“I can't believe it's so close” – Bruyneel and Martin believe Vuelta a Espana will go to the wire

The Vuelta a España is entering its decisive stretch, with Jonas Vingegaard holding a narrow advantage of just 40 seconds over João Almeida after the Valladolid time trial. On the Move podcast, Johan Bruyneel and Spencer Martin broke down the situation, weighing the prospects of the two general classification contenders. Their discussion also touched on the uncertain future of Oier Lazkano, a rider whose career has taken a sudden and troubling turn.

The case of Lazkano drew special attention. Once one of Spain’s brightest hopes, he left Movistar last season to join the ambitious Red Bull project, but things have since unravelled. Rumours are now swirling that he may not continue with the German outfit beyond this season. Spencer Martin admitted surprise at how quickly Lazkano has disappeared from the racing scene.

“I heard a rumor today that Red Bull would have an opening in their roster next year. So the question is who won't be coming back to Red Bull that they thought would be coming back. If I had to guess, although I don't have that information, I'd say it's Oier Lazkano. Maybe he was going to quit cycling or something. Wow. Because I was going to say I haven't heard from him in months. No, his last race was Paris-Roubaix.”

Bruyneel reinforced the concern by suggesting the problem may be more than physical. “There are obviously many things, I don't know if he is sick, but I think more like burnout (work-related stress) or not being able to cope with the pressure. He unsubscribed from all his social networks. And when you ask the team about Oier Lazkano's situation at the moment, why he's not racing, the team managers say they have instructions not to talk about it. So evidently there is something deeper behind it, which could be burnout.”

As the discussion moved back to the battle for red, Martin expressed amazement at how close Almeida has come to toppling the Dane. “I can't believe it's so close. It's 40 seconds and the trend is going in Almeida's direction. For me it's clear that Almeida is the one with more momentum at the moment than Jonas. But Jonas just needs to hold on and Almeida needs to attack and drop him. It's not easy. That's why I think UAE should have a plan on Saturday and use Groschartner first and then Jay Vine to really put pressure on Visma and see if Jonas breaks. He probably won't, he hasn't shown any signs of weakness.”

The strategy question is now pressing. UAE Team Emirates - XRG has often been criticised for its lack of coordination in Grand Tours, relying too heavily on individual strength rather than a collective plan. Martin underlined that this could be their last chance to shift the race dynamic, with Almeida needing an all-or-nothing approach on the remaining climbs.

Bruyneel, however, took a more cautious view, doubting Almeida’s chances to overturn the deficit. “Based on what we've seen so far between Vingegaard and Almeida, 40 seconds is not going to be made up in the last three kilometers. No, even if it's steep, it has to be all or nothing. And for that you need a collective team approach.”

He also warned against underestimating Vingegaard simply because he has not shown the devastating dominance of past seasons. “The question also is that Jonas spoiled us in the past with certain performances that he can't repeat now, but he is still always among the top and he has an advantage. So it's not that he's bad, his form is good. In my opinion, it's good enough to win the Vuelta.”

With only a handful of mountain stages remaining before the peloton rolls into Madrid, the tension could not be higher. Almeida has momentum, but Vingegaard has the experience and the cushion. Meanwhile, the uncertainty surrounding Lazkano casts a shadow over Spanish cycling, raising questions about the pressures faced by young riders in the modern era.