Magnus Cort Neilsen takes second stage win at 2021 La Vuelta a Espana

Magnus Cort Neilsen managed to make up for the disappointment of Stage 11 by winning Stage 12 at the 2021 La Vuelta a Espana on August 26.

Magnus Cort Neilsen, despite a much reduced Team Education First-Nippo to help support him and exhaustion from Stage 11, managed to recover and win Stage 12 at the 2021 La Vuelta a Espana.

It is his second stage win at the race this year and comes after being pipped at the post after an exhausting breakaway lead effort on Stage 11.

Magnus Cort Neilsen recovers from Stage 11 to win Stage 12 despite high temperatures and a crash

The 175-kilometer-long stage between Jaen and Cordoba came down to a reduced bunch sprint in 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the final kilometres after a major crash-marred most of the stage.

The crash occurred due to a touch of wheels and took down a few Team Jumbo-Visma and Team Ineos Grenadiers riders.

Primoz Roglic managed to not let the crash stop him from defending his position in the overall standings or to lose too much more time to current race leader Odd Christian Eiking.

In the final kilometre before the finish line, Neilsen managed to outride Team Deceuninck QuickStep’s Andrea Bagiolo and Team Bike Exchange’s Michael Matthews crossing first.

Team Education First – Nippo has been chasing stage wins only since the early stages when their general classification rider Hugh Carthy announced his departure from the race after not performing as well as he had hoped.

Carthy had come third in the general classification standings overall at the 2020 La Vuelta a Espana.

2021 La Vuelta a Espana’s overall standings after Stage 12

Team Intermarche Wanty Gobert’s rider Odd Christian Eiking is still leading the overall classification standings after stealing the lead and the red jersey from defending champion Roglic who won in 2020.

It is the second time in the 2021 race that the team has had a rider in the lead as Rein Taaramae held the lead in the early stages before losing it to Team Trek Segafredo’s Kenny Ellissonde.

Guillame Martin is still in second place overall at 58 seconds behind Eiking while Roglic is in third overall at one minute and 56 seconds behind him.

Stage 13 on Friday, August 27 is a sprint stage.