“Mainly an annoying Vuelta” - De Cauwer admits disappointment at 2025 Vuelta a Espana

The 2025 Vuelta a España came to a chaotic and inglorious end yesterday, as stage 21 in Madrid was cancelled due to large-scale protests. Instead of the traditional parade into the Spanish capital, the peloton made it into the city centre, and Jonas Vingegaard was crowned champion in the unlikely setting of a hotel car park. For a race that had already faced repeated disruptions, the ending felt less like a grand finale and more like a symbol of a troubled edition.

Before the stage was abandoned, former rider and analyst José De Cauwer spoke to Sporza, capturing the disappointment felt by many fans. “I think it’s mainly an annoying Vuelta. Not in the sense that the race is boring, because the riders made the most of it. I think it’s mainly a shame for the race itself.”

De Cauwer, however, was eager to point out one of the race’s shining lights: Australian climber Jay Vine of UAE Team Emirates - XRG, who won the King of the Mountains classification. “He could very well play a key role in Kigali. He’s competing in two World Championships there. Vine is definitely a contender for the podium in the time trial. He would have already achieved that in Zurich last year without that misstep. I think he’s better than ever. He rode all day and still finished relatively close to the Bola del Mundo. He was often on the attack and worked where he had to.”

Vine’s versatility was on full display across the three weeks, impressing not only in the mountains but also against the clock. De Cauwer singled out his performance in the time trial on stage 18 as particularly noteworthy. “Filippo Ganna had been saving himself for days for that time trial, and then the King of the Mountains finished within a second. That’s really impressive.”