Omrzel wins twelfth Vuelta stage, Gall loses more ground

For Felix Gall, the day was once again disappointing. On the climb to the Calar Alto Observatory, the Austrian from East Tyrol was again shown his limits, so he continued to lose ground to the leading group. Gall is still on course for the podium, but his deficit to overall leader Enric Mas grew noticeably after the uphill sprint.

Gall loses on the mountain

Enric Mas finished the mountain stage in sixth place, further extending his lead over Gall in the general classification. The Spaniard improved his chances of his first Grand Tour victory and at the same time maintained his position in the Red Jersey of the general classification.

Mas extends lead

With regard to the general classification, Briton Oscar Onley consolidated his second place behind Mas, while Gall has not yet definitively lost contact with the top. The East Tyrolean remains third, but must regain his form in the upcoming mountain stages to secure the podium.

Primoz Roglic, another contender for the overall victory, also stayed in the leading group. This keeps the battle for overall victory open between Mas, Onley, and Roglic — while Gall is pushed into an outsider role.

The twelfth stage covered 166 kilometers from Vera on the Mediterranean coast up to the Calar Alto Observatory, situated at over 2,100 meters in the Sierra de los Filabres. The mountain finish was considered the first real high-altitude test of this year's Vuelta and represented a crucial benchmark for the GC riders.

Profile of the twelfth stage

Omrzel had already secured a victory in the first week of the race and has now proven that he is also a class apart in the decisive mountain stages. With his second coup, he made a statement in the battle for stage wins in the second half of the Vuelta.

For Gall, the result marks another turning point in a season that had raised great expectations following his Vuelta victory last year. The upcoming stages in the Pyrenees will show whether the East Tyrolean can still intervene in the fight for the podium.