MONFORTE DE LEMOS, Spain – The second week of La Vuelta a España 2025 delivered a masterclass in tactical warfare as the race’s protagonists battled across the punishing peaks of northern Spain. Over six days that will be remembered as some of the most compelling in recent Grand Tour history, two men emerged from the chaos: Jonas Vingegaard and João Almeida, locked in a duel that has redefined this year’s race for the red jersey.
What began with Jay Vine’s commanding performance at Larra Belagua evolved into something far more significant – a changing of the guard that saw Vingegaard seize La Roja from Torstein Træen, only to find himself matched stride for stride by the resurgent Portuguese climber Almeida. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG locomotive continued its relentless march toward Madrid, claiming five more stage victories and establishing itself as the dominant force of this edition, achieving an unprecedented seven wins from fifteen stages.
Stage 10: Usual Suspects Vine and Vingegaard Rule Larra Belagua
Parque de la Naturaleza Sendaviva > El Ferial Larra Belagua, 175.3km (August 31, 2025)
The Navarran countryside witnessed one of the most brutal breakaway battles in recent memory as 100 kilometers passed before any group could establish itself clear of the bunch. When the dust settled, Jay Vine had claimed his second victory of this Vuelta, while Jonas Vingegaard had wrestled La Roja from the shoulders of Torstein Træen.
The opening salvo came immediately, with attacks flying from the gun on the roads that have played an essential part in La Vuelta’s history. The pace was ferocious – nearly 50 kilometers per hour for the first two hours – as riders desperate for glory threw themselves into the fray. It took 102 kilometers of relentless racing before a group finally formed, featuring Vine alongside teammate Mikkel Bjerg, Soudal Quick-Step’s Junior Lecerf, and an international cast including Michał Kwiatkowski, Kevin Vermaerke, and Harold Tejada.
Local interest came from the Movistar trio of Orluis Aular, Pablo Castrillo, and Javier Romo, representing Spanish cycling on home roads alongside the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA contingent of Abel Balderstone, Joel Nicolau, and Jakub Otruba.
The first selection came on the category-3 Alto de las Coronas, 127.7 kilometers into the stage. Romo crested first, joined by Vine with 43 kilometers remaining. What followed was a masterclass in tactical patience from the Australian, who had endured the early chaos to position himself perfectly for the finale.
Alec Segaert’s prescient attack with 20 kilometers to go established him with a 40-second advantage at the base of the final climb to Larra Belagua. The 9.4-kilometer ascent at 6.3% would prove decisive, first catching Segaert through Pablo Castrillo’s bridge, then witnessing Vine’s devastating acceleration with five kilometers remaining.
“Winning is so so hard, and it’s such an incredible feeling when it happens,” Vine reflected after crossing the line. “I think I made my move two and half hours into the race. At the 2-hour mark I said on the radio: ‘Guys, it’s not happening, better save for tomorrow’. And then there was a crash, I got stuck behind that. We kept jumping for the next 45 minutes.”
Behind the breakaway drama, the real story unfolded in the bunch. Juan Ayuso’s aggressive pace-setting for João Almeida drew immediate responses from Jonas Vingegaard and Tom Pidcock. When the elastic finally snapped, it was Træen who found himself isolated, conceding over a minute and watching La Roja slip away after four days in the lead.
“I’m super happy to be back in the red jersey, it’s really incredible,” Vingegaard said, standing alongside the legendary Miguel Induráin on the podium. “To be there with Miguel Induráin, a big champion in cycling, a legend in our sport, is a nice experience for me. This one is one of the most beautiful jerseys in cycling, so of course I’m happy in having it. Hopefully now I can keep it until Madrid.”
