Race analysis, favourites, and predictions for La Vuelta ciclista a España 2025

After the international experiences in the Netherlands in 2022 and Portugal in 2024, the 2025 Vuelta ciclista a España will kick off in Piedmont, Italy. The first three stages will take place there, along with the start of the fourth, which will finish on French soil. In doing so, the Spanish Grand Tour further strengthens its international profile and follows the now well-established trend of the Tour de France in externalizing the Grand Départ, with the aim of boosting media impact and international reach.

 
Route

As mentioned, the first four stages will be contested between Italy and France, meaning that the 2025 Vuelta will not arrive in Spain until stage five, when a team time trial in Figueres will put the squads’ coordination to the test. From there, the race heads westward across northern Spain.

As in recent years, summit finishes will be a defining feature of the course, with as many as 11 uphill finishes. Only 4 of the 21 stages are flat, and one of those (stage 19) ends with an uphill finale. Key moments for the general classification are expected to come in the stage 18 individual time trial and in the 5 major mountain stages (stages 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, and 20). The legendary Angliru (12.3 km at 10.1%), which hosts the stage 13 summit finish, stands out as the most iconic climb of this year’s edition.

 
Favorites

With just four days to go before the start, several teams have yet to confirm their lineups, but clear contenders for the general classification are already emerging. Among them: Jonas Vingegaard (1200), João Almeida (1200), Juan Ayuso (1200), Matteo Jorgenson (1200), Ben O’Connor (1000), Antonio Tiberi (1000), Giulio Pellizzari (600), Mikel Landa (800), Giulio Ciccone (1000), Felix Gall (800), Harold Tejada (600), David Gaudu (400), and Egan Bernal (800).

For the flat stages, expect the sprints to be contested by riders such as Mads Pedersen (1200), Ethan Vernon (400), Axel Zingle (400), Arne Marit (200), Bryan Coquard (600), and Elia Viviani (200).

In addition, many riders will be targeting stage wins: Filippo Ganna (800), Thomas Pidcock (800), Derek Gee (800), Max Poole (800), Orluis Aular (600), Santiago Buitrago (800), Stefan Küng (600), Marc Soler (600), Wout Poels (600), Pablo Castrillo (600), Lorenzo Fortunato (800), Jay Vine (600), and Valentin Paret-Peintre (400) are just some of the names to watch.

 
Photo: © La Vuelta ciclista a España