"Maybe tomorrow Jonas Vingegaard already takes it back" - Torstein Traeen to savour every second in Red Jersey after stunning breakaway raid at La Vuelta

Torstein Traeen (Bahrain - Victorious) is the new leader of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana after Stage 6, moving into the Red Jersey thanks to a courageous ride in the day’s breakaway. While Jay Vine soloed to the stage win in Andorra, Traeen’s persistence on the final climb to Pal carried him into the race lead by 31 seconds over Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale).

For the 29-year-old Norwegian, who has spent much of his career as a climbing domestique and breakaway specialist, it was a moment of vindication. “It feels a bit unexpected,” Traeen admitted at the finish. “A few days ago, I was talking with the other Norwegian rider here, Johannes [Staune-Mittet]. I was talking about a Norwegian GC, and he said: ‘You’re a loser, because you’re so close on the actual GC.’ And I said: ‘When I take the red jersey after the Andorra stage, I don’t think you’ll call me a loser anymore!’”

The stage itself was brutally selective, opening straight uphill on the Collada de Sentigosa before the decisive breakaway of ten riders finally formed, including Vine, Armirail, Lorenzo Fortunato, Louis Vervaeke, and Traeen. While Vine launched clear on the descent of the Alto de la Comella and rode on to victory, Traeen held his nerve, knowing the red jersey was within reach.

“To be honest, it was pretty hard,” he said. “It was already a hard fight to get in the breakaway. Then, it was tricky for the first 50 kilometres I would say, and after that I realised there would be a positive at the end of the day. There was still Bruno Armirail really close on GC, but I knew the final climb would be pretty hard.”

With rain and slick roads complicating the day, Vine’s downhill attack forced Traeen into a desperate chase, but the Norwegian calculated his effort and defended his virtual lead on the slopes of Pal. “Jay [Vine] attacked on the downhill. And I went all out. It was a long last 5 kilometres. I don’t know how far I can keep it, maybe tomorrow Jonas [Vingegaard] already takes it back [laughs]. That’s a possibility.”

The day’s results transformed the overall standings. Traeen now leads the Vuelta with a 31-second advantage over Armirail, with Fortunato at 1:01 and Vervaeke at 1:58. Pre-race favourite Vingegaard, who started the day in red, dropped to fifth overall at 2:33. Almeida and Ciccone also lost time, slipping to sixth and seventh respectively, while Matteo Jorgenson, Jai Hindley, and Giulio Pellizzari round out the top ten.

It is a striking scenario: Traeen, long admired for his engine and resilience, now finds himself defending the leader’s jersey against some of the biggest names in the sport. Whether he can withstand the pressure as the race heads into more daunting mountains remains to be seen, but for now, Norway has its first Vuelta leader in history.