"I have a special relationship with that climb" - Jonas Vingegaard returns to Angliru for the third time in his career
Cycling
Stage 13 will be the first real test of GC contenders at the Vuelta a Espana. Thus far, there was always somewhere to hide in the battle for top results at the Spanish Grand Tour, but the final climb Alto de l'Angliru will put every single rider through a test that will not allow anyone to hide their cards anymore. The big favourite is current red jersey Jonas Vingegaard who has unfinished business with the mythical climb.
"I have a special relationship with that climb," Vingegaard said in the flash interview after the twelfth stage. "It's a brutal climb, really tough. It was also where I was able to show myself to the world for the first time. Tomorrow is the third time I'm riding there, and I hope my legs are good."
The Dane recounts the 2020 Vuelta a Espana, his Grand Tour debut. Jumbo-Visma was defending Primoz Roglic's leader's jersey on the stage 12 with finish on Alto de l'Angliru. There, the still relatively unknown Jonas Vingegaard emerged at the front of the heavily reduced group of favourites and set a hammering pace that made everyone recognize the future two-time Tour de France winner.
And also in his second participation at Vuelta three years later, Vingegaard crossed paths with the Asturian giant. And also this time, the 28-year-old was in the center of attention. It was that "strange" edition with Visma | Lease a Bike's superstar leaders Primoz Roglic and Vingegaard both supporting Sepp Kuss on his unlikely quest to win a Grand Tour. However not everyone was on-boat with the fairy tale plan which became evident on this climb.
It was the one time Roglic dared to attack his leader, but Vingegaard was straight on his wheel, as if to show Roglic "No, this is not how it will be done". The duo cross the line together, 19 seconds ahead of Kuss. After this, we've heard a lot of speculations, but ultimately the fairy tale wrote it's final chapter and Sepp Kuss really won the 2023 Vuelta a Espana ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic.
Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic emerged first from the fog on Alto de l'Angliru in 2023
Third time the charm
That brings us to the present day. Vingegaard is back at Vuelta for the third time, and Angliru is present as well. It will be on Friday that we learn whether Vingegaard will grasp the opportunity to underline his dominant performance so far and lay down foundations to his overal victory.
But the Dane remains cautious about the stage, fully aware that anything can happen on the mythical rampas inhumanas (slopes of Angliru go above 20%) and that there'll be enough time to celebrate after the job is done. "You always have to wait and see how you feel, but it would be a dream to win on one of the most iconic climbs in the Vuelta."
Vingeggard moved into the red jersey again after Tuesday's stage 10. For the third time. But as if '3' was the magical number of Vingegaard's Vuelta, it's clear that this time, he has no plans of gifting the jersey to another rider again until Madrid.
"We're just focusing on ourselves, we have the red jersey and two stage wins. Our focus was to get through the stage without losing any time. We can only be happy with how things went for us today and in the other stages."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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