It’s one thing to celebrate a win too early at the finish line, but it’s something else entirely to celebrate 100 yards from the tape.

Maurico Ardila (Davitamon-Lotto) looked to have the attack-laden 13th stage in the bag when he threw his hands up in victory ahead of Oscar Pereiro (Phonak) and Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi).

The only problem was, his victory gesture came as he rode under the day’s King of the Mountains banner atop the category-three finish. There was still another 100 yards or so of asphalt to the finish line and the ever-attentive Sánchez shot past the confused Colombian to win his team’s second stage in four days.

“These are the things that happen in sport,” Ardila said with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders. “I will have to try again tomorrow and get it right.”

It was an appropriate ending to a chaotic stage that saw scores of attacks, crashes and unplanned detours. Denis Menchov (Rabobank) negotiated all of it safely to retain his 47-second overall lead.

“Sometimes cycling is unjust, what’s good for one is bad for another,” said Sánchez. “It’s my first time to win a stage in a big race, so I am very happy.”

Baranowski and Steels hit the deck

Photo: Graham Watson

Friday’s rollercoaster stage was marred by another crash just 22km into the stage, which saw the early departure of Tom Steels (Davitamon-Lotto). And the day’s planned Cat. 1 climb over the Puerto de la Sía was rerouted after a huge semi-tractor trailer was broken down on the road.

Liberty Seguros was minding its injured captain, Roberto Heras, who was banged up in Thursday’s stage, and wasn’t keeping the race under its thumb. As a result, riders were attacking left and right to try to win a stage before this weekend’s difficult climbing begins.

After a series of escape attempts, Ardila was among a group of eight riders who slipped away with about 60km to go. Two category-three climbs in the final 50km gave the breakaway just enough of a springboard to leap clear, the first break to succeed so far in this Vuelta.

Pereiro, the attacking hero of the Tour de France, bridged to the leaders and then drove straight through to the Cat. 3 climb to the summit finish at Santuario de la Bien Aparecida. With 1.5km to go, Ardila chased back on, and then Sánchez dug deep to catch the leading duo.

Ardila said he was confused by the King of the Mountains banner strung across the course about 100 meters from the finish line. His miscalculation was Sánchez’s gain.

Ardila leads

Photo: Graham Watson

Pereiro – who lost a Tour stage to George Hincapie, only to attack again the next day and ride to victory - came through second and vowed to fight on.

“When you work so hard and come so close, it’s very disappointing not to win. Just like the Tour, I will try again tomorrow,” Pereiro said. “We were playing together with Ardila and me, and then Samuel won because he was smarter.”

With all the action up front, few were watching the overall favorites. Heras suffered through a long day to come through with the top five in the GC (plus Santos González) at 49 seconds back. Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) finished 25th at 1:33 back, but retained his sixth place overall.

Black Friday

The 60th Vuelta lost seven more riders; three didn’t start and four abandoned. Sprinter Tom Boonen (Quick Step) finished the stage but has a flight home to Belgium on Saturday morning.

Discovery Channel lost three riders as a result of Thursday’s costly crash. Benoit Joachim and José Azevedo didn’t start and Manuel Beltrán abandoned.

Horrillo had to pay a visit to the doctor, too

Photo: Graham Watson

“Three riders on the floor and three riders home,” said Discovery Channel boss Johan Bruyneel. “All three were in the crash Thursday. It’s too bad for the team, especially Beltrán, who was feeling good and likely could have finished in the top 10 overall.”

Joachim was in the start village in civilian clothes with his right arm in a cast (broken bones in his hand) while Azevedo was seriously banged up in what was his third crash of this Vuelta. Beltrán took the start, but his knee so hurt badly he could barely pedal.

There were more crashes on Friday, with Tom Steels (Davitamon-Lotto) crashing out with head injuries and Darius Baranowski (Liberty Seguros) going down hard in a high-speed spill at 22km into the stage.

“I’m alive by a miracle,” said the Pole, who came across the line with several cuts and abrasions. “I hit a pothole and flew through the air for two seconds. I didn’t think I would be able to finish.”

Fifty riders have abandoned the Vuelta in just two weeks of racing, something race officials admit they are worried about.

“We’ve had too many abandons, but with the ProTour, riders have come to the Vuelta burned out and tired,” said Vuelta race director Victor Cordero. “And we still have a week to go. We might finish with the smallest peloton ever.”

Lagos on the horizon

The Vuelta enters the weekend with two decisive summit finishes on tap. Saturday’s 172km stage to Lagos de Covadonga and Sunday’s 191km stage to Puerto de Pajares present the final two difficult mountain-top finishes of this year’s Vuelta.

Heras endured Friday’s stage and is hopeful he’ll be able to take advantage of this weekend’s bumpy profiles. It’s his best and perhaps last chance to gain back some time on the resilient Menchov.

“I had some pain during the stage, but I got through it,” said Heras, who finished 11th with the same time as the favorites. “We have two chances to try to get some time so I have to do it now or it will be more complicated later. The climb to Covadonga is so steep it’s not a climb that you can just follow the wheel. It’s a pure-climber’s climb.”

Heras’s chances for a record fourth Vuelta crown took a step backward in Thursday’s stage, when he crashed hard with 40km to go, cutting his left knee and leaving him with 15 stitches as a souvenir.

Heras raced Friday with his left knee wrapped in bandages, but was able to get through the stage without serious complications.

Menchov, who’s held the lead since winning Sunday’s time trial in Lloret de Mar, is quietly confident that he can hold off the climbers.

“Everyone is saying that the steep climb favors Heras, but I like it when it’s steep, too,” Menchov said. “All I have to do is stay close to Heras. It’s not up to me to attack.”

There’s a chance a breakaway might be able to sneak off from the overall favorites, who are sure to hold their fire until the steep ramps.

“I didn’t see Heras very affected by the crash and I see Menchov is looking strong, so I think the race is still very open,” said Santos González (Phonak). “Tomorrow should settle things in the GC. It should be a great day.”

Results - Stage 13
1. Samuel Sanchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 4:03:40
2. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Phonak, 0:04
3. Mauricio Ardila (Col), Davitamon-Lotto, 0:08
4. Oscar Sevilla (Sp), T-Mobile, 0:08
5. Joan Horrach (Sp), Illes Balears, 0:25
6. Pablo Lastras (Sp), Illes Balears, 0:31
7. David Latasa (Sp), Comunidad Valenciana, 0:46
8. M. A. Martin Perdiguero (Sp), Phonak, 0:47
9. Carlos Garcia Quesada (Sp), Comunidad Valenciana, 0:49
10. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 0:49

Overall
1. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, 52:25:40
2. Roberto Heras (Sp), Liberty Seguros, at 0:47
3. Francisco Mancebo (Sp), Illes Balears, at 1:53
4. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, at 1:57
5. Carlos Garcia Quesada (Sp), Comunidad Valenciana, at 3:31
6. Tom Danielson (USA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, at 5:47
7. Ruben Plaza (Sp), Comunidad Valenciana, at 6:00
8. Juan Miguel Mercado (Sp), Quickstep, at 6:19
9. Santos Gonzalez (Sp), Phonak, at 6:47
10. Oscar Sevilla (Sp), T-Mobile, at 6:51