Updated: September 11, 2009, 1:19 PM ET
Hesjedal wins mountainous 12th stage
ALTO DE VELEFIQUE, Spain -- Ryder Hesjedal of Canada has won the mountainous 12th stage of the Spanish Vuelta, and Alejandro Valverde of Spain retained the overall lead.
Hesjedal finished the 112-mile leg in 5 hours, 34 minutes, 31 seconds on Friday, giving the Garmin-Slipstream rider a one-second victory over David Garcia of Spain.
Robert Gesink of Netherlands and Zequiel Mosquera of Spain were both six seconds back.
Caisse D'Epargne rider Valverde finished 16 seconds behind in sixth to maintain a seven-second overall lead on Cadel Evans of Australia, who was seventh. Ivan Basso of Italy was eighth in the same time.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
