Date: Thursday 4 September | Distance: 145km | Start: Laredo | Finish: Los Corrales de Buelna | Time: 14:00–17:22 CEST
From Green Spain to the Mountains
Unlike the sun-scorched plains of central Spain, Cantabria’s coast is nicknamed Green Spain for good reason. Its lush landscapes, cooled by Atlantic winds, make for a striking contrast to much of the country. Today’s stage begins in Laredo, a town best known for its sweeping La Salvé beach and its flamboyant Battle of the Flowers festival, which only last week filled the streets with vibrant parades. The peloton’s arrival may be less decorative, but no less dramatic.
Stage 12 Odds
| Rider | Odds |
|---|---|
| Juan Ayuso | 7.00 |
| Tom Pidcock | 7.50 |
| Marc Soler | 12.00 |
| Jonas Vingegaard | 13.00 |
| Jay Vine | 15.00 |
| Mads Pedersen | 17.00 |
| Santiago Buitrago | 23.00 |
| Andrea Bagioli | 26.00 |
| Ben O’Connor | 29.00 |
| Eddie Dunbar | 29.00 |
| Finn Fisher-Black | 29.00 |
| Giulio Ciccone | 29.00 |
| Harold Tejada | 29.00 |
| Marco Frigo | 29.00 |
| David Gaudu | 34.00 |
| Javier Romo | 34.00 |
| Kevin Vermaerke | 34.00 |
| Pablo Castrillo | 34.00 |
The Route
The profile is far from flat. After rolling out from Laredo, the peloton faces its first real challenge just 33km into the day: the Puerto de Alisas. At 8.6km and 5.8% average gradient, it’s a category two climb that should sharpen legs rather than split the race.
The key moment comes later: the Collada de Brenes. Though only 7km long, its punishing 7.9% gradient earns a category one rating. In 2022, the climb proved decisive, dropping Rudy Molard from the red jersey group. Today, it crests 22km from the finish, followed by a fast 11km descent before flattening roads into Los Corrales de Buelna. It’s a set-up for attacks, but also a dangerous gamble for GC contenders with tougher mountain stages looming in Asturias.
What to Expect
Given the placement of Brenes and the big climbs on the horizon, this stage looks tailor-made for the breakaway. The general classification riders—Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease a Bike), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Jai Hindley (Red Bull–Bora-Hansgrohe), and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma)—may keep things steady, saving energy for the Angliru and Farrapona.
Instead, expect the day’s escape to fight for glory. Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek) impressed on stage 10 and could be granted freedom again. Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Movistar duo Pablo Castrillo and Javier Romo are also strong candidates. UAE’s Jay Vine and Juan Ayuso—already stage winners here—have the climbing pedigree to thrive on this terrain if they’re unleashed.
Other opportunists include Kevin Vermaerke (Team Picnic PostNL), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), Harold Tejada (XDS Astana), Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech), and Chris Harper (Jayco AlUla).
Prediction
The dynamics point to a breakaway success. Our pick? Kevin Vermaerke. The American has shown the grit to get in the right move and the punch to finish it off.