Vuelta a Espana 2025 preview, favourites, profiles, route, predictions, schedule and stages - Will Jonas Vingegaard win his first Grand Tour since 2023?

The Vuelta a España 2025 will take place from August 23 to September 14 and will start from Italy! The final Grand Tours of the season will start in Italy, pass through France and Andorra, before going through a heap of mountainous and hilly stages throughout the Spanish mainland. We take a look at the stage profiles and route, as well as the favourites as we preview the race ahead.

The Vuelta a España 2025 will start from the Italian Piedmont, where the first 3 stages will take place and will have a complete route through the north of the Peninsula (Madrid will be the furthest south that will be reached in the last stage). In total there will be 13 days of medium and high mountains, 5 undulating and 2 time trials (one of them for teams in the fifth stage) for a total of 3,265 kilometers.

The race starts in Torino, the second city to host the start of the three Grand Tours. It will be a day for the sprinters, as stage 1 finishes in Novara and the finish is flat after 186 kilometers. A day that is quite simple, with a small ascent in the first half of the day and an intermediate sprint, but these will now make any difference in the outcome of the stage.

It will be all about the finale in Novara where the first red jersey is going to be attributed in a bunch sprint. It's a flat finale and one that is quite straightforward but there are a few roundabouts that will stretch things out, and will also increase the tension quite a lot.

Stage 2, as usual in the Vuelta, will be a single stage. It is a completely flat stage until the finish in Limone, a classic 'unipuerto' stage, only it takes place in Italy this time around. The start in Alba is not complicated and there is very little worth mentioning throughout the day, only with an intermediate sprint but no categorized climbs until the riders reach the base of the Colle di Tenda - which they will not take on all the way into the finish.

They will instead climb up until Panice Soprana, before the start of the climb's toughest sector. It is not a very hard summit, about 8 kilometers at 5%, but it will test the GC riders while offering a chance to several riders. The climb gradually gets steeper and the final 1.5 kilometers average 8% which is significant. It'll be a battle between the climbers, plus a few classics riders that can handle the high pace.

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.

The race leaves Italy to enter French territory, starting in Susa and finishing in Voiron. First part of the stage very hard, with 3 climbs and then downhill to the finish. A breakaway could form at the start or it could be a sprint.

The riders start the stage very close to the base of the Colle delle Finestre and very quickly take on a 5.7-kilometer long climb at 5.6%. With no real downhill, shortly after will come a 8.4-kilometer ascent at 5.9%. The riders will come down, now on French roads, and then ascend the Col du Lautaret (whose summit could lead to the summit of the Col du Galibier in an alternative route). The climb is not overly difficult, around 14 kilometers at 4%, but it does go above the 2000 meters of altitude and all this climbing will hurt the legs of a few sprinters.

But the riders will then go down all of this altitude, and more. In fact 1800 meters below is where the grand majority of the final third of the stage will take place, which means this part of the stage will go by very quickly and cutting down gaps won't be easy.

A sprint, if it decides the stage, will be quite technical and somewhat uphill too. The final corner comes with around 300 meters to go, and there will be quite a few locations where the group can stretch out. The final straight will have around 4%, making it another sprint that will not be pure at all.

After the first four days abroad between Italy and France, the Vuelta a España enters Spanish territory in the Catalan town of Figueres, where a 24 kilometer team time trial will take place, which is sure to generate important differences between the favorites in the general classification.

There isn't too much to analyze route wise as there are no climbs on the course, it will be very fast and the gaps will not be huge; but there are a few little technical sections where it's necessary to be cautious to avoid a day-ruining fall.

The very high mountain arrives in stage 6 of the Vuelta with departure from Olot and arrival at the hard climb of Pal. One day after the rider arrives to Spain finally, it will once again leave and end the sixth day of competition in Andorra - the fourth country hosting a finale in the space of less than a week.

The start of the stage is uphill right from the gun with an 11-kilometer climb that features quite some difficult gradients, where a strong group can without a doubt go up the road. Still in the first half of the stage there is the Collada de Tosses which has 24 kilometers in length. It will set up some fatigue but it will only be preparation for the finale.

Much of the peloton will be familiarized with the terrain that's going to be tackled, as many live in Andorra. There will be a two-climb combination, the first being the 8% Alto de la Comella which is over 4 kilometers long, is technical and ends with only 20.7 kilometers. However we're unlikely to see attacks here because the final climb is quite hard.

