La Vuelta a Espana 2019 news - Philippe Gilbert holds off chasers to take impressive win in Bilbao

Six years after his last stage victory in Spain, Gilbert (Deceuninck-QuickStep) notched the sixth Vuelta scalp of his career after dancing clear of the breakaway on the stinging double-digit ramps of the Alto de Arraiz inside the final 10km of the 171.4km stage through the Basque Country.

Local rider Aranburu (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) pipped fellow Spaniard Barcelo (Euskadi-Murias) in the sprint for second place, three seconds in arrears. It was 23-year-old Aranburu’s second bridesmaid finish in his second Vuelta, and his wildcard Spanish team’s second runner-up spot in as many days.

After a fierce battle to get into the day’s break - a move not forming until 100km into the race - Gilbert was able to profit from some pacing by teammate Tim Declercq before making his decisive attack.

"It was a long fight to get into the breakaway. When we went away I saw good climbers with me, and I wasn't really confident about my chances to win,” the 37-year-old said.

"I tried to race smart and of course I had a big help from my teammate Tim Declercq. He deserves it as much as I do. It's also special because it's my tenth victory at a Grand Tour so it's a nice number."

The remnants of the initial 19-man break crossed the line in dribs and drabs before the group of race favourites ambled home just over three minutes in arrears after a stalemate in the battle for red.

Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic was protected by his Jumbo-Visma teammates over the three testing climbs in the Cantabrian Mountains south of Bilbao, retaining his 1’52” lead over the world champion Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) ahead of Friday’s decisive finish on the fearsome climb of Los Machucos.

The peloton took inspiration from the start at the Navarra motor-racing circuit to rip through the opening 100km of the stage in an average speed of a staggering 47kmph.

Making light work of a single third-category climb that punctuated the plateau along which the race rampaged, the remaining 165 riders were unable to form a selection as multiple moves were thwarted.

Colombian Sergio Henao (UAE Team Emirates) picked up the maximum three points over the summit of the Alto de Azazeta to move within 12 points of the KoM lead of polka dot jersey Angel Madrazo (Burgos-BH).

But despite attempts from the likes of Patrick Bevin (CCC Team), Hector Saez (Euskadi-Murias), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Quentin Jauregui (AG2R La Mondiale) and Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step), the nervous peloton was having nothing of it.

In the end, it took until the road edged downhill on a sustained tree-lined escarpment for the break to form, 18 riders going clear in pursuit of South Africa’s Willie Smit (Katusha-Alpecin).

Joining Smit were José Joaquin Rojas (Movistar), Manuele Boaro (Astana), Heinrich Haussler (Bahrain-Merida), Felix Grosschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe), Fran Ventoso (CCC Team), Gilbert and Declercq (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto Soudal), Tsgabu Grmay (Mitchelton-Scott), Nikias Arndt (Team Sunweb), John Degenkolb, Jacopo Mosca (Trek-Segafredo), Valerio Conti, Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates), Aranburu and Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Barcelo and Cyril Barthe (Euskadi-Murias).

The belated formation of the break was music to the ears of the rest of the peloton, who collectively sat up and took a breather as the advantage quickly edged north of five minutes.

After the wide Basque main roads, the final third of the stage took on an entirely different complexion as the route entered the lush Cantabrian Mountains on a series of narrow, twisting roads over a succession of three third-category peaks of increasing difficulty.

The Alto de Urruztimendi (2.5km at 9.2%) forced the first selection as some of the zippier or heftier escapees - Degenkolb, Ventoso and Haussler - were dropped as Marcato led teammate Conti over the top on the front.

Austrian Grossschartner, winner of the Tour of Turkey back in April, then surged clear ahead of the Alto El Vivero (4.3km at 7.7%) with Ethiopia’s Grmay in pursuit. The two riders joined forces one kilometre from the summit while, behind, Conti rode away from the chasers.

But the duo were reeled in as the race passed through the industrial city of Bilbao and, with 10km remaining, hit the steep ramp at the start of the Alto de Arraiz (2.2km at 12.2%).

With Declercq peeling back after setting up his teammate, Gilbert rode to the front of the break before putting in an acceleration which left most of his fellow escapees with no answer.

Inspired by a sea of red, green and white Basque flags being waved either side of the hairpin bends, Barcelo managed to hold Gilbert’s wheel before dropping off the pace with 8.5km remaining.

Gilbert held a 25-second gap going over the summit ahead of Barcelo, who had joined forces with Aranburu. The duo gamely dug deep on the descent back into Bilbao, but on such a technical, twisting affair - and against such an experienced specialist as Gilbert - they were always up against it.

In the end, it was yet another battle for second place as Barcelo was unable to double up for Euskadi-Murias after Mikel Iturria’s win on Wednesday, and Aranburu took yet another second place for him and his Caja Rural team - the only wildcards yet to get on the scoresheet in this thrillingly unpredictable race.

For Gilbert, who joins Lotto Soudal in 2020 in a three-year deal, it was a tenth Grand Tour stage win - and a second for current Deceuninck-QuickStep team following Fabio Jakobsen’s opening week sprint win in Stage 4.

Despite the thrills and spills of a second captivating day in the Basque Country, there were no changes in any of the jersey classifications with Roglic keeping both red and green, Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) the white, and bespectacled Spaniard Madrazo the polka dots.

Stage 13 on a Friday, eh? Well, even the least superstitious will be on tenterhooks going into this key test featuring six categorised climbs ahead of the brutal summit showdown on a climb which peaks at 28% and which the 2017 winner Chris Froome described as “like riding up a wall”.

It's the first of four remaining summit finishes of the race, one that boasts a series of steep steps (or 'rampas inhumanas' as the locals say) which could shuffle the pack and seriously test the red jersey credentials of Primoz Roglic and his rivals from Spain and Colombia.