The 184 riders gearing up for La Vuelta 25, including 18 Italians, introduced themselves to the Piedmont crowds at the team presentation held in the heart of Turin, two days ahead of a historic start. Jonas Vingegaard laid out his ambitions and highlighted Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida as his biggest rivals for La Roja. “If there’s one favourite, that’s him, but we’re not afraid”, the Portuguese star replied. Elite climbers such as Giulio Ciccone, Mikel Landa and Valentin Paret-Peintre also want to take advantage of the many ascents on the route of La Vuelta 25.
VINGEGAARD: “JUST HAPPY TO GO FOR THE WIN”
Jonas Vingegaard hopes his third time at La Vuelta will be the charm. “I’ve always enjoyed racing in Spain and I’m really looking forward to this race”, the Danish leader of Visma-Lease a Bike said on Thursday, as he gears up to clear the final step separating him from victory in the Spanish Grand Tour: “I’m a favourite, so there’s pressure, but I’m just happy to be here and to go for the win.”
La Vuelta was Vingegaard’s first Grand Tour, in 2020, and he played a crucial role alongside Primoz Roglic, winner of that edition. Three years later, he finished 2nd, between two teammates, Sepp Kuss (winner) and Roglic (3rd). “I got sick at the beginning of La Vuelta”, he recalls. “Then, I got better and returned to my normal level, so hopefully this year I won’t get sick and I can be there from the start.”
After finishing 2nd of the Tour de France, Vingegaard prepared for La Vuelta at home in Annecy, France. “I had good time with my family and also had a good training period, with the best preparation I could have. I feel the shape is good.” With Tadej Pogacar absent (the only rider who finished ahead of him in a stage race since Kuss did so at La Vuelta 23), he still highlights UAE Team Emirates-XRG when asked about his biggest rivals: “Ayuso and Almeida are the guys you have to really think about, also because they can play two cards, so they have a very strong team.”
ALMEIDA AND AYUSO ARE “NOT AFRAID”
After a year away, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) returns to the Grand Tour that launched him to stardom with his 3rd place finish in 2022 at just 19 years old, before finishing 4th in 2023. "It's the first year I do two grand Tours and in a slightly different situation, because I'm here after Tadej (Pogacar) is out. The initial goal was to be at the World Championships, but they called me to come here and the preparation has been accelerated”, the Spaniard said as he sides with Portugal's Joao Almeida. “I've only had two days of competition since the Giro and my condition is a bit of an unknown. I'll try to do well in the general classification, and if I'm not there yet, I'll try to help Joao win La Vuelta.”
Like Ayuso, the Portuguese rider discovered La Vuelta three years ago, but he has yet to finish on the podium (4th in 2022, 9th in 2023, DNF due to Covid-19 last year). Another thing he has in common with Ayuso is that he also abandoned after a crash in his only Grand Tour in 2025, the Tour de France. With a broken rib, injured fingers and burns, he spent 11 days off the bike before resuming training. “I’m feeling good, but you can't be sure until you start the race”, says the winner of Itzulia Basque Country, Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse.
To add La Vuelta to his list of achievements, he will notably have to get the better of Vingegaard. “We have a strong team, eight good riders. With two of us, it's easier because we can play two cards and put pressure on Visma. But to win, you need to have the best legs”, continued the Portuguese rider. "If there's a favourite, I think it's him [Vingegaard]. But we're here, we're not afraid, we're going to keep our legs turning and may the best man win.”
CICCONE: “I WANT TO MAKE THE MOST OF MY SHAPE”
Giulio Ciccone had yet another frustrating Grand Tour experience, earlier this year, when he crashed out of the Giro d’Italia, but Spain has been treating him very nicely lately. A recent winner of the Clasica San Sebastián and the queen stage of the Vuelta a Burgos, the Italian climber is upbeat ahead of his third participation in La Vuelta, starting from his homeland: “It’s always beautiful to start a Grand Tour in my country. We’re at La Vuelta, and soon we’ll be out of Italy, but it’s a beautiful feeling being at home. For sure, there will be tension in the first few days, as always at the start of a Grand Tour. It’s a lively course.”
“It can be a great opportunity to do a strong GC, especially because of my shape, but my ambition is just to be competitive day in and day out”, Ciccone added. “I want to win, I want to make the most of my shape. The climbers’ jersey is a big goal for me, as well as winning stages, and then we’ll see where the road puts us when it comes to the GC. I had a good recovery after the crash at the Giro, I trained a lot in altitude and that’s it. It’s a good shape but I didn’t do anything different.”
Italian roads will rapidly give him a chance to see where he stands and shine, either personally, or alongside Mads Pedersen, with whom Ciccone shares the leadership at Lidl-Trek: “I’ve never done the final climb [to Limone Piemonte] but I’ve seen the profile. Anyway, it’s good for us. If it’s super hard and we arrive with a small group of climbers, I can try to win. And if it’s a bigger group, it will be good for Mads.”
LANDA AND VPP GO STAGE HUNTING
At 35 years of age, Mikel Landa (T-Rex Quick-Step) faces his ninth participation in La Vuelta in 2025 after a season marked by his premature withdrawal from the Giro d'Italia. "I'm approaching La Vuelta with uncertainty, but without any expectations. I'd love to win a stage, that would be my most realistic goal, but even that seems difficult. I'll take it day by day," says the charismatic climber from Álava, one of the most veteran riders in the peloton, who returned to competition in the Vuelta a Burgos. To be in contention for stage wins, which he says “are in the team's DNA”, he is clear about the path ahead: "I know I have to lose time in the overall standings, because if I'm 5 minutes behind, they won't let me go. From the second week onwards, the stages that finish uphill could suit me well,” he says, ten years after his memorable victory on the Andorran summit of Cortals d'Encamp.
His teammate Valentin Paret-Peintre is also keen to add a La Vuelta stage to his winning record. This would make him the 115th winner of the three Grand Tours, after conquering the slopes of Bocca della Selva (Giro 2024) and Mont Ventoux (Tour 2025). "I love La Vuelta”, the lightweight climber says. “The routes are difficult, so I'm not going to complain! These eleven summit finishes open up a lot of opportunities to play for stages, with breakaways that might go all the way. It's perfect for me. The goal is to win here to have done it in all three Grand Tours, that's what really motivates me. Every day that suits me, I'll give it a go.”
PLENITUDE POWERS LA VUELTA 25
Plenitude will be a main sponsor of La Vuelta 25 for the fourth consecutive year, reinforcing its position as one of the key partners of the event. The company will also once again be the official Energy Partner of the event, enabling the recharging of electric vehicles used by the organisers and the staff throughout the competition.
Plenitude will continue to sponsor the white jersey of the leader of the youth classification. Since its first appearance in La Vuelta in 2019, it has been worn by some of cycling's biggest names, including Denmark's Mattias Skjelmose in 2024 and Spain's Juan Ayuso in 2023. The jersey represents a new chapter in the careers of young cyclists and reflects Plenitude's commitment to the next generation. This sponsorship also reaffirms Plenitude's values: commitment, dedication, perseverance and passion.
Oscar Freire, three-time world road cycling champion and winner of seven stages of La Vuelta, will once again be Plenitude's ambassador during the 2025 edition.
