Bernhard Eisel's legs are tired, but that just makes him all the more satisfied to have finished seventh in Thursday's Vuelta stage 12 from Aranda de Duero to Guadalajara. He was in the day's main breakaway which disintegrated with a few kilometres to go as stage winner Luca Paolini (Liquigas) did not gamble on a sprint finish. "I'm very satisfied with the race, the climbing is going really well," said the Austrian sprinter for Française des Jeux. "Naturally my legs are tired. I noticed that two kilometres before the finish when I wanted to follow Bettini and Paolini."
The Italians, Eisel noted, were collaborating in the finale of the stage, which was "like a lottery, like it always is with an breakaway," he continued. "Bettini had his teammate Hulsmans and Luca Paolini (Liquigas) at his side. We knew directly that the three would work together. Apart from the Italians' tactical games, it was a perfect performance from Paolini."