Stage 10 Results
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jay Vine | UAE Team Emirates XRG | 3:56:24 |
| 2 | Pablo Castrillo Zapater | Movistar Team | +0:35 |
| 3 | Javier Romo Oliver | Movistar Team | +1:04 |
| 4 | Archie Ryan | EF Education-EasyPost | +1:05 |
| 5 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +1:05 |
| 6 | Giulio Ciccone | Lidl-Trek | +1:05 |
| 7 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +1:05 |
| 8 | Matteo Jorgenson | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +1:05 |
| 9 | Jan Lecerf | Soudal Quick-Step | +1:05 |
| 10 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +1:05 |
General Classification after Stage 10
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 37:33:52 |
| 2 | Torstein Træen | Bahrain Victorious | +0:26 |
| 3 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +0:38 |
| 4 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +0:58 |
| 5 | Felix Gall | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +2:03 |
| 6 | Giulio Ciccone | Lidl-Trek | +2:05 |
| 7 | Matteo Jorgenson | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +2:12 |
| 8 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +2:16 |
| 9 | Giovanni Pellizzari | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +2:16 |
| 10 | Matthew Riccitello | Israel-Premier Tech | +2:43 |
Jersey Holders after Stage 10:
- Red Jersey (La Roja) – Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Green Jersey – Points: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Blue and White Polka-dot Jersey – King of the Mountains: Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- White Jersey – Best Young Rider: Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Stage 11: Vingegaard and Pidcock Rule an Eventful Day
Bilbao > Bilbao, Punchy circuit with 7 categorized climbs and 3,185m of elevation (September 1, 2025)
Bilbao delivered chaos in its purest form. What should have been a celebration of the sport’s return to one of its historic venues became a testament to cycling’s unpredictable nature when protests at the finish line forced race organizers to take times three kilometers from the line, leaving Stage 11 without an official winner.
The 2023 Tour de France opener Alto de Laukiz provided the opening salvo, with early attacks from Juan Ayuso, Eddie Dunbar, and Mauri Vansevenant quickly neutralized by Vingegaard’s vigilant Visma-Lease a Bike squad. Mads Pedersen emerged as the day’s protagonist, opening gaps and controlling much of the early racing with characteristic Danish determination.
Marc Soler’s familiarity with these roads – he claimed victory here in 2022 – showed as he animated the middle portion of the stage alongside Orluis Aular. But it was the sight of Basque icon Mikel Landa attacking up the Alto del Vivero that truly ignited the crowds, the Soudal Quick-Step rider providing a moment of pure emotion before being joined by Santiago Buitrago.
The finale belonged to Tom Pidcock, whose devastating acceleration on the final ascent of Alto de Pike left even Vingegaard struggling to respond. The Q36.5 rider crested with a five-second advantage, only to see the race leader bridge the gap on the technical descent.
Race director’s announcement crackled over Radio Vuelta: “Due to some incidents at the finish line, we have decided to take the time at 3 kilometres before the line. We won’t have a stage winner. We will give the points for the mountain classification and the intermediate sprint, but not on the finish line.”
Stage 11 Results
Due to protests at the finish line, Stage 11 had no official winner.
General Classification after Stage 11
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 41:14:02 |
| 2 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +0:50 |
| 3 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +0:56 |
| 4 | Torstein Træen | Bahrain Victorious | +1:06 |
| 5 | Felix Gall | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +2:17 |
| 6 | Matteo Jorgenson | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +2:26 |
| 7 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +2:30 |
| 8 | Giulio Ciccone | Lidl-Trek | +2:33 |
| 9 | Giovanni Pellizzari | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +2:44 |
| 10 | Matthew Riccitello | Israel-Premier Tech | +3:11 |
Jersey Holders after Stage 11:
- Red Jersey (La Roja) – Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Green Jersey – Points: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Blue and White Polka-dot Jersey – King of the Mountains: Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- White Jersey – Best Young Rider: Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Stage 12: Freed Ayuso Doubles Down
Laredo > Los Corrales de Buelna, Short and intense course with Puerto de Alisas and Collada de Brenes (September 2, 2025)
Juan Ayuso returned to roads that shaped his junior career to claim his second stage victory of this Vuelta, a performance that showcased both his tactical maturity and pure climbing ability. The Spanish prodigy’s victory in Los Corrales de Buelna came exactly where his talent first flowered in youth categories, adding poetic justice to a day that saw UAE Team Emirates-XRG extend their remarkable winning streak.
The stage began with the familiar sight of attackers hurling themselves into the void, seeking glory on roads steeped in cycling tradition. The battle for the breakaway proved ferocious, particularly on the category-2 Puerto de Alisas, where Marc Soler crested first ahead of an impressive cohort of 53 riders.
The breakaway’s composition read like a who’s who of stage hunting: alongside Ayuso rode Mads Pedersen, Pablo Castrillo, Mikel Landa, Magnus Sheffield, Michał Kwiatkowski, Santiago Buitrago, and Eddie Dunbar. With no direct GC threat – Bruno Armirail trailing by 8’27” represented the closest danger – the gap steadily increased while Søren Kragh Andersen and Julien Bernard controlled proceedings to ensure Pedersen claimed maximum points at the intermediate sprint in Barros.
