The breakaway was caught in good time, there were lead out trains in the final kilometres, a recognised sprinter won the stage and there was no change to the GC standings. What? Unusually for this year's Vuelta we had a more conventional Grand Tour Stage today after some brutally hard climbing in the mountainous North of Spain and Southern France. 

With temperatures as high as 45 degrees, the peloton still had to work hard to finish. The day began with some controversy after more than 90 riders who missed yesterday's time cut were allowed to continue...