Another stage for Jimenez

Jimenez (l) has won three stages on the Tour of Spain

Spain's Jose Maria Jimenez won stage 12 of the Tour of Spain, but compatriot Oscar Sevilla retained the overall lead.

The victory was Jimenez's second consecutive stage win and third of the Vuelta so far as the 30-year-old continues to enjoy a revival of fortunes following a series of injury problems and mishaps.

Jimenez withdrew from last year's Tour of Spain after a crash on stage eight and, after battling a bout of mononucleosis, missed this year's Tour de France.

But the iBanesto rider has been in scintillating form in the mountains and won Thursday's 17.1 km (10.6 miles) time-trial from Ordino to Arcalis by an outstanding 28 seconds.

Carlos Sastre, Jimenez's brother-in-law, finished second with US Postal's Spanish climber Jose-Luis Rubiera third.

Yellow jersey

Sevilla finished the stage in seventh to remain in possession of the yellow jersey but Festina's Angel Casero was eighth to remain in second place on the tour standings.

Casero currently trails Sevilla by 41 seconds after finishing four seconds behind the Kelme rider on stage 12.

Third placed Juan Miguel Mercado is now one minute 21 seconds behind Casero while last year's tour winner Roberto Heras finished the stage in 15th and slipped to sixth overall.

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Leading places in 12th stage:

1. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spain) iBanesto.com 36 minutes 38 seconds
2. Carlos Sastre (Spain) ONCE 28 seconds behind
3. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) US Postal 31
4. Aitor Garmendia (Spain) Team Coast 33
5. Levi Leipheimer (U.S.) US Postal 36
6. Roberto Laiseka (Spain) Euskaltel-Euskadi 41
7. Oscar Sevilla (Spain) Kelme 44
8. Angel Casero (Spain) Festina 48
9. Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio (Mexico) Ceramiche Panaria 51
10. Antonio Tauler (Spain) Kelme 55

Leading overall standings:

1. Oscar Sevilla (Spain) Kelme 37 hours 33 minutes 43 seconds
2. Angel Casero (Spain) Festina 41 seconds behind
3. Juan Miguel Mercado (Spain) iBanesto.com 2:02
4. Levi Leipheimer (U.S.) US Postal 2:19
5. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spain) iBanesto.com 2:50
6. Roberto Heras (Spain) US Postal 2:55
7. David Plaza (Spain) Festina 3:17
8. Santiago Botero (Colombia) Kelme 4:21
9. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) US Postal 5:27
10. Iban Mayo (Spain) Euskadi-Euskaltel 5:32

Selected others:

19. David Millar (Britain) Cofidis 9:21