Vuelta leader Remco Evenepoel has crashed and sustained road rash during today's stage 12 as the riders wound their way towards the big summit finish at Peñas Blancas Estepona.
The QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl rider slid out - much in the same way his team mate Julian Alaphilippe did yesterday - when his wheels went from under him on a bend. He was sitting just behind his team mates at the front of the bunch when he came down on a right hander and was the only rider to crash.
He appeared uninjured, apart from some road rash on his right side, and took some time to get re-started again. The the crash occurred with just over 50km remaining and with the breakaway some 10 minutes clear.
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However, as he got underway again, Evenepoel looked slightly rattled or annoyed, pausing at the commissaire's car on his way back to the bunch to have a few words.
The peloton waited for him, meaning he and his team mates got back on with ease. However, it was a very unwelcome turn of events ahead of such an important finish today; atop an 18.9km HC climb with an average gradient at 6.5 per cent.
