Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) all but sealed his overall triumph in Madrid as he powered to victory on the gruelling slopes of Bola del Mundo, the penultimate stage of La Vuelta 25. The Danish climber fended off aggressive racing from UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and then put the hammer down with 1.2 km to go on the steepest gradients of the final climb of the Spanish Grand Tour. His lieutenant Sepp Kuss came 2nd on his 31st birthday, highlighting Visma-Lease a Bike’s dominance, while Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) took 3rd but couldn’t push Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) off the overall podium. Already a two-time Tour de France winner, Vingegaard now has five La Vuelta stage wins and is set to become the first Dane to win the event, ahead of Portugal’s Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
It’s time for the final mountain showdown of La Vuelta 25! On the eve of the arrival in Madrid, the riders face the stage with most elevation - 4,226m - to reach the highest summit of this edition: the mighty Bola del Mundo, at 2,251 metres of altitude, with a brutal three final kilometres.
A strong break closely watched by the bunch
The start is uphill as well, on the slopes up the Alto de la Escondida. Ineos Grenadiers want to force a strong move. Filippo Ganna is the first attacker of the day, followed by Egan Bernal. The likes of Michal Kwiatkowski, Bob Jungels and Brandon Rivera also get in the mix… A 37-man breakaway eventually goes clear on the second ascent of the day, Alto de Parpadilla.
Bernal is up there, with Jungels and Rivera. There are four riders from Lidl-Trek, with the local hero Carlos Verona on his home roads, alongside Mads Pedersen, Giulio Ciccone and Julien Bernard. Fierce attackers like Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla) and Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step) made the break as well. But the peloton don’t give them much leeway.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe collaborate to maintain the gap under 2 minutes. The breakaway conquers the Alto del Leon (km 59) and explodes on the Alto de Navacerrada, crested in first position by Jardi van der Lee (EF Education-EasyPost).
Almeida and Hindley try, Vingegaard takes off
At the bottom of the final climb (12.3 km at 8.6%, with gradients up to 20%), the Dutch attacker is with Bernal, Landa, and Ciccone, a minute ahead of the bunch. Ciccone and Landa rapidly isolate themselves at the front while UAE Team Emirates-XRG up the ante in the GC group.
The two leaders are caught 3 kilometres before the summit, as they hit the steepest gradients of the ascent. Jay Vine steps aside, Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) sets the pace. Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) accelerates with 2.5 km to go. He’s followed by Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike), Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5).
Vingegaard sets off 1.2 km away from the line and takes vicotry 11’’ ahead of Kuss, on his 31st birthday. Hindley rounds the podium on the day (+13’’), ahead of Pidcock (+18’’), who retains 3rd place in the overall standings.
