2012 Vuelta a España

August 18 - September 9, 2012

Saturday, August 25: Stage 8, Lleida - Andorra. Collada de la Gallina, 174.7 km

Back to 2012 Vuelta | Stage 8 map and profile | Photos from Stage 8

Saturday, August 25: Stage 8, Lleida - Andorra. Collada de la Gallina, 174.7 km

Rated ascents:

• Km 158.2: Alto de la Comella, 3.8 km @ 5.2% gradient, Category 2
• Km 174.7: Collada de la Gallina, 7.2 km @ 8%, Category 1

Results:

1. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)4hr 6min 39sec
2. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) s.t.
3. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
4. Christopher Froome (Sky) @ 15sec
5. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 23sec
6. Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 33sec
7. Igor Anton (Euskaltel) s.t.
8. Winner Anacona (Lampre) @ 39sec
9. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) s.t.
10. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre) @ 42sec
11. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) @ 44sec
12. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 1min 2sec
13. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r) s.t.
14. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) @ 1min 5sec
15. Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 1min 6sec
16. Tomasz Marczynski (Vacansoleil) @ 1min 24sec
17. Maxime Bouet (Ag2r) @ 1min 25sec
18. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1min 30sec
19. Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 1min 34sec
20. Cameron Meyer (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 1min 37sec
21. Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural) @ 1min 45sec
22. Sergio Luis Henao (Sky) @ 1min 47sec
23. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) s.t.
24. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
25. Andre Fernando Cardoso (Caja Rural) @ 1min 57sec
26. Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel) @ 1min 58sec
27. Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) @ 2min 4sec
28. Mickaël Buffaz (Cofidis) @ 2min 23sec
29. Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) @ 2min 24sec
30. Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel) s.t.
31. Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 2min 31sec
32. Javier Ramírez (Andalucia) @ 2min 41sec
33. Kevin Seeldrayers (Astana) s.t.
34. Christophe Le Mevel (Garmin-Sharp) @ 2min 50sec
35. Rémi Pauriol (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 3min 2sec
36. John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 3min 6sec
37. Alberto Losada (Katusha) s.t.
38. Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
39. Tiago Machado (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
40. Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) @ 3min 17sec
41. Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil) @ 3min 19sec
42. Juan José Oroz (Euskaltel) (Euskaltel) @ 3min 27sec
43. Hernani Broco (Caja Rural) @ 3min 43sec
44. Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) @ 3min 48sec
45. Mikel Landa (Euskaltel) s.t.
46. Daniel Navarro (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
47. Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) @ 3min 58sec
48. Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 4min 8sec
49. José Vicente Toribio (Andalucia) @ 5min 5sec
50. Javier Moreno (Movistar) @ 5min 11sec
51. Richie Porte (Sky) @ 5min 12sec

GC after Stage 8:

1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 29hr 59min 35sec
2. Christopher Froome (Sky) @ 33sec
3. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 40sec
4. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 50sec
5. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 1min 41sec
6. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 1mi 48sec
7. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 2min 14sec
8. Igor Anton (Euskaltel) @ 2min 47sec
9. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) @ 2min 58sec
10. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) @ 3mn 7sec
11. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre) @ 3min 20sec
12. Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) s.t.
13. Tomasz Marczynski (Vacansoleil) @ 3min 26sec
14. Sergio Luis Henao (Sky) @ 3min 34sec
15. Winner Anacona (Lampre) @ 3min 38sec
16. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) @ 3min 40sec
17. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r) @ 3min 42sec
18. Steve Morabito (BMC) @ 4min 9sec
19. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 4min 12sec
20. Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) @ 5min 4sec
21. Kevin Seeldrayers (Astana) @ 5min 9sec
22. Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel) @ 5min 31sec
23. Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 5min 43sec
24. Maxime Bouet (Ag2r) @ 6min 37sec
25. Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural) @ 6min 40sec
26. Andre Fernando Cardoso (Caja Rural) @ 6min 47sec
27. Juan José Cobo (Movistar) @ 7min 0sec
28. Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 7min 43sec
29. Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 7min 49sec
30. Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil) @ 8min 2sec
31. Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) @ 8min 43sec
32. Rémi Pauriol (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 11min 10sec
33. Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan)@ 11min 13sec
34. Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) @ 11min 33sec
35. Alberto Losada (Katusha) @ 11min 58sec
36. Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) @ 12min 2sec
37. Tiago Machado (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 12min 36sec
38. Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel) @ 13min 1sec
39. Andrey Zeits (Astana) @ 14min 40sec
40. Juan José Oroz (Euskaltel) @ 14min 45sec
41. Christophe Le Mevel (Garmin-Sharp) @ 14min 49sec
42. Daniel Navarro (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 16min 13sec
43. Romain Sicard (Euskaltel) @ 16min 23sec
44. Mickaël Buffaz (Cofidis) @ 17min 11sec
45. Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) @ 17min 23sec
46. Laurent Didier (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 19min 11sec
47. Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 19min 59sec
48. John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 20min 26sec
49. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) @ 22min 32sec
50. Hernani Broco (Caja Rural) @ 23min 16sec

Points Classification:

1. John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano): 76 points
2. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar): 66
3. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 65
4. Christopher Froome (Sky): 51
5. Elia Viviani (Liquigas): 47

Climber Classification:

1. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar): 21 points
2. Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge): 16
3. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 15
4. Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil): 11
5. Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis): 10

Allround Classification:

1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 7 points
2. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar): 7
3. Christopher Froome (Sky): 14
4. Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff): 15
5. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r): 34

Team Classification:

1. Rabobank: 89hr 28min 24sec
2. Ag2r @ 2min 27sec
3. Sky @ 2min 34sec
4. Katusha @ 3min 55sec
5. Movistar @ 5min 38sec

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Stage 8 map and profile

Stage 8 map

Stage 8 profile

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Photos from Stage 8:

Alberto Contador attacks near the end of the stage. Froome is on his wheel and can't go with him. Rodriguez (in red) and Valverde (in white) are further back.

The picture doesn't convey how steep this road is.

Rodriguez is alert to the danger.

Daniel Moreno had been in the Contador group until that last attack.

Beñat Intxausti

Winner Anacona

Robert Gesink

Andrew Talansky says, "Ow!"

Nicolas Roche

At the start of the final climb, Cameron Meyer was away, but was mowed down by a very fast-moving lead group.

Steve Morabito

Alessandro Ballan and Philippe Gilbert

Valverde has the the line in sight

He has more suds than Contador or Rodriguez

While Valverde claps in celebration, Contador is out of gas and Rodriguez is pretty unhappy.

Ow, that hurt! Contador took off in the final meters, only to be caught at the end by Rodriguez and Valverde. Looks like he ripped out his earpiece.

When Contador mounted his final attack, Froome couldn't answer and came in 15 seconds after Valverde.

Rodriguez keeps the red jersey another day.

Igor Anton wasn't far behind.

Rinaldo Nocentini

Valverde's ride was incredible. He dropped Chris Froome and caught and passed Rodriguez and Contador.

Joaquin Rodriguez seems to have gotten over not winnng the stage.

A quick word between Rodriguez and Valverde.