The decisive moment came on the Collada de Brenes, a 7-kilometer climb averaging 7.9% that would separate the contenders from the pretenders. James Shaw, Finlay Pickering, and Brieuc Rolland attempted an early move, but Soler’s patient work in service of his teammate set up the stage perfectly.
With 25 kilometers remaining and three kilometers from the summit, Ayuso struck. His acceleration was devastating, immediately dropping all but Javier Romo, who managed to bridge across for a two-man finale that would showcase Spanish climbing at its finest.
“The truth is that it’s really nice to win here,” Ayuso reflected afterward. “I was in this town, Los Corrales de Buelna, my two years as a junior, racing for the Besaya cycling club. I have many close friends who are from here, and we are going on holiday together in a few weeks. This is a place I’m very fond of.”
The sprint finish proved no contest, Ayuso timing his final kick perfectly on roads he knew intimately. Rolland completed the podium 13 seconds back, while the GC contenders rolled home more than six minutes behind, saving energy for the looming specter of L’Angliru.
“It’s not something I really enjoy, not cooperating fully, but sometimes you have to play smart,” Ayuso admitted about his tactics with Romo. “I knew the road quite well because it’s also where it finishes in the junior race. I knew how to time my sprint and it went perfectly.”
Stage 12 Results
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Ayuso Pesquera | UAE Team Emirates XRG | 3:16:21 |
| 2 | Javier Romo Oliver | Movistar Team | +0:00 |
| 3 | Brieuc Rolland | Groupama-FDJ | +0:13 |
| 4 | Victor Campenaerts | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:17 |
| 5 | Mads Pedersen | Lidl-Trek | +0:17 |
| 6 | Nico Denz | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +0:17 |
| 7 | Damien Howson | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +0:18 |
| 8 | Santiago Buitrago | Bahrain Victorious | +0:18 |
| 9 | Mikel Beloki | EF Education-EasyPost | +0:18 |
| 10 | Pablo Castrillo Zapater | Movistar Team | +0:18 |
General Classification after Stage 12
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 44:36:45 |
| 2 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +0:50 |
| 3 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +0:56 |
| 4 | Torstein Træen | Bahrain Victorious | +1:06 |
| 5 | Felix Gall | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +2:17 |
| 6 | Bruno Armirail | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +2:23 |
| 7 | Matteo Jorgenson | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +2:26 |
| 8 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +2:30 |
| 9 | Giulio Ciccone | Lidl-Trek | +2:33 |
| 10 | Giovanni Pellizzari | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +2:44 |
Jersey Holders after Stage 12:
- Red Jersey (La Roja) – Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Green Jersey – Points: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Blue and White Polka-dot Jersey – King of the Mountains: Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- White Jersey – Best Young Rider: Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Stage 13: Almeida Tames L’Angliru and Vingegaard
Cabezón de la Sal > L’Angliru, 202.7km with two category-1 ascents before the brutal finale (September 3, 2025)
L’Angliru delivered everything its fearsome reputation promised and more. On a day when Jonas Vingegaard arrived wearing La Roja with dreams of becoming the first race leader to conquer cycling’s most notorious climb, it was João Almeida who provided the masterclass, setting a pace in the final six kilometers that only the Dane could follow.
The Portuguese climber’s victory – his first in La Vuelta – came at the end of 202.7 kilometers that began deceptively fast in Cabezón de la Sal. Early attacks saw the peloton momentarily split, with Felix Gall among those caught behind before the Austrian managed to regain contact after 20 kilometers of frantic chasing.
The day’s break eventually formed with 25 riders, featuring the ever-present Mads Pedersen alongside Antonio Tiberi, Jefferson Cepeda, Gianmarco Garofoli, Bob Jungels, and Rémi Cavagna. Birthday boy Ivo Oliveira – turning 29 – provided the perfect gift to himself by bridging across at kilometer 52 to complete the lead group.
Visma-Lease a Bike’s control proved exemplary, never allowing the gap to exceed 3’40” as the race approached the day’s first major test at Alto de la Mozqueta. The climb provided the first selection, with Nico Vinokurov emerging strongest ahead of Jungels, Tiberi, Garofoli, and Cepeda, though Pedersen’s tenacity saw him regain contact on the descent.
The Alto del Cordal proved even more selective, Vinokurov again setting the pace with only Jungels and Cepeda able to respond. Tiberi’s puncture and subsequent crash on the descent reduced the lead group to two, then one as Cepeda cracked in sight of L’Angliru’s forbidding slopes.
