00:01Stage 11 takes us to Bilbao, one of the most visited cities in Vuelta history.
00:06Part of the very first edition in 1935, today it hosts a stage finish for the 45th time
00:12after a classic style loop featuring seven climbs.
00:15Even the race leader, Jonas Vingegaard, is tempted to have a go this afternoon.
00:20Of course, Bilbao is a very special place in cycling. It's in the heart of Basque country.
00:25We all know how racing in Basque country is and it's always super hard.
00:30I'd love to win today, I mean I'd love to win every day, but especially in the red jersey
00:36it would be really special.
00:38It's an unpredictable stage on familiar roads, which are regularly part of races like the
00:43Tour of the Basque country and the circuito de Ghecho, so what's the best way to win it?
00:48I think to have a chance today you have to be at the front in the breakaway. Lots of guys
00:53will be aiming for it. The break went all the way yesterday, I think it will go all the way
00:57again today, so you need the legs to make the breakaway.
01:00Well, Kevin Vermark has been in several of those breakaways at this Vuelta and like many
01:04others, he'll be dreaming of a prestigious stage victory in Bilbao.
01:08Yeah, the legs feel really good and it's been three breakaways now for me and hopefully
01:15I can be in another one today. But yeah, I feel good and I'm just taking it day by day
01:20and you also build some confidence, I think, when you're in the break one day and then you
01:24make it the next, you kind of get the confidence and the expectation that you can be there and
01:29that you're riding strong, so hopefully that continues.
01:31Stage 11 is a relatively short one of 157km, although it still has over 3,000m of elevation
01:44gain. These seven climbs are littered throughout the day, finishing with the Alto de Pique, a
01:49brutal hike of 2.3km at 8.9% that tops out with just 7.8km remaining. Whether it's a day
01:56for the breakaway or for the GC group, we are set for a spectacular finale.
02:03Through kilometre zero, stage 11 is underway at Vuelta 2025.
02:09The first climb came after just one kilometre and after a lively start, the first man to
02:14really chance his arm was Mads Pedersen in the green jersey. The former world champion was
02:19joined by Joel Nicolau and they reached the summit together.
02:23It's not just the points they're after, this is about trying to force their way into a
02:27breakaway.
02:28But Vizma-Lisabike weren't in the mood to let a big group go up the road, shutting down
02:33lots of early attacks and the pace was too hot for some.
02:36This is not a good start for Ben O'Connor on his assault of the red jersey.
02:40Pedersen soon dropped Nicolau, the Lidl Trek man looking in excellent shape, but the peloton
02:46were closing fast. Pedersen going again and this time he was joined by two more riders.
02:52Marc Soler from UAE and Oluis Aula of Movistar.
02:56But Vingagar clearly wasn't bluffing when he said he fancied winning today.
03:00Vizma-Lisabike keeping the three leaders on a very tight leash and not letting anybody
03:05else join the move.
03:07Well, Soler was the star of the show the last time La Vuelta came to Bilbao in 2022 and
03:13he was no doubt hoping for a repeat performance today.
03:16Yeah, I won the last Vuelta stage here. I'm very happy and I hope I can do it again, although
03:22it's going to be very tough. Perhaps with a teammate because we're on such a good run.
03:27We'll see.
03:30Well the riders are spinning along at an average speed of nearly 42km an hour with Vizma in
03:35total control.
03:40The leading trio still a minute ahead as they embarked on climb number three, the Balcon
03:45de Biscaya.
03:46Well Pedersen may also have been thinking about the green jersey points on offer today, but
03:51the intermediate sprint didn't come until 38km from the finish.
03:55Next up was the Alto de Morga, more than 8km at 3.5%, where Soler decided to up the tempo,
04:02pulling away from the punchier pair of Pedersen and Aula, who were quickly caught by the bunch.
04:09Soler maintaining that one minute gap as Nicolaou and Louis Fafaka countered going for mountains
04:14points. They were followed by Victor Campenaert just patrolling for Vizma and Santiago Buatrago,
04:19Fafaka second over the top.
04:23He desperately wants those points, doesn't he, Fafaka the Belgian?
04:28Fafaka kept chasing behind Soler for a few kilometres, but ultimately everybody was brought
04:33back before the Alto del Vivero.
04:37A new situation, a new scenario, now that the race is all back together.
04:43Well there wasn't much of a lull as local star Mikel Landa then attacked. He's from around 50km
04:48south of Bilbao and was keen to be active today. Buatrago also on the move again.
04:55Well they teamed up on the descent, heading back to the city with a small gap. And incredibly,
05:00Pedersen still had enough in the tank to try to chase them down.
05:04This man is exceptional.
05:07Pedersen joining a group of five chases behind Landa and Buatrago. Campenaerts, Eddie Dunbar, Guillermo Martinez, Louis Roulon and Camille Bonheur.
05:17Pedersen wasn't able to get back to the front before the sprint, next to the Guggenheim Museum, but he still picked up 15 points for coming third.
05:25Visma still controlling the peloton as they approach the Vivero for the second time.
05:31Unfortunately, Landa was halted by a back injury, leaving Buatrago alone at the front.
05:38Mikel Landa is in a lot of pain here.
05:43Buatrago forging on solo with a lead of around 35 seconds.
05:48However, with the GC group upping the tempo, the Colombian was soon caught, before an important announcement was made over the radio.
05:57Due to some incidents over the finish line, the organisation and the commissaire's panel have decided to take the time at the 3km to go marker.
06:07There would be no winner for the 11th stage of La Vuelta then. It would be neutralised at 3km to go for safety reasons.
06:15The racing was still on though, as they prepared to tackle the final climb, the Alto de Pique, with some very steep gradients that could open up the gaps.
06:25While Tom Pidcock unleashing a massive attack, with even Vingegaard struggling to hold the wheel,
06:31but the Dane did come back to the British rider just after the summit.
06:35The other favourites were set to lose around 10 seconds, as the stage was neutralised on the outskirts of Bilbao.
06:45All the riders heading straight back to their team buses, and that was that.
06:51Do join us again tomorrow for Stage 12, and thanks for watching.
06:55.
