2011 Vuelta a España Vuelta announced on 8 September that the 2012 event will start in the Navarrese city of Pamplona. "For details see 2011 Vuelta a España, Stage 1 to Stage 11 and 2011 Vuelta a España, Stage 12 to Stage 21" The Vuelta began with a team time trial in Benidorm. The squad won this stage. Danish General Classification contender Jakob Fuglsang passed the finish line as first and was the first cyclist to wear the red leaders jersey. Fuglsang lost the leaders jersey after just one day to team-mate Daniele Bennati in a sprinter's stage which was won by Christopher Sutton
2012 Vuelta a España, Stage 12 to Stage 21 2012 Vuelta a España, Stage 12 to Stage 21 Stage 12 of the 2012 Vuelta a España was contested on 30 August, and the race concluded with Stage 21 on 9 September. The second half of the race was situated entirely within Spain; starting with a medium mountain stage from Vilagarcía de Arousa to the Mirador de Ézaro in Dumbría, before four summit finishes and, ultimately, the customary race-concluding ride into Madrid. Having held the lead of the Vuelta since the fourth stage, Joaquim Rodríguez of maintained his lead into the second half of the race. On the twelfth stage,