2012 Vuelta a España

The 18 UCI ProTour teams were automatically entitled to start the race and were joined by four teams that received a wildcard in April 2012.^[8]

The 18 ProTour teams:

Teams receiving a wildcard:

• Andalucía
• Caja Rural
• Cofidis
• Argos–Shimano

For more details, see List of teams and cyclists in the 2012 Vuelta a España.

The winner of the 2008 edition of the race, Alberto Contador, made his first Grand Tour appearance since his ban after testing positive for a banned substance at the 2010 Tour de France, and was considered by many the top favourite for overall victory. Another favourite was Chris Froome, who had at the time finished second in the 2011 Vuelta and 2012 Tour de France, and he started the 2012 Vuelta as team leader of Team Sky, having previously worked for Bradley Wiggins. The then winner of the 2011 edition, Juan José Cobo, was looking to replicate his previous year's form after a disappointing 2012 season, and he was co-leader of the Movistar Team alongside Alejandro Valverde.

Other contenders for the podium included Joaquim Rodríguez of Team Katusha, who finished second in the 2012 Giro d'Italia, Igor Antón of Euskaltel–Euskadi, Jurgen Van den Broeck of Lotto–Belisol, Damiano Cunego of Lampre–ISD and Robert Gesink of Rabobank.

Riders who could have made the top ten included Froome's Colombian teammates at Team Sky, Rigoberto Urán and Sergio Henao, Rabobank's Bauke Mollema, RadioShack–Nissan's Maxime Monfort, Vacansoleil–DCM's Thomas De Gendt and Ag2r–La Mondiale's Nicolas Roche.

For details see 2012 Vuelta a España, Stage 1 to Stage 11 and 2012 Vuelta a España, Stage 12 to Stage 21

There were four main classifications contested in the 2012 Vuelta a España, with the most important being the general classification. The general classification was calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the red jersey; the winner of this classification was considered the winner of the Vuelta. In 2012, there were time bonuses given on mass-start stages; twelve seconds were awarded to the stage winner, with eight for second and four for third.^[9]

Additionally, there was a points classification, which awards a green jersey. In the points classification, cyclists get points for finishing among the best in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most points led the classification, and is identified with a green jersey. There was also a mountains classification. The organisation categorised some climbs as either hors catégorie, first, second, third, or fourth-category; points for this classification were won by the first cyclists that reach the top of these climbs, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs. The cyclist with the most points led the classification, and was identified with a blue polka dot jersey.

The fourth individual classification was the combination classification, marked by the white jersey. This classification is calculated by adding the numeral ranks of each cyclist in the general, points and mountains classifications – a rider must have a score in all classifications possible to qualify for the combination classification – with the lowest cumulative total signifying the winner of this competition.

For the team classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added; the leading team is the team with the lowest total time. For the combativity award, a jury gives points after each stage to the cyclists they considered most combative. The cyclist with the most votes in all stages leads the classification. For the daily combative winner, the rider in question donned a dossard with a red background, on the following stage.

More information Stage, Winner ...

Stage	Winner	General classification	Points classification	Mountains classification	Combination classification	Team classification	Combativity award
1	Movistar Team	Jonathan Castroviejo	not awarded	not awarded	not awarded	Movistar Team	Imanol Erviti
2	John Degenkolb		John Degenkolb	Javier Chacón	Javier Chacón		Javier Aramendia
3	Alejandro Valverde	Alejandro Valverde	Alejandro Valverde	Pim Ligthart	Alejandro Valverde		Philippe Gilbert
4	Simon Clarke	Joaquim Rodríguez	Simon Clarke	Simon Clarke	Joaquim Rodríguez	Rabobank	Luis Ángel Maté
5	John Degenkolb		John Degenkolb				Javier Chacón
6	Joaquim Rodríguez					Team Sky	Thomas De Gendt
7	John Degenkolb						Javier Aramendia
8	Alejandro Valverde			Alejandro Valverde		Rabobank	Javier Aramendia
9	Philippe Gilbert		Joaquim Rodríguez				Javier Chacón
10	John Degenkolb		John Degenkolb				Javier Aramendia
11	Fredrik Kessiakoff						Fredrik Kessiakoff
12	Joaquim Rodríguez		Joaquim Rodríguez				Mikel Astarloza
13	Steve Cummings						Juan Antonio Flecha
14	Joaquim Rodríguez			Simon Clarke			Juan Manuel Gárate
15	Antonio Piedra					Movistar Team	Antonio Piedra
16	Dario Cataldo						Dario Cataldo
17	Alberto Contador	Alberto Contador					Alberto Contador
18	Daniele Bennati						Gatis Smukulis
19	Philippe Gilbert						Ji Cheng
20	Denis Menchov						Simon Clarke
21	John Degenkolb		Alejandro Valverde		Alejandro Valverde		not awarded
Final		Alberto Contador	Alejandro Valverde	Simon Clarke	Alejandro Valverde	Movistar Team	Alberto Contador

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Notes

• In stage 3, Javier Aramendia, who was second in the combination classification, wore the white jersey, because Javier Chacón (in first place) wore the blue polka-dot jersey as leader of the mountains classification during that stage.
• In stage 4, John Degenkolb, who was second in the points classification, wore the green jersey, because Alejandro Valverde (in first place) wore the red jersey as leader of the general classification during that stage. As well as that, Joaquim Rodríguez, who was second in the combination classification, wore the white jersey as Valverde also holds the lead of that classification.
• In stage 5, Pim Ligthart, who was second in the mountains classification, wore the blue polka-dot jersey, because Simon Clarke (in first place) wore the green jersey as leader of the points classification during that stage. As well as that, Alejandro Valverde, who was second in the combination classification wore the white jersey as Joaquim Rodríguez wore the red jersey as leader of the general classification.
• In stages 6, 7 and 8, Alejandro Valverde, who was second in the combination classification wore the white jersey as Joaquim Rodríguez (in first place) wore the red jersey as leader of the general classification.
• In stages 9, 10 and 11, Chris Froome, who was third in the combination classification wore the white jersey as Joaquim Rodríguez (in first place) wore the red jersey as leader of the general classification, and Alejandro Valverde (in second place) wore the blue polka-dot jersey as leader of the mountains classification.
• In stage 10, John Degenkolb, who was second in the points classification wore the green jersey as Joaquim Rodríguez (in first place) wore the red jersey as leader of the general classification.
• In stages 12, 13 and 14, Alberto Contador, who was third in the combination classification wore the white jersey as Joaquim Rodríguez (in first place) wore the red jersey as leader of the general classification, and Alejandro Valverde (in second place) wore the blue polka-dot jersey as leader of the mountains classification.
• In stage 13, John Degenkolb, who was third in the points classification wore the green jersey as Joaquim Rodríguez (in first place) wore the red jersey as leader of the general classification, and Alejandro Valverde (in second place) wore the blue polka-dot jersey as leader of the mountains classification. In stage 14, Degenkolb still wore the green jersey, as the second-placed rider in the points classification.
• In stages 15, 16 and 17, Alejandro Valverde, who was second in the points classification, wore the green jersey, as Joaquim Rodríguez (in first place) wore the red jersey as leader of the general classification and Alberto Contador, who was third in the combination classification, wore the white jersey.
• In stages 18 and 19, Alejandro Valverde, who is second in the combination classification, will wear the white jersey, as Joaquim Rodríguez (in first place) will wear the green jersey as leader of the points classification.