Officially, the ascent is 9.6 kilometers at 6.5%, but the truth is the riders already climb quite a bit before it becomes "categorized". But with a few flat valley sections inbetween, it's not hard to chase down an early attack, so the action will wait for the final ascent which is not overly difficult but finishes at 1900 meters of altitude and there's no restbite on the ascent so it can make some differences.

The seventh day of racing will be the first high mountain stage, some would argue - with difficult climbing all day long - and it will be an important day for the overall classification as it also features the most difficult summit finish to date. The entire stage will take place in the Spanish Pyrenees and go through some well-known and less known climbs, that will ultimately set the stage for what should be an exciting day of racing.

Right at the start of the stage we've got the Port del Cantò which is 25 kilometers long at over 4%, but with some sections that are much more difficult - the first kilometers average over double of that. The breakaway of the day should be set here.

The 188-kilometer stage will feature two second category climbs through it's bulk which will draw up more fatigue for the contenders, but all the main favourites will be waiting for the final ascent before they attack. The climb to Cerler will be very difficult and there will be nowhere to hide.

The climb is 12.1 kilometers long at 5.9%. This is an unusual one however, as it features two small downhill sections that bring the average down. Most of the climb takes place at around 8% and there are a lot of switchbacks that can contribute to the attacking feeling.

Aragonese stage of rest for those in the general classification, although it is sure to be very tense because it is one of the few pure opportunities that the sprinters will have to get a win in the streets of Zaragoza. It's a transition day without any categorized climb on the menu, nothing but flat roads in what should be very exposed and hot roads.

The finale in Zaragoza will also not be technical, hence not tactical. The riders will enter the final straight with around 1 kilometer to go but it's a gentle turn, and then the final kilometer will unusually also be in this slight left-leaning straight, one which is flat however.

After the special day for the sprinters we return to 'Javier Guillén territory' as the peloton tackles a stage that is mostly flat and then features one individual climb as a summit finish. But this could be a day for the breakaway as the ramps up to the Valdecaray Ski Resort are not too difficult - overall it's a very open day that can fit different kinds of riders.

The day is 195 kilometers long with 3000 meters of ascent, so although it's uncategorized, we do see some rolling roads throughout the day that will not go unnoticed by the riders. The final climb is 13.3 kilometers long at 5.2%. The first half averages around 6 or 7% which makes it possible to attack, but the gradients are very consistent and never very high.

The final kilometers of the climb flatten out quite a bit and so any successful attack to make a difference has to come early on.

After being used in the 2023 edition, the climb to Larra Belagua is going to be used again as a summit finish. This time around though, at the end of a mostly flat stage. It's the race's return to the Pyrenees, even though they were not gone for long, but it's an important day for the GC - specially after the race's first rest day, which can also lead to a bad day for some riders.

This is virtually the exact same stage as the previous one, the exact same format and a final climb that is almost a complete replica, hence we cannot expect the results to be significantly different. Throughout the day there are four small ascents that will dictate some fatigue in the legs of the riders but none of them come early on and will influence the breakaway formation. Most riders will instead look towards the final kilometers of the stage.

The climb to Larra Belagua is 9.3 kilometers long at 6.3%, most of the climb at around 7%, a very consistent one but with a lot more switchbacks which make it more likely to see big attacks. Still it won't be easy to make the difference taking into consideration the lack of true hard gradients. The final kilometers also flatten out which means meaningful moves have to happen early on.

Explosive terrain once more, the riders start and finish stage 11 in Bilbao where they will tackle plenty short but steep ascents. It's something that is not unusual in the Vuelta a España, but will be the first and only stage in this race where the riders really tackle this type of ascent and yes, it can create significant differences. Besides all of the climbing (3000 meters of ascent in total), the descents are often technical, the roads narrow, and the weather unpredictable.

Right from the first kilometers we have quite a lot of uphill terrain and roads where the peloton can explode, but equally, a strong breakaway can be formed. The opening 26 kilometers of the stage are very dangerous and no-one can lose their attention.

The peloton then go up five categorized climbs, all of them short and most of them quite steep. The crucial ones are the final three, the first of which ending with 53 kilometers to go with 4.3 kilometers at 7.9%. This is the Alto de Vivero, which will be tackled on two occasions and is quite an explosive ascent. The two descents from it will be different, but perhaps a lot of riders will wait for the final climb and not risk it all with an early attack.

