DISCUSSION Vuelta a España Stage 9 | Are UAE's domestiques not working for Joao Almeida?

The ninth stage of the Vuelta a España took place right before the first rest day of this edition, featuring a mostly flat route that ended in a summit finish.

The breakaway formation was highly disputed, and more than 50km were needed in order to establish it. Five men went clear: Michal Kwiatkowski, Archie Ryan, Michel Hessmann, Liam Slock, and Kevin Vermaerke. The peloton, however, did not want to allow the third victory of the breakaway in the last four days, keeping them always close.

It was Lidl – Trek and Q36.5 the teams taking the responsibility to do that job, as they believed Giulio Ciccone and Tom Pidcock had great chances to fight for the stage. Under the heavy rain, they slowly but steadily reduced the difference, catching the five men in front a few kilometers before the start of the final and only climb of the day: Valdezcaray (13.3km at 5.2%).

It was Lidl – Trek setting the pace in the first slopes, but Visma quickly attacked. Matteo Jorgenson launched Jonas Vingegaard, catching everyone off guard except for Giulio Ciccone. Vingegaard and Ciccone went clear until the Italian had to put the foot off the gas, leaving the Dane alone in front.

Almeida, Pidcock and Gall were the three strongest men behind, trying to close the gap with Vingegaard but falling short. Jonas flew away and got his second stage win of this edition, with Pidcock and Almeida completing the podium but arriving 24 seconds behind. Torstein Traeen lost 1:46, arriving with the rest of the GC contenders and saving the red jersey.

Once the stage finished, we asked some of our writers to share their thoughts and main takeaways about what happened today.

Quite a surprising outcome I should say, I had no expectations of GC action on this stage but was thoroughly proved wrong. Did Visma plan this from the start? I wouldn't bet on it, but with Lidl-Trek volunteering to chase down a breakaway for little reason, then they took the opportunity.

No-one has a team to match Visma here and they timed their attack very well, truly surprising. Vingegaard had the legs and dropped the one rider with the explosivity to follow him, and because he got the gap he could hold off João Almeida who was the second strongest on the day. The climb's small gradient towards its second half meant we've had very interesting dynamics in several groups, an unusual scenario, quite an entertaining finale with some surprise names as well taken advantage of the chaos and different responsibilities.

Vingegaard took big time on the rest except for Almeida but didn't go into the lead, so it's perfect for the team. Almeida confirmed his status as the one man who can battle him. Tom Pidcock put in a great climbing performance, exactly on the type of day that suits him well - and that he often finds at the Vuelta. Behind, Giulio Ciccone's high hopes will have faded, whilst I also struggle to reason with the lack of men around Torstein Traeen on a final climb where Antonio Tiberi or Santiago Buitrago were expected.

Jonas Vingegaard's first smash in this Vuelta a España 2025. The Dane arrived as a huge favorite and wants his third grand tour and first Vuelta. The Lidl - Trek was pulling all day for Mads Pedersen or Giulio Ciccone and finished far from the victory.

The difference between Vingegaard and Almeida is even better than the one between Almeida and the rest, so we could already have the 1st and 2nd of this Vuelta. The third in discord has proven to be Felix Gall, although we have to see if he is able to maintain the level. He has accustomed us to be better in the third weeks than in the first, which is a very good sign for him.

Very good also Tom Pidcock holding Almeida until the end and to value positively the performance of Raul Garcia Pierna, Marc Soler and Markel Beloki on the Spanish side, who gave an exceptional level.

Jonas Vingegaard’s stage win was a powerful reminder of his Grand Tour pedigree. On the summit finish at Valdezcaray, the Dane surged clear, leaving Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock chasing in vain.

For Almeida, finishing third carries mixed emotions. He limited his losses with a controlled climb and showed resilience in matching Vingegaard’s pace for much of the ascent. Yet when the decisive acceleration came, he could not close the final gap. The Portuguese leader, however, remains firmly in the hunt, proving he has the consistency and patience to stretch this battle deep into the third week. He can only hope UAE's team jumps on board on that idea.

As the Vuelta heads into its first rest day, the dynamic is clear: Vingegaard has seized momentum, but Almeida is still close enough to keep the pressure on. Pidcock’s podium finish confirms his steady rise, but the red jersey fight looks increasingly like a head-to-head between the Dane and the Portuguese which was predicted by all our co-workers anyway. With two weeks of brutal climbing still ahead, the showdown is only just beginning. But Vingegaard looks strong. Very strong.

There's nothing like seeing Vingegaard attack at the start of the climb and seeing the ‘best team in the world’ with no one supporting their leader. Congratulations Matxin, today your team lost the most important stage of the race so far, because you and your strategies are formidable. Thinking that Vingegaard would only attack on Angliru... wasn't your biggest mistake. Because you've made countless mistakes over the years.

Visma used their numbers and strength to drop Almeida and company, and they did it brilliantly. Ayuso and Vine were fantastic in chasing down the Danish cyclist and gave it their all until the finish line. There, Tom Pidcock beat the three UAE men and secured a fabulous climb in the overall classification, something he had never achieved in all his years riding for INEOS.

I was expecting the breakaway to emerge victorious today once again while the GC guys delighted us with another snoozefest, but to my surprise the outcome was completely different. Lidl – Trek and Q36.5 decided that today was not the day for the break and Jonas Vingegaard took advantage of that, with a thermonuclear attack from far that only Ciccone could follow, although he got completely cooked after a couple of kilometres.

Apparently that attack was not premeditated, but it was Jonas who had the legs and suddenly decided he wanted to go for it. I really appreciate that because it exploded the race and made it much more interesting to watch. The final outcome was looking like a final sprint and nothing else if he hadn’t attacked.

UAE’s tactics were disastrous once again. Joao Almeida only had one teammate to work for him after Vingegaard was gone, which was Jay Vine. After he was done, he had to go by himself. Where was Juan Ayuso you may ask? Losing contact with peloton right after the ascent commenced to save his legs for another day. That is how one of the best climbers in the race, who won in astounding fashion just two days ago, is trying to help his teammate. Doing absolutely nothing when he is needed the most.

Almeida already said in a post-race interview he lacked team support in the end. I don’t think he should be surprised, it’s not the first time happening and it won’t be the last most likely. Marc Soler didn't relay a single time despite being there... I already said whatever Almeida achieves will be despite the team and not thanks to it, and today I reaffirm that.

Special mention to Tom Pidcock and Felix Gall, they were the best amongst the rest of the GC contenders. With Gaudu, Tiberi and Ayuso having lost more than 35 minutes in the GC, I think he has solid chances for a top 10. Let’s see how higher he can aim to. And about Torstein Traeen, what a Vuelta he is riding. He was in trouble during the first half of the ascent but managed to recover and catch the Ciccone group, saving the red jersey once again. Next day will be similar to today and he is 37 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, will he be able to keep it?