"It's a very hard climb" - Alberto Contador believes there will be no rest on the eve of Angliru

As the Vuelta a Espana moves from the Basque Country to Cantabria, we get some different terrain. After an explosive day in Bilbao and on the eve of the two most decisive stages of the race, we could get a more conservative day for the GC riders. But Alberto Contador believes the climbs on stage 12 are very difficult and could explode the race once again.

"Stage 12 arrives between Laredo and Los Corrales de Buelna, Cantabrian terrain, tough terrain... And also hard because there will be two fights, one for the stage victory with the men who want to filter into the breakaway. It's going to be another day of a lot of fighting, of attacks and counterattacks, we'll see how many kilometers it takes to form the breakaway of the day," he said in an analysis for Eurosport.

"Then there's the Collada de Brenes, which could determine not only the winner of the stage but also the general classification. It's a tough climb, close to the finish line, and we'll see if there are any riders with the will to do it". The key climb of the day will be the Collada de Brenes, a 7-kilometer pass with an 8% average gradient that is sure to be a big challenge. It ends with 23 kilometers to go and is the only mountain stage of the race without a summit finish.

"Let's analyze the climb, the Collada de Brenes. Be careful, it's a very hard and very interesting pass, and not only on the climb. We're talking about stretches at all times between 7 and 9 percent and ramps up to 16 percent gradient."

'El Pistoler' believes that the climb could make the difference but the descent, dangerous and tricky, could also open up gaps. And with riders in the breakaway for tactical purposes, the stage could become quite difficult to manage for a few riders.

"Watch out for the descent after a final part that is a bit more tricky. It's very technical even though it's not that steep, especially since there's a chance of rain. The descent could play an important role in the race if a rider wants to take risks. However, what will mark the stage will be the hard sections of the climb. The summit is 23 kilometers from the finish line, so if there are any brave riders, they could do a lot of damage. We'll have to see how the legs of the riders, who are accumulating more and more fatigue, are doing".