Stage 1: Gueñes → Gueñes, 153 km Full Results and Report
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Jose Joaquin ROJAS (MOVISTAR) wins the stage 1 sprint finish |
Stage 2: Gueñes → Vitoria-Gasteiz, 166 km Full Results and Report
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Daryl Impey (GreenEdge) rode off the front of the peloton with 1 km to go... (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
... and held on for the win (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
This is Daryl Impey's first UCI win since the infamous Tour of Turkey stage 4 and overall win in 2009 (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Double victory-salute for GreenEdge (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Allan Davis (GreenEdge) was second while Davide APPOLLONIO (Sky) was third (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Other than winning the South African TT Championships last year, it's been three years since Daryl Impey has celebrated a win... (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
And Daryl Impey was a little out of practice at popping the cork... (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
In fact, he dropped the bottle of champaign. (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Yesterday's stage winner, Jose Joaquin ROJAS GIL (MOVISTAR) finished 4th today and retains the Yellow Jersey (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Midrace stage race leaders don't always celebrate like this (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Julian SANCHEZ PIMIENTA limped on stage to collect his Green Jersey (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Jose Joaquin ROJAS GIL (MOVISTAR) also leads the points competition (photo © Colin Flockton) |
Stage 3: Vitoria-Gasteiz → Eibar-Arrate, 164 km Full Results and Report
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Yesterday stage 2 host, Vitoria-Gasteiz, was also the start for stage 3 (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
GreenEdge leading the rollout on a boarded road (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Basque country scenery from the fifth climb (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
The view from the fifth categorized climb, Alto de Ixua (Cat. 1), at km 132 (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Spaniard José Herrada Lopez (Movistar) won the fifth KOM (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
followed by Mads Christensen (Saxo Bank) who won the first four KOMs on the day (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Crowds cheering on the soon to be KOM leader at the end of the day, Mads Christensen (Saxo Bank) (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Belgians Jelle Vanendert and Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto Belisol) close behind in the next group (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Big crowds on Alto de Ixua (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
On the final climb of seven climbs, three riders formed the winning group (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
1 km to go before the descending finish: Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha) leading eventual winner Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Euskaltel - Euskadi and Christopher Horner (RadioShack-Nissan) (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Tom Danielson (Garmin) finished 21st today, +35s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Christophe RIBLON (AG2R LA MONDIALE) was 23rd +50s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Sammy Sanchez wins for the three straight year in Eibar-Arrate. Finish photos on cyclingnews | 
Sammy Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) celebrating his natural Txapelatrick... three wins in a row in Eibar-Arrate (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
That's a big smile (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Today's win by 12s over the peloton makes Sammy Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) the new race leader (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Mads Christensen (Saxo Bank) scooped up all the early KOMs and sprint points and is now the leader in both of these classifications (photo © Colin Flockton) |
Stage 4: Eibar → Bera-Ibardin, 151 km Full Results and Report
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Dreary start in downtown Eibar (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Chris Horner on the way to the start (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
The break going over the first pass of Alto de Ibardin (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Evgeny Petrov (Astana) followed by Maciej Paterski (Liquigas-Cannondale), Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural) and Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Movistar) (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
The peloton coming through with Euskaltel-Euskadi near the front (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
The second climb of Alto de Ibardin added a steep 18% for 500m to the finish where not surprisingly Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) made his move (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Nobody can dig through the steep stuff like Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) wins Stage 4 (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
The convincing win also made him the new race leader (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Overnight race leader Sammy Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) came through next (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
2nd Sammy Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) + 9s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
3rd Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Sky Procycling) and 4th Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) +12s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
5th Lars Petter Nordhaug (Sky Procycling) and 6th Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD +16s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
13th Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) + 21s is now 33s back on GC which he could easily make back in the final day 18.9 km ITT (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
14th Christopher Horner (RadioShack-Nissan) behind 12th Damiano Cunego (Lampre - ISD) + 21s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
15th Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) + 21s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
18th Thomas Danielson (Garmin - Barracuda) + 26s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
