“I didn’t do my homework well... I thought I was closer to the finish” – Vingegaard admits stage 9 winning attack at La Vuelta wasn’t planned at all

On a day that looked more suited to opportunists than general classification fireworks, Jonas Vingegaard flipped the script on stage 9 of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, lighting up the final climb to Valdezcaray with a searing solo move that put his rivals on the back foot — and revealed a rare moment of miscalculation from the two-time Tour de France winner.

“The moment I put my team at the front on the last climb is the moment when we decided to make today a GC battle,” Vingegaard said after the stage. “I felt super great all day, I asked them if they could speed up, they did, and I tried. It was amazing team work and I’m super happy that I could finish it off. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s decision to take up the chase late in the day came after Lidl–Trek had kept the break on a tight leash, clearly eyeing up the finale for Giulio Ciccone. But as the peloton hit the lower slopes of the 13.3km ascent, Vingegaard had other ideas. After a textbook setup from Matteo Jorgenson, he launched with just over 10km to go — only to realise a little too late that the finish wasn’t quite as close as he thought.

“To be honest, maybe I didn’t do my homework well enough,” he admitted with a smile. “I thought I was closer to the finish when I attacked and then I was surprised to see the 10-km-to-go banner. I had a gap and I had to keep going.”

What followed was a masterclass in damage control from a rider who knows how to ride at threshold better than almost anyone. Behind him, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock led a measured pursuit, with the Portuguese climber briefly closing the gap to within seven seconds. But Vingegaard had another gear. Sensing the danger, he surged again, shaking off Almeida’s rhythm and reasserting his dominance.

By the line, the Dane had taken the stage win and significant time on all his GC rivals bar Almeida and Pidcock, who rounded out the podium. Race leader Torstein Traeen, isolated and distanced on the final climb, hung onto the red jersey by a margin of just 37 seconds — an outcome that now looks increasingly temporary.

Despite the time gain, Vingegaard insisted the move wasn’t about taking red just yet. “I was not necessarily chasing the red jersey. It was more about the stage win and opening some gaps to my opponents.”

But whether he admits it or not, the signal was clear: the proven champion has shifted from observation mode into aggression. His legs did the talking on the road — and even if the attack wasn’t planned to the metre, the outcome was a reminder of what happens when Vingegaard’s instincts take over. The rest day arrives with Visma back in control, Vingegaard in imperious form, and the rest of the GC contenders scrambling for answers. Homework will be done — thoroughly — before stage 10.