Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) jumped with 300 meters to go on a rising finish into rainy Suances to fend off an attacking Alberto Contador on Thursday to win for a second time in the 63rd Vuelta a España.

Bettini, who won on a similar finish into Toledo in stage 6, fended off compatriot Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) in a wild and wet stage into northern Spain that saw Alejandro Valverde’s podium chances fade when he lost more than three minutes.

“I saw that the stage was ideal for me. Toledo and this one were perfect. It was even harder for the rain and cold, but in the finale, I had good legs,” Bettini said. “This victory gives me more confidence for Varese. I will try to win a third world championship in Italy, that would be something historic.”

Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) saw his podium hopes vanish.

Photo: Graham Watson

Valverde lost contact with the main pack on the treacherous descent off the day’s final second-category climb with 60km to go and could never regain contact despite nearly the entire Caisse d’Epargne team chasing.

The Spanish national champion lost more than three minutes and fell from fourth at 1:00 back to 11th at 4:19 back in a stage where the team was hoping he could win and gain time bonuses.

“A rider like him shouldn’t have been so far back. It was the last dangerous downhill and he should have been at the front,” lamented sport director Eusebio Unzue. “It’s a lot of time to lose when we should have been fighting for the stage victory today.”

Egoi Martínez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) retained the leader’s jersey at 11 seconds ahead of Levi Leipheimer (Astana), but Contador’s final-kilometer surge broke up the front pack and the 2007 Tour winner gained back three seconds but it could have been even more.

The remaining riders enjoy the second of two rest days Friday before tackling the fearsome Angliru on Saturday.

Wild ride

The 12th stage started in sunny Burgos in front of the spectacular Gothic cathedral, but nasty clouds were already building in the Cantabrian mountains along Spain’s lush northern coast.

Many riders wore black ribbons on their sleeves in honor of Tino Moreno, organizer of the Vuelta a Burgos who died yesterday from cancer.

The break du jour: Sébastien Hinault (Crédit Agricole), Sandy Casar (FDJeux) and Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas).

Photo: Graham Watson

The hilly, leg-breaker stage served up ideal terrain for breakaways and after a flurry of early attempts, three extracted themselves. In the day’s move were stage 8 winner Sébastien Hinault (Crédit Agricole), Sandy Casar (FDJeux) and Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas).

Pushed along by a brisk tailwind, the gap grew to 3:50 at 50km. Rain started the fall as the trio neared the first of two second-category climbs with the Portillo de la Lunada. The peloton was keen to keep it close and the trio’s gap fell under three minutes with 80km to go.

Valverde cut

Things started to go sideways for Valverde on the descent off the narrow, twisting Alto del Caracol with 60km to go. The Spanish national champion was caught at the back of the peloton and the group split on the snaking descent.

Astana and Euskaltel-Euskadi poured on the gas once they realized Valverde was 50 seconds off the back once the pack hit the base of the downhill.

Valverde chased with the help of Philippe Gilbert (FDJeux) and Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis), but gave up the fight when the gap grew to two minutes.

Under pressure from the chasing peloton, the breakaway dissolved with 35km to go.

Bettini rockets

Quick Step did a great job setting up Bettini, with Matteo Tossato drilling the pace in the final kilometer.

A weary Bettini keeps his hands on the bars in the finale.

Photo: Graham Watson

Hometown favorite Oscar Freire (Rabobank) was dropped on the final climb to the finish and the three-time world champion will not start Saturday’s stage.

“I couldn’t have won even if I didn’t get dropped. Bettini was strongest today,” Freire said, who lives in nearby Torrelavega. “I will not continue in the Vuelta. I will train here at home instead to prepare for the worlds. I leave this Vuelta in optimum condition. I won a stage and I am strong in time for Varese.”

Contador shot away with 1km to go to fracture the main pack. Carlos Sastre (CSC-Saxo Bank) and Leipheimer struggled to match his pace, but Contador could only gain three seconds on the short climb.

Bettini drove home the victory ahead of Rebellin with Damiano Cunego and Alessandro Ballan (both Lampre) finishing third and fourth, respectively, to make it an all-Italian sweep of the top four.

Contador came through fifth, with Leipheimer, Sastre and Martínez coming through with a group of eight riders at four seconds down.

Saturday’s stage

The peloton takes Friday off and the 63rd Vuelta will kick back into gear Saturday for the decisive and much-anticipated return of the Angliru climb.

Without a doubt, the 209km “queen stage” from San Vicente de la Barquera to the Angliru summit will prove decisive in crowning the overall winner.

All eyes will be on Contador, but 2008 Tour winner Carlos Sastre and budding climbers Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Robert Gesink (Rabobank) will be fighting for the honors as well.

The Angliru was featured introduced in 1999 and immediately became legendary within Spanish cycling. With ramps as steep as 24 percent, the final charge up Angliru is so steep that riders cannot stand out of the saddle for risk of their wheels slipping.

The climb was featured in the 2000 and 2002 Vueltas, with Jose Maria Jiménez, Gilberto Simoni and Roberto Heras taking victories.

Rain and fog are in the forecast, so it has all the makings of a classic – if terrible – day.