Ambitious Cofidis head to 2025 Vuelta a Espana with stage wins in mind through Coquard, Buchmann & pair of British riders

Cofidis have confirmed their eight-man lineup for the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, with the French team heading into the final Grand Tour of the year focused firmly on stage victories rather than the overall classification.

The Vuelta, which begins this Saturday with an historic start in Turin, features a demanding 3,151km route that immediately tilts towards the climbers. Two mountainous days arrive before the first week is out, while the first flat finish does not appear until stage 10 — meaning sprinters will need both patience and resilience to reach their opportunities.

Cofidis arrive with a roster designed to cover a wide range of scenarios. Veteran sprinter Bryan Coquard and Polish fast man Stanislaw Aniolkowski will be the spearheads for the reduced number of sprint finishes, with both eyeing a long-awaited Grand Tour stage win.

In the mountains, Spanish stalwart Jesús Herrada — already a three-time Vuelta stage winner (2019, 2022, 2023) — will once again be a central figure. He is joined by Briton Simon Carr, whose aggressive climbing style makes him a natural fit for breakaway opportunities, and former Tour de France stage winner Emanuel Buchmann, who will look to test himself against the race’s GC contenders on the toughest days.

Support and opportunistic depth comes from Oliver Knight, fresh off a stage victory at the Tour de Wallonie, experienced rouleur Paul Ourselin, and Spanish climber Sergio Samitier.

The team arrive at the Vuelta with strong recent form. Alongside Knight’s Wallonie success, Clément Izquierdo also claimed victory at the same race, while Alex Aranburu has kept the momentum rolling with top finishes at Getxo and the Circuit Franco-Belge.

That blend of confidence and opportunity has Cofidis targeting multiple stage wins across the three weeks. Whether in reduced bunch sprints, high-mountain breakaways, or opportunistic raids, the team appear determined to make their mark once again in their most symbolic Grand Tour.

Stanislaw Aniolkowski
Emanuel Buchmann
Simon Carr
Bryan Coquard
Jesús Herrada
Oliver Knight
Paul Ourselin
Sergio Samitier