Experts analyze whether Juan Ayuso or Joao Almeida can win Vuelta: "It would be great if they took turns attacking Vingegaard"

Can anyone take on Jonas Vingegaard at the 2025 Vuelta a Espana and prevent the expected outcome of the race? For the most part, it seems that the Dane's greatest challenge will be to find motivation to perform consistently over the three weeks. Then there should be no obstacles. Unless Vingegaard has an off day or another competitor rises up to compete at a similar level, the Spanish Grand Tour could see a relatively boring GC battle.

"I'd like to see a bit more competition," begins Jan Hermsen in Kop Over Kop podcast. "But I don't really believe in it. It's a bit like hoping against hope. There's little chance it will be a battle for the general classification."

Jeroen Vanbelleghem also sees Vingegaard as the favorite. "That's not difficult to say, but the Vuelta a España remains a strange Grand Tour. Especially if you've ridden the Tour de France. The question is how motivated you are, how strong you still are, and how you handle the heat... It's a different race after all."

The Dane was defeated by Tadej Pogacar for a second year in a row, this time without any hope of actually defeating the Slovenian. Could that leave a mark on Vingegaard's mentality? "It's possible that Vingegaard has become somewhat resigned after the Tour de France, but I don't think so either," Vanbelleghem estimates.

As is typical for Vuelta a Espana, there will be a wide range of uphill arrivals, each one with a potential to shape up the general classification. Even Vingegaard could catch an off day, but how realistic is that?

"It's a course where you can be completely squeezed, but then Vingegaard is the rider least likely to be," Bobbie Traksel compares chances of other candidates for GC result. "We're convinced Vingegaard will be the winner. The presence of such a big rider often makes the battle for the overall victory less exciting."

The biggest threat should come from UAE duo Juan Ayuso & Joao Almeida. "Yes, those two together as leaders... I don't think it was the intention for them both to be leaders. But Pogacar isn't starting, and Ayuso will be replacing him. They both want to take their chances in a Grand Tour, but I rate Almeida a bit higher. It would be great if they took turns attacking Vingegaard."