At the base of the final climb, UAE Team Emirates-XRG had reduced the gap to 2’20”, setting up what would become one of the most compelling duels in recent Grand Tour history. Jungels’ solo effort lasted until five kilometers from the summit, when Almeida’s devastating pace change dropped everyone except Vingegaard.
“This is a special win. I still don’t believe it,” Almeida said afterward. “I just put my pace from the bottom and I did the best I could. Jonas was always on my wheel. The last kilometre, I was on the limit. I guess we were both on the limit. I was waiting for his attack anytime and I thought he was gonna pass me on the finish line.”
The Portuguese rider’s tactical acumen proved decisive. By taking the lead early and never relinquishing it, he forced Vingegaard into the role of pursuer on a climb where maintaining momentum is everything. The Dane, despite his obvious strength, could never quite summon the acceleration needed to come around his rival.
“I would have loved to win today,” Vingegaard admitted. “But to be honest, I think João deserved the win today. He was super strong. I did what I could. He deserves the win but of course I’m a bit disappointed that I couldn’t win here.”
Behind the leading duo, Jai Hindley claimed the final podium spot at 28 seconds, ahead of Sepp Kuss at 30 seconds. The day’s racing had crystallized the battle for overall victory into a two-man affair, with Tom Pidcock now trailing by 2’18” in third place overall.
Stage 13 Results
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | 4:54:15 |
| 2 | Jonas Vingegaard | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:00 |
| 3 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +0:28 |
| 4 | Sepp Kuss | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:30 |
| 5 | Felix Gall | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +0:52 |
| 6 | Giulio Pellizzari | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +1:11 |
| 7 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +1:16 |
| 8 | Matthew Riccitello | Israel-Premier Tech | +1:16 |
| 9 | Giulio Ciccone | Lidl-Trek | +2:15 |
| 10 | Arthur Balderstone Roumens | Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | +3:06 |
General Classification after Stage 13
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 49:30:54 |
| 2 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +0:46 |
| 3 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +2:18 |
| 4 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +3:00 |
| 5 | Felix Gall | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +3:15 |
| 6 | Giulio Pellizzari | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +4:01 |
| 7 | Matthew Riccitello | Israel-Premier Tech | +4:33 |
| 8 | Giulio Ciccone | Lidl-Trek | +4:54 |
| 9 | Torstein Træen | Bahrain Victorious | +5:21 |
| 10 | Sepp Kuss | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +5:26 |
Jersey Holders after Stage 13:
- Red Jersey (La Roja) – Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Green Jersey – Points: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Blue and White Polka-dot Jersey – King of the Mountains: Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- White Jersey – Best Young Rider: Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Stage 14: Soler’s Revenge at La Farrapona Pursues UAE’s Streak
Avilés > La Farrapona. Lagos de Somiedo, 135.9km with 3,805m of elevation (September 4, 2025)
The day after L’Angliru, Marc Soler delivered the perfect riposte for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, claiming his fourth La Vuelta stage victory with a performance that showcased both tactical intelligence and pure attacking flair. On La Farrapona – where he had finished second to David Gaudu in 2020 – the Spanish climber finally claimed his revenge while extending his team’s extraordinary winning streak to seven victories from fourteen stages.
The short but brutal 135.9-kilometer stage from Avilés packed 3,805 meters of elevation into its compact frame, featuring the imposing Alto del Tenebreo and Puertu de San Llaurenziu before the summit finish. Jonas Rickaert provided the opening salvo from kilometer zero, though his early optimism lasted only twelve kilometers before being reeled in by a peloton already sensing the day’s potential.
The eventual 24-man breakaway formed after twenty kilometers of fierce racing, featuring Soler alongside Victor Campenaerts, Carlos Verona, Jefferson Cepeda, James Shaw, and Kevin Vermaerke. Campenaerts’ mechanical setback provided early drama, though the Belgian’s determination saw him regain contact at kilometer 57, accompanied by Gijs Leemreize and later Xabier Mikel Azparren.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s tactical mastery became evident on the Puertu de San Llaurenziu, where Ivo Oliveira, Domen Novak, and Juan Ayuso drove a devastating pace that reduced the breakaway’s advantage from six minutes to 3’20”. James Shaw crested the 10.1-kilometer climb first, but the writing was already on the wall for the escapees.
