John Degenkolb took 5th in the bunch sprint on stage 12 of the Vuelta. Danny van Poppel was the fastest in Lleida and Tom Dumoulin is still third overall.

Team Giant-Alpecin rode the race to plan, working hard to set up the stage for a bunch sprint, with the breakaway coming back in the final kilometer of the stage.

In the streets of Lleida the stage came down to a bunch sprint and Degenkoln took 5th. Danny van Poppel (Trek Factory Racing) won the stage. Tom Dumoulin maintained third overall.

Coach Christian Guiberteau said: “Today was the plan to go for the sprint with John so we controlled the pace at the bunch all day. In the finale the guys worked hard to close the gap with the five escapees as they were caught back in the final kilometer.

“In the sprint preparation the coordination between the guys wasn’t optimal so they lost each other and John got boxed in.

"It was not perfect," Dumoulin said. "We didn't get it right. A sprint is about positioning and you can be the fastest sprinter and still not win.

"I had a a good ride yesterday but I didn't quite surprise myself like in the stage I won. This is completely new to me. I hope to keep my place in the GC. That would be very nice. But there's so much more time I can lose. If I don't have a very bad day I might try to get it back in the TT."