20th Jean-Christophe Peraud (AG2R La Mondiale) and 21st Michael Rogers (Sky) + 26s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Michael Rogers with Tom Danielson hanging his head (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Milan San-Remo winner Simon Gerrans was 22nd + 33s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
26th Frank Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) + 47s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Sammy Sanchez post-race (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
El Purito and Poco Purito (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Your stage 4 winner, Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) with Miguel Indurain (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Tied on GC going into today's stage means the stage win gives Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and his son the race leader's jersey (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) leds by 9s over Sammy Sanchez and 21s over Chris Horner (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
IMG_6509_edited-1.jpg (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Sammy Sanchez downgraded from Yellow to White today, but he's on 9s back on GC (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Race MC Juan Maria interviews Miguel Indurain while retiring (outgoing) race director Jaime Ugarte looks on (photo © Colin Flockton) |
Stage 5: Bera → Oñati, 183 km Full Results and Report
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After a miserable day in the rain, the break passes through the finish area in Oñati before to an extra 23 km circuit (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Marco Pinotti (BMC) and Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) at the front of the race (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
The peloton (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Team Sky (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
On the uphill kicker near the finish, Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Sammy Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) caught Robert Kiserlovski (Astana), the lone survivor from the break (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
It's now a duel between the two top riders on GC (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Watch that speed bump (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) exits the speed bump in first (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Sanchez is gaining (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Most of the photographers thought Sanchez took the win... (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
But the overhead shows it wasn't as close as it looked; Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) beats Sammy Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) by half a wheel. Another photo of the finish (cyclingnews) | 
Actually, less than an wheel. Rodriguez indeed crosses first, but it was closer than the overhead | 
4th Vasili Kiryienka (Movistar) and 5 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Sky) + 5s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
13th Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Sky Procycling) and 14th Thomas Danielson (Garmin - Barracuda) + 10s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
30th Frank Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) crosses behind 29th Davide Appollonio (Sky Procycling) + 39s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
El Purito and Poco Purito on the podium for the second day in a row (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Chilly celebration (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) will celebrate now because the notorously poor time-trialer isn't likely to retain the race leader's jersey and the race win tomorrow (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
White is more his color (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
After leading the break today, Marco Pinotti (BMC) leads the sprint competition (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Mads Christensen (Saxo Bank) continues to lead the mountains classification (photo © Colin Flockton) |
Stage 6: Oñati → Oñati, 18.9 km (TT) Full Results and Report
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Tony Martin out for course recon before the rain started. At 18th overall +56s, the world TT champ still stood a good chance at making the podium (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Cobbles! Looks like Flanders... almost. (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
The scenery around Oñati where the 18.9 lumpy, technical ITT was held (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
The world champ Tony Martin (Omega Pharma QuickStep) wasn't able to open it up on the slick roads (and cobbles) (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Tony Martin set a best time but it didn't stick. He ended up 3rd + 7s for 5th overall +54s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) on his way to beating Tony Martin's time (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) finished 2nd + 0:06 and 3rd overall (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) handled the treacherous course better than anyone (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) on his way to erasing the 9s deficit to Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) at the start of the day (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) just needed to stay upright (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) wasn't expected to keep his Yellow Jersey today (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
A wet, technical course wasn't enough help for the notoriously poor time-trialist (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) feeling good about his chances for the stage win, but... (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) wins the 18.9 km ITT in 28:48 for the overall win (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) crossed 6th +22s for 2nd overall + 12s (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Your stage 6 ITT winner, Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Two stage wins, two seconds and the overall win this week (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
(photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) looks good in the winner's Txapela (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) was just happy to hold onto his podium spot (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) 2nd today and 3rd overall (photo © Colin Flockton) | 
Your 2012 Tour of the Basque Country podium: 2nd Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) + 12s, 1st Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel - Euskadi) 20:58:15, 3rd Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) + 42s (photo © Colin Flockton) |
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