Soler’s acceleration with sixteen kilometers remaining proved irresistible. Johannes Staune-Mittet attempted to bridge, but the Spaniard’s intimate knowledge of these roads – gained during his 2020 runner-up finish – provided the decisive advantage. His solo effort carved out an insurmountable lead despite Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe’s late acceleration and Jai Hindley’s final-kilometer attack.
“It’s an unexpected day, but I’m very happy,” Soler reflected. “I wasn’t planning on joining the breakaway. The plan was different, but I followed Campenaerts, who joined the breakaway, and once there, I knew how to play my cards right. I climbed [Puertu San Llaurenziu] on the wheels, and then I knew the valley from the last time. It’s a very tough valley, and when you open up a gap, you can make it.”
Behind Soler’s triumph, the GC battle continued its inexorable development. Vingegaard and Almeida crossed the line together, 39 seconds behind, with the Dane gaining two precious seconds on his Portuguese rival. Their mutual respect was evident, but so too was their growing isolation at the summit of the general classification.
Stage 14 Results
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Soler | UAE Team Emirates XRG | 3:48:22 |
| 2 | Jonas Vingegaard | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:39 |
| 3 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +0:39 |
| 4 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +0:43 |
| 5 | Felix Gall | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +0:48 |
| 6 | Giulio Pellizzari | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +0:53 |
| 7 | Matthew Riccitello | Israel-Premier Tech | +0:53 |
| 8 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +0:53 |
| 9 | Sepp Kuss | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:53 |
| 10 | Xavier Pickering | Bahrain Victorious | +1:25 |
General Classification after Stage 14
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 53:19:49 |
| 2 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +0:48 |
| 3 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +2:38 |
| 4 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +3:10 |
| 5 | Felix Gall | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +3:30 |
| 6 | Giulio Pellizzari | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +4:21 |
| 7 | Matthew Riccitello | Israel-Premier Tech | +4:53 |
| 8 | Sepp Kuss | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +5:46 |
| 9 | Torstein Træen | Bahrain Victorious | +6:33 |
| 10 | Matteo Jorgenson | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +8:52 |
Jersey Holders after Stage 14:
- Red Jersey (La Roja) – Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Green Jersey – Points: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Blue and White Polka-dot Jersey – King of the Mountains: Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- White Jersey – Best Young Rider: Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Stage 15: The Pedersen Way
A Veiga/Vegadeo > Monforte de Lemos, Rolling stage on the eve of the second rest day (September 5, 2025)
Mads Pedersen finally broke through for his long-awaited stage victory, delivering a masterclass in breakaway management that showcased both individual brilliance and perfect team coordination. The Danish champion’s triumph in Monforte de Lemos came from a massive 47-rider group and marked the end of Lidl-Trek’s frustrating drought – nine top-three finishes without a win until their star sprinter took matters into his own hands.
The rolling terrain from A Veiga/Vegadeo provided the perfect stage for opportunistic racing, and attackers seized the initiative immediately. Jakub Otruba’s early move opened proceedings, rapidly building a minute’s advantage before the inevitable chase and counterattack sequence that would eventually spawn one of the largest breakaways in recent Grand Tour memory.
Pedersen’s presence in the break was no accident. Accompanied by four Lidl-Trek teammates – Julien Bernard, Giulio Ciccone, Henok Ghebreigzabhier, and Carlos Verona – the Danish squad had clearly identified this stage as their opportunity. Their numerical advantage would prove decisive in the complex tactical chess match that followed.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s interests were represented by Jay Vine and Ivo Oliveira, the Australian climber seeking additional King of the Mountains points while his Portuguese teammate aimed to extend the team’s remarkable winning sequence. The breakaway’s quality was undeniable: Orluis Aular, Nico Denz, Magnus Sheffield, Egan Bernal, Michał Kwiatkowski, Sean Quinn, Stefan Küng, Eddie Dunbar, and Kevin Vermaerke all featured prominently.
Junior Lecerf’s presence as the best-placed rider on general classification at 18’57” behind Vingegaard added an intriguing subplot, particularly with Giulio Ciccone and Egan Bernal also featuring prominently in the overall standings.
The day’s drama crystallized when Vine and Louis Vervaeke escaped the main breakaway after the Alto de Barbeitos, building a three-minute advantage that seemed insurmountable. Their cooperation was exemplary, each rider contributing equally to maintain their gap as the chase group splintered behind them.
