The 2025 Vuelta a España route seems to be tailored for a doable participation of Tadej Pogačar with 10 summit finishes, an ascent of the legendary Angliru and a protracted, late particular person time trial, all parts that might appeal to the UAE Workforce Emirates champion.
Revealed on Thursday night in Madrid’s IFEMA commerce and congress centre, the 2025 Vuelta a España additionally kicks off for the primary time in Italy and – virtually equally as uncommon – encompasses a staff time trial halfway by way of the primary week.
However as so usually occurs with the Vuelta, the GC battle will start in earnest as soon as the race hits the excessive mountains. The general contenders face crunch uphill challenges as quickly as stage 6 to the class 1 end at Pal in Andorra, though the race’s emotional and climbing highpoint will probably come on stage 13, with the summit end of the legendary Angliru.
But extra historic components characteristic within the 2025 route, like stage 18’s particular person time trial in Valladolid, a metropolis steeped in Vuelta time trial historical past and with victories in opposition to the clock by champions of the calibre of Tony Rominger, Bernard Hinault and Raymond Poulidor. And the inclusion of one other massively emblematic summit end, the Bola del Mundo, simply 24 hours earlier than the end in Madrid, might additionally assist Pogačar go for the Vuelta a España over a return to the Giro d’Italia subsequent season.
Placing a markedly worldwide observe for its eightieth version, the Vuelta visits a record-equalling 4 international locations in 2025, getting underway in Turin, Italy on August 23, earlier than going to France, Andorra and, in fact, Spain. The Vuelta has not visited so many international locations since 2009, when the race started in Assen, Holland, then briefly visited Germany on stage 3 and Belgium on stage 4 earlier than returning to residence soil.
Italy’s opening collection of 4 flat and hilly levels subsequent August, although, is not going to doubtless produce main variations between the principle contenders. And even after a switch again by way of France, the flat 20-kilometre staff time trial in Figueres on stage 5, whereas a agency fan favorite, will arguably not open up massive GC gaps, both.
Nevertheless, a primary main summit end at Pal in Andorra on stage 6, a fair harder Pyrenean stage to Cerler the next day, and one other well-known Vuelta summit end at Valdezcaray on stage 9 might nicely show far more vital long run. Then the second week kicks off with a bang, too, with a return to Larra-Belagua within the Pyrenees, the scene of Remco Evenepoel’s revenge victory within the 2023 Vuelta after his defeat on the Tourmalet simply 24 hours earlier.
Each the hilly stage 11 round Bilbao and the class 1 ascent late on the stage to Corrales de Buelna the next day, might see extra GC motion. However it’s the Angliru, again on the menu for the third time in 5 years on stage 13, which is able to probably be the climbing star of the Vuelta present subsequent summer time.
First launched in 1999, ever since then the 12.5 kilometre, slim, poorly-surfaced and agonisingly steep ascent has produced some epic GC battles. For Pogačar, profitable on the tenth ascent of the Vuelta’s best-known and most daunting climb – and the place his idol Alberto Contador introduced down the curtain on his profession with a shocking solo win in 2017 – would certainly signify yet one more main excessive level in his already glittering palmares.
Relatively than the Angliru offering a definitive GC hierarchy, although, there’s loads extra in retailer within the Vuelta’s final eight levels. Onerous on the heels of the Angliru, the 2025 Vuelta peloton will ascend the close by Alto de Farrapona on stage 14 – the place Alberto Contador delivered yet one more physique blow to Chris Froome’s hopes of victory in 2014.
Albeit on radically totally different terrain, Valladolid’s flat 26-kilometre time trial throughout the uncovered plains of northern Spain on stage 18 will even give the GC chief one other necessary setpiece alternative to stretch out his general benefit.
Final however not least, the Bola del Mundo on stage 20, an ascent that includes ramps of as much as 20% on cement trackways and peaking out at over 2,200 metres above sea degree, will present the final main, problem for whoever is main the Vuelta.
The Vuelta then switches again to its roots once more on stage 21, with a largely ceremonial trip by way of the streets of the capital metropolis, doubtless culminating in a bunch dash, and maybe Pogačar first-ever general victory in Spain’s Grand Tour.
