Vuelta a España stage 13 preview - 'Get from A to B as fast as possible'

ESTACION DE MONTANA DE MANZANEDA OURENSE SPAIN AUGUST 29 LR Florian Lipowitz of Germany and Team Red Bull Bora hansgrohe Ben OConnor of Australia and Team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Red Leader Jersey compete during the La Vuelta 79th Tour of Spain 2024 Day 12 a 1375km stage from Ourense Termal to Estacion de Montana de Manzaneda 1491m UCIWT on August 29 2024 in Estacion de Montana de Manzaneda Spain Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
A watchful Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) on stage 12 of the Vuelta a España (Image credit: Getty Images)

In football, they'd call it running down the clock. In the Vuelta a España, it's always useful to burn off the days. Ben O'Connor's task from here to Madrid isn't simple but it's certainly clear. He has a lead of 3:16 over Primož Roglič and he must ration that time carefully across the next nine stages.

When Roglič et al failed to test O'Connor's mettle on the rugged road to Baiona earlier this week, they were chided in the pages of AS about the risk of running out of road before they could divest him of the red jersey.  "Un día menos para O'Connor," trilled the headline. One day less for O'Connor.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.

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