Mas extends lead as Omrzel wins Vuelta stage 12

Spain's Enric Mas widened his overall lead in the Vuelta a Espana following a late attack, as Slovenia's Jakob Omrzel triumphed in stage 12. Omrzel, a 20-year-old cyclist, claimed his first Grand Tour stage victory, finishing nearly two minutes ahead of Urko Berrade, with Colombia's Santiago Buitrago in third place. The victory brought Omrzel within 30 seconds of Oscar Onley in the best young rider classification, after a challenging day for the British rider who experienced an early crash and was subsequently dropped by his main rivals.

Mas, riding for Movistar, broke away from a small group consisting of Primoz Roglic and Felix Gall, with the mountainous 166.6km course having 13km remaining. Despite competing in searing heat, Mas maintained his advantage, increasing it by another 27 seconds on the final climb. Prior to the victory, Tadej Pogacar led the Vuelta by nearly four minutes but crashed out on stage eight, potentially ending his season with a broken collarbone.

The Vuelta concludes in Andalusia on September 13th, with additional mountainous and hilly stages in Malaga and the Sierra Nevada.