O'Connor edges ahead at Vuelta, Gall lags behind once more
Key points
- Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën) narrowly leads the Vuelta a España after stage 12.
- O'Connor finished second on the stage behind Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma).
- Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) won the stage.
What happened
O'Connor finished second on stage 12 of the Vuelta a España, just one second behind stage winner Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma). The Australian now leads the overall standings by just four seconds from Kuss, with Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) a further 11 seconds back.
Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) won the stage, which was a 192.7km route from Salobreña to Peñas Blancas. Matthews attacked with around 10km to go and soloed to victory, ahead of Kuss and O'Connor.
O'Connor's lead is now very slender, and he will need to be at his best in the remaining stages if he wants to win the Vuelta. Kuss and Roglič are both strong climbers, and will be looking to take advantage of any weaknesses that O'Connor shows.
What's next
The Vuelta a España continues on Wednesday with stage 13, a 168.4km route from Ronda to Montilla. The stage is expected to be a sprint finish, and Matthews will be one of the favorites to win.
Additional information
- Cyclingnews: Vuelta a España 2022, stage 12 results
- VeloNews: Ben O'Connor takes red jersey at Vuelta a España after stage 12
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