La Vuelta: Live updates from Stage 13

Good morning and welcome to VeloNews.com’s live coverage of today’s 189-km 13th stage of the Vuelta a Espana.

The stage from Burgos to Santander takesthe Vuelta to Spain’s lush northern coast, which looks more like Irelandthan Spain’s postcard image of sunny beaches and olive groves.

The stage features three point sprints and four rated climbs – three Category 3 climbs and the Cat. 1 Alto Portillo de la Sia at 106 km.

Today’s weather is partly cloudy with wind throughout the day. We can expect the chance of rain to increase as we near the finish.

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3:28 p.m. — We are at kilometer 115 of today’s stage. There are sevenriders off the front of the race with an advantage of 8:00.

The seven men in the lead are:
Pietro Caucchioli (Alessio)
Dave Bruylandts (Domo)
Marco Velo (Fassa Bortolo)
Santiago Blanco (iBanesto.com)
Rui Miguel Sousa (Milaneza)
Oscar Pereiro (Phonak)
Oscar Laguna (Relax)
Paolo Bossoni (Phonak)

3:38 p.m. — On the descent of the Cat. 3 Alto Cruz Uzano, 9 otherriders — all members of an original break from early intoday’s stage –have rejoined the lead group. We now have 16 riders with a lead of 9:00 onthe field. There are two dangherous sprinters in the group — Fabrizio Guidi and Giovanni Lombardi.

3:43 p.m. — The group up front has again split up as the work theirway up another of the day’s three Cat. 3 climbs. The peloton is at 9:24.

3:48 p.m. — The leaders are about to crest the Cat. 3 Alto de laFuente de las Varas. They have a lead of 9:21 with just 45km to go. The leaders’gap on the other men of the break is not so huge and the fearless descenders in the group may make up the difference.

3:55 p.m. — Up and over the top of the Cat. 3 Alto de la Fuentede las Varas, six riders — including Blanco, Bruylandts, Pereiro, Laguna,Caucchioli and Sousa — have a significant lead over the group that includesLombardi. The peloton is at 10:00 and is being led by Kelme.

4:00 p.m. — The leaders have a one-minute advantage over the Lombardigroup of nine. They appear to be moving faster and cooperating more thanthe group of six leaders. Meanwhile, the peloton is just cruising along at10 minutes behind the leaders.

By the way, we will have a special treat on Sunday, during the brutally difficult climb up the Angliru. Jonathan Vaughters of Credit Agricole will be joining our live update team and offering his own unique perspective on the day’s stage, so be sure to check in with us on Sunday.

4:06 p.m. — The lead group of six has just 35km to go. The chasegroup is now 38 seconds back. The field, meanwhile, is still about 10 minutes back.

4:13 p.m. — The leaders still have a 30 second advantage over thechase group — made up of :
Giovanni Lombardi (Acqua e Sapone)
Fabrizio Guidi (Coast)
Dmitriy Fofonov (Cofidis)
Marco Velo (Fassa Bortolo)
Guerra, Mariano Piccoli (Lampre)
Davide Bramati (Mapei)
Paolo Bossoni and Andrej Hauptman (Tacconi)

4:15 p.m. — The leaders are not and have not been getting help fromCaucchioli. They are about to be reeled in by the chase group of nine.

4:17 p.m. —The leaders are now 20km from the finish and are now 30seconds ahead of the chase group… and 8:45 ahead of the peloton. Caucchioli is still just sitting at the back of the lead group.

4:24 p.m. — Caucchioli is still at the back of the group. He hasn’tdone squat.

With 15km to go, the six leaders are 27 seconds ahead of thenine chasers.

4:27 p.m. –– With 13km to go, the chasers have closed to within 15 seconds.

Caucchioli’s “tactics” may not pay off if he has to face a sprint againstguys like Lombardi.

4:31 p.m. — Now Caucchioli is working. He has left the group withthree other riders, including Lombardi, Marco Velo and Paolo Bassoni. So,Caucchioli is the only man from the original lead group of six.

This group of four is working hard to build a gap and they have about 200meters.
4:34 p.m. — The four men have a lead of 10 seconds over two chasers.

We have 7 km to go.

4:36 p.m. — The four leaders are beginning to calculate their chances. With 6km to go, the cooperation is ending. The two chasers are at 8 seconds.

4:38 p.m. — We are five km from the finish. The four men are together and the two chasers are 7 seconds back.

4:39 p.m. — Caucchioli isat the front of the group of four setting a strong pace. We have 4km to go and they are nine seconds ahead of the two chasers.

4:40 p.m. — The four leaders are 3km from the finish. Lombardi is playing it well and taking soft pulls.

The two chasers are at 12 seconds.

4:41 p.m. — Coming up on 2km to go, the four are still together.

4:42 p.m. — The four leaders are now at 1km to go.

4:43 p.m. — Caucchioli is leading.

Velo is behind him.

The two chasers are closing in… but they won’t catch.

Calcchioli leads off.

Lombardi times his move and takes the stage.

4:45 p.m. Well that shows how smart we are — the two chasers did catch with 200 meters to go and one of them — Bruylandts — fought his way to a third place finish.

4:51 p.m. The peloton is in the final kilometer of the stage.

The have finished about 8:20 behind the stage winner Lombardi.

Preliminary results —
1. Giovanni Lombardi (I), Acqua e Sapone, 189.9km in 4:11:21
2. Davide Bramati (I), Mapei
3. Paolo Bossoni (I), Tacconi
4. Marco Velo (I), Fassa Bortolo
5. Pietro Caucchioli (I), Alessio
6. Oscar Laguna (Sp), Relax, all s.t.
7. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Phonak, at 0:18
8. Dmitri Fofonov (Kaz), Cofidis, at 0:22
9. Alessandro Guerra (I), Index-Alexia
10. Fabrizio Guidi (I), Coast, both s.t.

No changes in the top five on GC