The 7 Key stages of a Vintage Vuelta ideal for Tadej Pogacar in 2025
The 80th edition of Spanish Grand Tour features an Italian start, a stage in France and Andorra, a team time trial and ten summit finishes
The Spanish Grand Tour, celebrates 90 years since it was first launched in 1935. It gets underway with three full stages in Italy’s Piedmont region, marking the first time the race has ever started in Italy. From there, the race will head west into France for a day, and then riders will fly to the Iberian Peninsula for a Team Time Trial.
The 2025 Vuelta a España route looks tailor-made for the participation of Tadej Pogacar with 10 summit finishes, an ascent of the mythical Angliru and a long, late individual time trial, that attract the UAE Team Emirates champion and his team.
Primož Roglic won't be attending, he has his sights set on the Giro / Tour double next season. Chris Froome has set his sights on retiring at the 2025 Vuelta a Espana.
Tadej Pogacar will race a number of classics, the Tour de France and either the Giro d'Italia or Vuelta, but this Vuelta looks tailor made for him and his team's strengths. If he foregoes the Giro (May 9-June 1) in favour of the Vuelta (August 23-September 14), the Slovenian will take part in the Criterium du Dauphine (June 8-15) in preparation for the Tour de France.
The 2025 La Vuelta a España will take place from Saturday, 23 August 2025 to Sunday, 14 September 2025.
Stage 5 - Team Time Trial
After three stages in Italy and a medium mountain stage that climbs the long and usually baking hot Col du Lautaret in France, the peloton catches planes to the Iberian coast for the Team Time Trial.
This wil suit UAE and Visma down to the ground and will be a reall opportunity to take time from their rivals. No categorized climbs, but the uphill finish could cause some trouble to get the first five riders across the line.
The 20km course won't give any respite for those fighting for the general classification.
Stage 6 - to summit finish atop Pal in Andorra
The first proper mountain stage of the race, the opening climbs of Collada de Santigosa and Collda de Tosses will likely see a break get away before entering Andorra and climbing the Alto de la Comella.
We should see which teams are able to control the race with the final climb to Pal. We could see the first differences in the mountains between the GC favourites.
Stage 13 - to summit finish atop the Alto de l’Angliru
No doubt the hardest stage, the race will arrive at the famous Alto de l’Angliru on stage 13 after almost 200km and a climb of the La Mozqueta and Cordal, both first category beforehand. This a one really brutually tough stage.
They face the final climb up brutal 24% gradients over 12.9 km long, and an 9.6% average slope Altu de L'Angliru. If any GC favorite has a bad day, then they can say goodbye to La Vuelta!
This stage comes after a week and half of racing, whatever you are doing with your life, make sure you put this stage in your diary!
Stage 14 - to summit finish atop Lagos de Somiedo
If stage 13 was bad, the next day the peloton will face the brutal one-two punch of Cat 1 climbs that hit, before the final summit finish.
A short and hard stage in Asturian territory. It will be a day where the breakaway will contain good climbers with a bit of a margin in the general classification. The climb to the Alto de San Lorenzo will add to the difficulty before the final climb up the Farrapona, where the favourites will be able to measure their form against their rivals.
Expect time gaps after this stage -- if they haven't already emerged!
Stage 17 - to summit finish atop the Alto de Ponferrada
The next big GC day is likely to come on stage 17 when the Vuelta climbs into the mountains around Ponferrada, which hosted the Road World Championships back in 2014.
A winding stage on the border between Galicia and León, it will be a good day for another breakaway where good climbers behind on GC can try and take back time.
The GC favorite teams like Visma and UAE Team Emriates will be on the back foot, trying to keep any breakaway in check.
Stage 18 - Individual Time Trial around Valladolid
The 26 km Individual time trial has a small climb at the begining, but apart from that it is a not very complicated, and at a technical level, runs mostly, on wide flat avenues. GC favorites who can time trial can open up, or take back time on their rivals as we edge closer to Madrid.
Stage 20 summit finish to Puerto de Navacerrada
The last mountain stage with practically no flat, stage 20 will pass historic climbs such as the Alto del León.
The breakaway will attack on the first climb of the day, the Escondida, to try and break any chase from the peloton, and let them contest victory.
The Puerto de Navacerrada pass will be the climbed twice, once from the Segovian side (seven revolts) and then again from Becerril de la Sierra.
The second climb of the Puerto de Navacerrada is also the highest point in the race, at 2,258 meters above sea level.
We will know who our winner is after this epic penultimate stage, before the procession and final sprint on the streets of Madrid.
2025 La Vuelta Stage Map
