30sec
21. Andre Fernando Cardoso (Caja Rural) @ 31min 51sec
22. Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 32min 45sec
23. Rémi Pauriol (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 40mn 48sec
24. Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 46min 26sec
25. Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 46min 54sec
26. Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel) @ 48min 42sec
27. Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural) @ 49min 29sec
28. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) @ 51min 44sec
29. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) @ 54min 8sec
30. Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 55min 1sec
31. Christophe Le Mevel (Garmin-Sharp) @ 59min 10sec
32. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 1hr 5min 42sec
33. Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 1hr 6min 30sec
34. Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) @ 1hr 8min 15sec
35. Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 1hr 15min 37sec
36. Nairo Alexander Quintana (Movistar) @ 1hr 15min 53sec
37. Alberto Losada (Katusha) @ 1hr 19min 8sec
38. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 1hr 19min 16sec
39. Kevin Seeldrayers (Astana) @ 1hr 23min 4sec
40. Tiago Machado (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1hr 23min 38sec
41. Kevin De Weert (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 1hr 23min 39sec
42. Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank) @ 1hr 27min 15sec
43. Jesús Hernández (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 1hr 32min 30sec
44. Romain Sicard (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 33min 5sec
45. Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) @ 1hr 33min 44sec
46. Mickaël Buffaz (Cofidis) @ 1hr 34min 3sec
47. Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) @ 1hr 37min 43sec
48. Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 38min 2sec
49. Cristiano Salerno (Liquigas) @ 1hr 39min 7sec
50. Juan Jose Oroz (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 39min 53sec

Points Classification:

1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 193 points
2. Alejnadro Valverde (Movistar): 189
3. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff): 161
4. John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano): 124
5. Chirstopher Froome (Sky): 93

Climber Classification:

1. Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge): 63
2. David De La Fuente (Caja rural): 40
3. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 36
4. Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil): 33
5. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar): 31

Allround (Combinada) Classification:

1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 7points
2. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar): 9
3. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff): 10
4. Christopher Froome (Sky): 29
5. Daniel Moreno (Katusha): 46

Team Classification:

1. Movistar: 246hr 37min 58sec
2. Euskaltel @ 9min 40sec
3. Ag2r @ 20min 19sec
4. Rabobank @ 23min 48sec
5. Sky @ 26min 55sec

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Stage 20 map and profile

Stage 20 map

Stage 20 profile

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Photos from Stage 20:

The Vuelta's final barrier, the Bola del Mondo

Another view of the insane ascent

Close to the finish, Richie Porte leads Denis Menchov

The pair from further back

Panorama

After sitting on Porte's wheel for much of the final ascent, he easily dropped Porte to take the stage.

Richie Porte finishes a few seconds after Menchov

Eros Capecchi couldn't stay with Porte and Menchov when they left the break.

Joaquin Rodriguez made a grand stab at gaining the lead, but couldn't gain enough time.

Valverde and Contador shasing Rodriguez before Valverde dropped Contador

Alejandro Valverde chased Rodriguez, preserving his second place.

Alberto Contador chasing

Alberto Contador finished behind Valverde. He looked to have run out of suds well before the finish.

Joaquin Rodriguez finsihes.

Valverde saves second place

Contador knows Valverde and Rodriguez were unable to open a large enough gap. Barring misfortune, he is the 2012 Vuelta champion. With him is Daniel Moreno.

KOM Simon Clarke

Damiano Cunego

Philippe Gilbert

Romain Sicard and Fredrik Kessiakoff

Christopher Froome

Andrew Talansky

Nicolas Roche

Paolo Tiralongo

Menchov celebrates his stage win

One more day to go...

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