This is almost the exact same finale as the 2023 Tour de France's first stage, featuring Vivero and the Alto de Pike. The second of the climbs is 2.1 kilometers long at over 9% but the second half is incredibly steep and the gradients go up to a whole 20%. A proper climb, pure anaerobic effort, where differences can be made. The climb summits with 8 kilometers to go before the downhill finish.  

Stage 12 could be for the breakaway but a potential GC fight could also be triggered on the climb to Collada de Brenes. It's an interesting day at the Vuelta, one of the few that has this type of profile where attacks from far are encouraged, and where the race can get very tactical. The start of the stage is mostly flat, and the profile overall very simple, as the riders tackle two similar climbs.

The ascent to Brenes is the main feature of the day and the one where most riders will have their eyes on. It's 7.7 kilometers long at around 8% and it's quite hard actually, with the first kilometer lowering the average. it's difficult enough to create proper differences and the summit comes with 22 kilometers to go.

This means that, with the downhill and flat finale, attacks that can make the difference on the climb can link up with riders from the breakaway and increase gaps in a way that is harder on the climbs between riders of similar ability. It should be an interesting day into Los Corrales de Buelna.

The queen stage? Stage 13 will have a flat start but head into the mountains for the traditional Cordal-Angliru combination. This is a day that all GC riders will be eyeing for the whole race, and doing everything in their possibilities to have their very best legs on this crucial test. Unlike most Vuelta mountain stages, this one actually is long, topping over 200 kilometers even - although the first two thirds are almost pan-flat.

The riders take on the Alto de Mozqueta which is 6.4 kilometers long at 8.4%, warming things up although the ascent in itself is already quite hard. It ends with 49 kilometers to go. The riders will then prepare for the traditional combination that will decide the stage.

The first of the climbs is the Alto del Cordal, which is 5.5 kilometers long at 8.8%. The climb is very steep, specially towards the summit (which comes 21 kilometers to go) and from the summit to the bottom of the Angliru there is nothing but a steep and technical descent. We may see attacks here, both up or downhill, as the descent is a true test of confidence and can be used.

Finally of course, the Alto de l'Angliru, the headliner of this race and one of the most iconic and difficult ascents in pro cycling. It's 12.4 kilometers at 10%, and the final half is just ungodly steep. We're talking about an average of almost 15% throughout several kilometers and one in specific that averages even above that. It's an individual effort, teammates can only provide moral support to a certain point. The climb can make brutal differences and it's a day for the pure climbers.

Stage 14 will take the riders up to the Alto de la Farrapona, a short stage but with a difficult second half where more important gaps are set to be created in the fight for the overall classification. After the brutality that the last few stages has presented, this could be even more dangerous for the GC riders, who must battle their way through fatigue to put on a strong performance in another key stage.

Although the summit finish is quite difficult this is not a stage where you must only look towards one climb. The penultimate ascent, Alto de San Lorenzo, is in itself a brutality and a climb which can be attacked just as hard.

10 kilometers at 8.6% and the final 5 kilometers average over 10% with no resting sections. It's a grueling constant effort which can be very dangerous for those who do not have the best of days. The climb ends with 34 kilometers to the finish, not too far.

But the climb to La Farrapona is the one to take into consideration the most. It's 17 kilometers in total, although you could argue it's even longer if you count false-flat roads. But the final 7 kilometers average 8.5% and that's where the biggest differences should be made on the day.

The final stage of the second week will be a day for the breakaway. The finale in Monforte de Lemos is flat but the start is very hilly and difficult which makes it impossible to control, and where many will look to shoot their shot.

The start of the stage is immediately a 16.5-kilometer long climb at over 5%, ideal for the climbers to move and form a breakaway. And because this is a day for the front group to succeed, we could see GC riders try to force their way into the front group to try and gain time.

There are 3000 meters of climbing and for the most part they are all in the first half of the stage. The finale, for a fact, is completely flat and with nothing to mention. But we shouldn't see a peloton fighting for victory.

After it's success in 2021, the Vuelta brought back the final set of climbs in and around Castro de Herville. It's a hilly stage with a different variety of climbs that can lead to changes in the GC. A perfect profile for a GC raid.

The stage takes place fully in Galicia where even if it seems, the roads are never truly flat. But the first categorized climb of the day only comes in it the second half of the stage. We'll have a mix of long and short climbs, with different gradients and lots of descents inbetween.

