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Follow us on GoogleA new day in the Vuelta brings new climbs. In stage twelve, the riders will again face some elevation gain, although this time it's not as long or daunting as in some of the other stages. IDLProCycling.com walks you through the stage!
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Course stage 12 Vuelta a España 2024
The riders will start at the thermal baths of Ourense, located in Galicia. It is a relatively short stage, only 137 kilometers. For this reason, the riders will also take off a bit later than usual, at 14:10, which is a nice change in a race as big and long as this Vuelta.
From the start, the road immediately goes uphill for several kilometers at around four percent, where we will undoubtedly see the first attacks of the day. On paper, this is another day that suits the brave riders, as there are no insurmountable climbs to tackle.
This is true for most of the day: only the final climb, the Montaña de Manzaneda, is categorized by the organization. However, this does not mean we won't be cycling uphill, as the entire day goes up and down through the rugged terrain of northwestern Spain.
Ultimately, the Montaña de Manzaneda will prove crucial, with a summit finish on a climb of 15.4 kilometers at an average gradient of 4.7 percent. If we look more closely at the slope, we see that it's an irregular climb. The real sting is in the tail, with the penultimate kilometer at 8.1 percent and a peak of up to twelve percent.
Climbs
137.4 km: Montana de Manzaneda (15.4 km at 4.7%)
137.4 km: Montana de Manzaneda (15.4 km at 4.7%)
Times
Start: 2:10 PM locally / 8:10 AM EST
Finish: 5:22 PM locally / 11:22 AM EST
Start: 2:10 PM locally / 8:10 AM EST
Finish: 5:22 PM locally / 11:22 AM EST
Weather stage 12 Vuelta a España 2024
It won't be as hot as at the start of the race in southern Spain, but even on Thursday, the temperature will rise above 30 degrees Celsius. The wind is mostly slightly against the riders, but on the final climb, there will be a tailwind.
Favorites stage 12 Vuelta a España 2024
It's a short stage, but with a finish like this one, this stage could be one for an early breakaway. Because it's only 138 kilometers long, teams and riders must consider that a long battle for the day's breakaway could favor the general classification contenders. If it's not too long until the base of the final climb, a team might decide to take control.
In our opinion, the most likely scenario leans slightly more towards an early breakaway, where, in addition to the climbers, we should also watch out for riders with a strong engine and explosiveness at the end. These riders often come to the fore on such climbs. Think of Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), but also Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) and Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla).
Regarding the pure climbers, we look to a powerhouse like Jay Vine of UAE-Team Emirates, but also other guys in good form such as Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Pablo Castrillo (Equipo Kern Pharma), Max Poole (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Matthew Riccitello and Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech). Brandon McNulty (UAE) has also shown improvement in recent days, as has stage winner Eddie Dunbar of Jayco-AlUla.
Looking at the general classification riders, Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) could really stand out on a course like this. The Slovenian in German service usually has the strongest uphill sprint, although David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) can also be dangerous. This is also true for Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).
For less explosive types like Enric Mas (Movistar), Adam Yates (UAE-Team Emirates), Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step), Carlos Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers) and leader Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), this stage will be mainly about limiting their losses.
Favorites stage 12 Vuelta a España 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorites: Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan Team) and Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Outsiders: Jay Vine (UAE-Team Emirates), Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), Enric Mas (Movistar) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Long shots: Pablo Castrillo (Equipo Kern Pharma), Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers), Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), David Gaudu Groupama-FDJ), Max Poole (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Adam Yates, Brandon McNulty (UAE-Team Emirates) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
Outsiders: Jay Vine (UAE-Team Emirates), Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), Enric Mas (Movistar) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Long shots: Pablo Castrillo (Equipo Kern Pharma), Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers), Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), David Gaudu Groupama-FDJ), Max Poole (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Adam Yates, Brandon McNulty (UAE-Team Emirates) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
Read also
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Why would a mountain time trial be different from a normal one? Is it just that the riders have to climb the whole course?samanthak03-11-2026
- I don’t quite buy the “fear of failure” argument. Riders can race the Giro and still have confidence in July; it comes down to recovery and planning, doesn’t it?patriciaw03-11-2026
- The Giro-Tour double is a massive ask, even for the very best. Pogačar made it look almost routine in 2024, but that’s hardly a sensible benchmark for everyone else!pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Bakelants makes a fair point: if the 2027 Tour really suits Remco, he can’t afford to dilute the build-up. That 37km flat TT will be tempting, mind.julien03-11-2026
- Mont Blanc sounds like a spectacular finish, though four climbs on the final day might be a bit much after eight hard stages. Hope the route details are clear soon.raceready703-11-2026
- Is the Valdigne time trial uphill all the way, or are there flatter sections too? I’m still figuring out how these stages work.jennifer1903-11-2026
- Three sprint chances, then all that climbing? The GC battle should really take shape after Passo San Marco. Can’t wait!robert6503-11-2026
- Finishing on the same day the men race Stage 20 is a nice touch, but I hope the women’s race gets plenty of coverage too.pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Three mountain finishes and an uphill time trial—this route looks tailor-made for Vollering. That final stage to Mont Blanc could be brutal.cadencekingm03-11-2026
- Seixas has said he’s bored with the transfer talk, so maybe the article could give more space to the racing itself. He’s under contract until 2027; there’s no need to turn every appearance into a signing saga.velodromevirtuoso103-11-2026