PREVIEW & FAVOURITES | Vuelta a España 2025 stage 3 - Can Mads Pedersen or Tom Pidcock turn bad Vuelta start around?

Stage 3 of the Vuelta a Espana will be a hilly day with an interesting finish. Thus far we've had a sprint and a mountain stage; now we preview the first mixed day which is perfectly for the puncheurs - or sprinters such as Mads Pedersen who may be able to survive and fight for victory.

Stage three will be an explosive day and the last day in Italy, with a slightly uphill start that can be conducive to a successful breakaway. There will be three small climbs during the day, and then the finish in Ceres will be slightly uphill after what is a short stage. The entire stage will take place in and around the Alps and although it should be somewhat open, we expect a bunch sprint between the fast men who can climb, and a few puncheurs.

The climbing that will be tackled during the day is not too difficult, and due to it's distance to the finish it can be argued that no-one will really get dropped until the final kilometers of the stage. But the arrival in Ceres, in good Vuelta style, is rather complex. For two reasons, one being the gradient, the other being the technical finale and need for positioning.

The final 1.5 kilometers average around 4, 5%... It's not nothing, it won't kill off all the sprinters but we will see a selection, specially as we've got two switchbacks... And then a third one only a few meters before the finish line in Ceres. This corner, although happening rather uphill, is almost a 180-degree and comes with around 50 meters to go.

Some rain can cause chaos, this time around with more descents on the day to take into consideration. It's going to be a somewhat nervous day, even though we've had differences created in the overall classification.

Mads Pedersen - The Dane has in this stage a finale that is literally perfect to him, but we're not seeing the Pedersen of usual in this Vuelta. Absent from the two stages thus far despite coming in with good form, there are questions to be asked. On paper he would be the man to beat but he has to do the completely opposite of the past two stages. Giulio Ciccone, Soren Kragh Andersen and Andrea Bagioli can however do a great leadout for such a finale, it won't be the same pure speed finale as in the first day.

Jasper Philipsen - Philipsen is another rather unique scenario in which we do not really know his form. Yes he won stage 1, but that was an easy stage with a flat bunch sprint where he didn't really have competition, that's not proof of good form. In Denmark he was far from his best, and into this finale he needs good climbing legs. If he has them, he can contest with the best Pedersen. If he doesn't, he will struggle and other riders could have the better of him too.

Sprint - It's an unusual sprint but one well suited to a Vuelta peloton that has very few sprinters, most of them can climb. We could see Tom Pidcock firstly, not a sprinter but a rider with an explosive finale and one who will be comfortable with the gradients - perhaps the best mix for this finale? Axel Zingle is a big question mark after today's crash, but in ideal circumstances a clear victory contender. Orluis Aular can climb and will be quite dangerous, whilst we can also consider his teammate Ivan García Cortina, Bryan Coquard, Jake Stewart, Anders Foldager and INEOS duo Ben Turner and Filippo Ganna for this finale.

Can a classics rider take it? - Pidcock and Zingle certainly count as them but the truth is their best gamble is in a sprint, even if it's not fully favourable. But here what we can interpret is that a few puncheurs could launch a dangerous late attack, specially those with an explosive kick such as Jordan Labrosse or Finn Fisher-Black who could certainly succeed with such an attack. The GC riders have to stay sharp and well positioned because of the potential gaps, and so we should see them sprint too. David Gaudu after showing what he had today could be an interesting outsider, whilst we should also see Jonas Vingegaard and Egan Bernal well positioned and potentially trying to win more time on the competition.

*** Mads Pedersen, Jasper Philipsen
** Ben Turner, Tom Pidcock, Orluis Aular
* Ivan García Cortina, Bryan Coquard, Jake Stewart, Jordan Labrosse, Giulio Ciccone, David Gaudu, Jonas Vingegaard

Pick: Mads Pedersen

How: He hasn't shown it yet, but I think Lidl-Trek will do a classic leadout and take a victory in the same way they often did at the Giro.