For the second day in a row, the 2013 Vuelta a Espana presents an opportunity for the sprinters, if they can survive the category 1 Alto de Rat Penat, which comes 50km before the finish.
Following Philippe Gilbert’s (BMC) curse-cancelling victory on stage 12, his rivals including Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky), Gianni Meersman (OPQS) and Australia’s Michael Matthews (OGE) will be eager for revenge.
The general classification is unlikely to see significant changes, although it will be a nervous day trying to simultaneously save energy and stay out of trouble for race leader Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) who holds the red jersey by 31 seconds to Nicolas Roche (Saxo-Tinkoff), with Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) at 46 seconds.
Stage 13 covers 169km through Catalunya, a wealthy and fiercely independent region of Spain, finishing on the Western outskirts of Barcelona.
Beginning in the city of Valls, famous for its cultural tradition of creating castells (human pyramids), and finishing in Castelldefels, the big sprinters will need to stand on their teammates’ shoulders if they want to prevent a plucky breakaway from stealing the prize.
This is the land of Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, and Antoni Gaudi, but there will be no time for fantastical surrealism today: this will be hard racing.
The course has a lumpy profile as it winds inland to the category 3 Coll de la Torreta, then speeds East towards Cantallops. The route then dives back to the coast, for a first pass of Castelldefels, an intermediate sprint, and then the day’s major climb.
The Alto de Rat Penat covers just over 4km at an average gradient of 10.6%, but as with most climbs of the Vuelta, it gets seriously steep, peaking at 16%.
This will surely test many of the sprinters, and should provide a great launching pad for opportunists willing to chance their legs on the gradual 50km descent as the race loops back to the finish in Castelldefels.
This is the last chance for the sprinters before the Vuelta enters the Pyrenees, so any breakaways will have their work cut out to succeed.
On paper, it’s another good stage for Michael Matthews of Orica-GreenEdge, who climbs well for a man with his speed. Matthews suffered an untimely puncture in stage 12, costing him the chance to contest the finish, so he should be fired up.
However, with a few days of brutal Pyrenean climbs ahead, all of the fast men will be desperate, so expect a street fight.
Live blogging will start at midnight.
Tim Renowden
Expert
So, a short and sharp stage, and a powerful breakaway did enough to convince the peloton not to bother chasing all the way to the finish. The category 1 Alto de Rat Penat was too difficult for most of the big sprinters, which left several powerhouse teams with little incentive to chase. The day belongs to Warren Barguil and Argos-Shimano, with another audacious win - this team is really producing some outstanding young riders this season. Thanks for reading, and be sure to come back to The Roar tomorrow for stage analysis and more Vuelta discussion.
Tim Renowden
Expert
Top ten on the stage: Barguil (Argos-Shimano) Nocentini (AG2R) Mollema (Belkin) Santaromita (BMC) Zandio (Sky) Txurruka (Caja Rural) Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) Martinez (Euskaltel) Coppel (Cofidis) Intxausti (Movistar). No significant change in GC, as the contenders all saved their energy for tomorrow's mountain stage.
Tim Renowden
Expert
Nocentini and Mollema make up the day's podium. But it's all Argos-Shimano and Warren Barguil. He's only 21 years old. Perhaps his rivals didn't give him the respect he deserves, but that was a clever move to steal a thrilling stage win.
Tim Renowden
Expert
Barguil of Argos-Shimano attacks and catches his companions completely unawares. Perfect timing and he has earned the biggest win of his young career.
Tim Renowden
Expert
Barguil has nicked this!
Tim Renowden
Expert
Barguil goes clear! Gains a big gap!
Tim Renowden
Expert
The break is all together for the most part, about to hit the final ramp.
Tim Renowden
Expert
1km to go. The break is playing games.
Tim Renowden
Expert
Coppel goes again. No success.
Tim Renowden
Expert
This break is coming back together. But the cooperation has collapsed. Everyone is playing cat and mouse with 2.2km to go.
Tim Renowden
Expert
The peloton looks like it's on a cafe ride and they haven't had a coffee yet. A hairpin bend sucks momentum from the Coppel group, costing them some metres.
Tim Renowden
Expert
Scarponi joins Coppel and Egoi Martinez. The three have a lead of around 50m to the rest of the break.
Tim Renowden
Expert
5km to go. Coppel and Martinez maintaining advatnage, but Scarponi is bridging across.
Tim Renowden
Expert
A crash in the peloton in the same place as Intxausti! Coppel and Martinez are being wound back by their break companions. Still a small gap, but it doesn't look like this one will stick.
Tim Renowden
Expert
Coppel hits the burners, followed by Martinez. Zandio, Txurruka and Mollema about 50m back.
Tim Renowden
Expert
Intxausti has crashed from the break, took the wrong line into a right-hand bend entering a tunnel. Hit the curb at low speed and went straight over the handlebars. He'll have his work cut out catching up. Attacks in the break!
Tim Renowden
Expert
10.9km remain. Everyone in the break seems to still be chipping in with turns on the front.
Psych_ling
Guest
haha...of course!
Tim Renowden
Expert
Belkin's Stef Clement has crashed and withdrawn from the race.
Tim Renowden
Expert
I hope you're not just saying that because he's joining GreenEdge next year!