Pedersen’s moment came with 32 kilometers remaining when an uphill section shattered the pursuing group. The Dane led the counterattack alongside Santiago Buitrago and Bernal, drawing in Aular, Sheffield, Dunbar, and Marco Frigo. Their combined firepower bridged to the leading duo with seven kilometers remaining, setting up a sprint finish that played perfectly to Pedersen’s strengths.
The finale was textbook Pedersen. When Frigo opened the sprint with 800 meters remaining, the Dane calmly marked the move before timing his acceleration perfectly after the final corner. Sheffield’s crash in the turn eliminated one potential threat, but Pedersen’s superior speed would have prevailed regardless.
“I have to say it makes the victory even sweeter, the way the team rode today,” Pedersen reflected afterward. “Everyone knew our plan, everyone was looking at us, and still we succeed… Absolutely incredible. When Frigo went with 7-800 metres to go, that was perfect. It was kind of a lead-out. I closed him slowly, and then after the corner it was 220 metres to go, so it was time to open the sprint.”
The peloton, led by Bahrain Victorious in their attempt to limit Lecerf’s time gains, finished 13’31” behind. The gap was significant enough to promote Lecerf to ninth overall, just seconds behind Sepp Kuss and adding another layer of intrigue to the overall classification heading into the final week.
Stage 15 Results
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mads Pedersen | Lidl-Trek | 4:02:13 |
| 2 | Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria | Movistar Team | +0:00 |
| 3 | Marco Frigo | Israel-Premier Tech | +0:00 |
| 4 | Santiago Buitrago | Bahrain Victorious | +0:00 |
| 5 | Eddie Dunbar | Team Jayco AlUla | +0:00 |
| 6 | Egan Bernal | INEOS Grenadiers | +0:00 |
| 7 | Louis Vervaeke | Soudal Quick-Step | +0:00 |
| 8 | Jay Vine | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +0:08 |
| 9 | Magnus Sheffield | INEOS Grenadiers | +0:00 |
| 10 | Alec Segaert | Lotto | +0:23 |
General Classification after Stage 15
| Place | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 57:35:33 |
| 2 | João Almeida | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +0:48 |
| 3 | Tom Pidcock | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +2:38 |
| 4 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +3:10 |
| 5 | Felix Gall | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | +3:30 |
| 6 | Giulio Pellizzari | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +4:21 |
| 7 | Matthew Riccitello | Israel-Premier Tech | +4:53 |
| 8 | Sepp Kuss | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +5:46 |
| 9 | Jan Christen Lecerf | Soudal Quick-Step | +5:49 |
| 10 | Torstein Træen | Bahrain Victorious | +6:33 |
Jersey Holders after Stage 15:
- Red Jersey (La Roja) – Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Green Jersey – Points: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
- Blue and White Polka-dot Jersey – King of the Mountains: Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- White Jersey – Best Young Rider: Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
The Second Rest Day Reckoning
As the peloton rolled into their second rest day, the landscape of La Vuelta a España 2025 had been fundamentally transformed. UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s unprecedented dominance – seven stage victories from fifteen contested – represented the best performance by any team in a single edition of the Spanish Grand Tour this century, surpassing Quick-Step Floors’ six victories in 2017.
Yet statistics only tell part of the story. The real narrative lies in the emergence of a two-horse race for overall victory, with Vingegaard maintaining his slender 48-second advantage over Almeida heading into the final week. Behind them, the hierarchy has crystallized: Pidcock holds third at 2’38”, while Hindley has moved into genuine podium contention at 3’10”, benefiting from the late-stage heroics that have characterized Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe’s approach.
Pedersen’s breakthrough victory not only secured the green jersey but also demonstrated that opportunities still exist for those willing to seize them. His tactical patience and team coordination provided a masterclass in breakaway management, while Vine’s continued pursuit of polka-dot glory added another layer to UAE’s multi-pronged assault on the race.
The numbers speak to an extraordinary level of competition: five different stage winners across six stages, ranging from Vine’s climbing mastery to Soler’s opportunistic brilliance to Pedersen’s sprint supremacy. Yet beneath this diversity lies a singular truth – in the crucible of Spain’s most demanding climbs, only two men have proven capable of matching each other stride for stride.
The final week awaits, and with it, the resolution of one of the most compelling Grand Tour duels in recent memory. In the land where legends are forged, Vingegaard and Almeida have emerged from the crucible of the high mountains ready to write the final chapter of La Vuelta a España 2025. The question is no longer who will win, but which of these two exceptional athletes can find that extra margin when it matters most on the roads to Madrid.
