Gall hints at stage 12 attack as Vuelta rivals face high-altitude showdown

Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) has hinted that he and his Decathlon teammates will once more look to take the race to the opposition on stage 12 of the Vuelta a España as the race heads into a high-altitude summit finish at Calar Alto. 

At 166.5km in length, Thursday's stage takes the riders from Vera to Calar Alto and features five categorised climbs with 4,460m of elevation gain, building towards a high-altitude finish at more than 2,100m. 

Enric Mas (Movistar) continues to lead the race, having made a statement during the last mountain stage, winning in the red jersey on the Alto de Aitana before the rest day. The Spaniard leads Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) by 1:18, with Gall close at 1:39. 

Gall acknowledged Mas’ advantage, but indicated that the French team remain confident in their bid for the red jersey and will look to test the Movistar rider during what is set to be a crucial stage.

“Mas has been strong and has a solid lead, so he’s in charge now,” Gall told reporters including TV2 Sport. “But I have a strong team and I’m feeling good, so we’re going to try something in the final if everything goes as it should. We’re trying to be smarter today.”

The Alto de Velefique, averaging 7.2% over 13.1km, could provide the first major launchpad for attacks before riders descend towards the foot of Calar Alto. The final climb stretches for 17km at an average of 5.6%, and its high-altitude finish could lead to significant gaps in the GC.

Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos), who starts the stage in 4th at 2:20, expects the GC contest to ignite, but remains coy about his own prospects.

“There are no easy days,” Onley said. "It's not as though Movistar are completely new to controlling a cycling race; I'm sure they know what they're doing.”

“I have plans, but we’ll see what happens,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike), who sits in 7th at 4:09, believes that a strong breakaway could play an important role, although even a strong group can still be caught if they take a sizeable advantage onto the final climb.

“We will look at who has got in the breakaway, but I expect them to be strong riders,” said Kuss. “But the final is still quite tough, so you can still make up a lot of time.