Onboard highlights from Stage 12 of the Vuelta a España (VIDEO)

Orica-BikeExchange’s Jens Keukeleire came out tops in a sprint finish on Stage 12 of the Vuelta a España at the end of a long 193.2-km ride to Bilbao while Movistar Team’s Nairo Quintana kept a hold of the red jersey. The 27-year-old Belgian surged clear in the final stretch to outsprint France’s Maxime Bouet (Etixx-Quick Step) and Italian Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) to the line on a day when the leading favourites had declared a ceasefire. Colombia’s Nairo Quintana retained his red jersey.

Countless attempts took place in another nervous start of the race until a group finally emerged. The 1st category Puerto de Alisas (1st cat, km 49) was ideal for a breakaway and seven riders took advantage of it.

Among them was a former red jersey holder, Darwin Atapuma (BMC), Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx-Quick Step) and Louis Meintjes (Lampre-Merida), ambitious Frenchmen Kenny Elissonde and Romain Hardy, as well as two Chris Froome team-mates, Peter Kennaugh and David Lopez, who was first at the top of the ascent.

While France’s Florian Senechal (Cofidis) abandoned with stomach problems, followed by Fabrice Jeandesboz (Direct Ednergie), Atapuma crashed on the descent and was forced back into the bunch. At the back, the peloton, led by Movistar, maintained the gap under 2:30.

50 km from the finish, the pack raised the tempo and Hardy, then Lopez, were dropped on the first ascent of the 2nd category Alto el Vivero (Km 151), which saw Kenny Elissonde collect the KOM points. The leading bunch regrouped on the descent but to no avail as the main bunch, led by Alessandro Vanotti and the rest of the Astana team, was back within 20 seconds at the first passage on the line (km 165). With 18 km to go, the attempt was quashed.

The second ascent of Alto de Vivero saw Dries Devenyns (IAM Cycling) go on his own while the favourites stayed together. Andrey Zeits (Astana), George Bennett (Lotto NL-Jumbo), Mathias Frank (IAM Cycling) and Matvey Mamykin (Katusha) chased behind the Belgian but were reined in after a brisk but vain attack by Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) one kilometre from the summit. Devenyns reached the top with a 30-seconds lead over the peloton, led by Movistar’s Dani Moreno and by Bennett.

But the Belgian, already close to victory in stage 9 at l’Alto de Naranco, was pulled back with 2 km to go, leaving the door open for a bunch sprint. While some strong finishers were left in the peloton, Keukeleire jumped with perfect timing to surprise the rest of the pack and hand his team their second stage win after the one taken by Simon Yates on stage 6. Bouet and Felline had to be content with the podium places.

Watch the best of the on-board highlights here.