8.9Km at 4.1% with 85 kilometers to go; 11.4Km at 5.4% with 58Km to go... Then an uncategorized climb with 34 kilometers to go which is 3.7 kilometers at 6.8%; the steepest climb of the day which has a bonus sprint at the summit, it's 3.2 kilometers long at 8.9%... In the middle of the descent to the final ascent there is still another hilltop which can be used for a surprise move, but the final climb is then then main course on the menu.

The climb to the Castro de Herville is anything but regular, averaging 5.3% throughout 8.2 kilometers. However the first 1.7 average over 10% and have ramps up to 15% where serious differences can be made. All the way to the finish then is a string of rolling roads up to the summit, with flat sections and a few explosive ramps where the race can become tactical.

But in Galicia, the riders will still find high mountains to tackle. Stage 17 will see the peloton take on another short day on the bike, but with a difficult final climb to the Alto de El Morredero. The peloton will be riding in a region recently devastated by wildfires, but it's beauty will certainly still be visible.

Another unipuerto stage, with a few small climbs but nothing meaningful until the riders go through Ponferrada and head into the base of the climb to the Alto de El Morredero. The climb is 12.1 kilometers long at 7.9% but features different sections. The opening 1.5 kilometers average 9% but then we have a flat section that leads into the "official" start of the ascent.

The final 8.8 kilometers average 9.5%, it's a terribly steep climb specially in in the first half of the final section and it's simply one where the pure climbers can once again destroy the peloton and the GC race. The riders will climb up well above the vegetation in the area and will have an exposed finale, one that is not as steep as the opening kilometers of the climb.

The race's only individual time-trial will take place in Valladolid. It will be a short one, only 27 kilometers in distance and completely flat, but it could lead to important differences. With only one more stage where the GC can be turned, this is essentially the final very decisive stage - as Bola del Mundo will see more action similar to that of the previous mountain days.

It's not the simplest of time-trials however, definitely not one with the very long sections where the specialists can make the difference, but instead of a lot of it takes place within the city and will have lots of corners where you can rest and take a breath.

Another opportunity for the sprinters late in the race. The town of Guijuelo will host the finale of a transition stage where the fast men will have the chance to shine. It's a stage without categorized climbs and one where the organizers really made an effort to satisfy and convince the sprinters into staying in the race.

But also in classic Vuelta fashion, we've got a slight climb to the finish. The final 2.3 kilometers average 3% and they are all straightforward meaning a constant effort, which gets slightly steeper towards the final meters of the stage. We could see some surprises in such a finale and this deep into the race.

The Bola del Mundo climb is brought back for the final GC stage of the race. It is a day where not many surprises are expected seeing that the final climb is very difficult and those beforehand don't allow for much space to surprise. But Bola del Mundo itself provides roads to create big gaps.

However the stage is not easy at all, having some small climbs early in the day where a strong breakaway can be formed and later go on to fight for the stage win.

There is a bonus sprint with 50 kilometers to go at the summit of the penultimate climb of the day, which is 6.9 kilometers at 7.5%. But this won't really see attacks, it's all going to happen on the final climb.

At the end of a day with 4100 meters of climbing we've got the ascent to the Puerto de Navacerrada and it's summit at the Bola del Mundo. It's 12.4 kilometers long at 8.6%, with the final 3 averaging 12%. A brutal climb, capable of making the difference and with the altitude factor added to the mix, the end of the stage taking place at over 2200 meters of altitude.

The race, as usual, ends in Madrid with a flat day that will give the sprinters a final chance to hunt for a Grand Tour victory in 2025. Simple day with just over 100 kilometers to race and a final circuit in the nation's capital.

We don't really have meaningful gradients to take note of, and we've got a final roundabout that will be tackled just outside the final kilometer. It's a finale for the pure sprinters and a chance for some to save their race.

Jonas Vingegaard - The big question in this race without a doubt. Jonas Vingegaard was set to battle Tadej Pogacar here, but the Slovenian's fatigue ultimately sees him out of the race and the Dane is now the man to beat. He won't come in with the same level of preparation as in the Tour, we know that, so we can't expect a nuclear Vingegaard a level above everyone else - specially as there are few stages with lots of climbing from early on. But if he reaches a very high level, he will be a nightmare for the competition from the second week onward.

Visma want this Grand Tour victory and they can achieve it if nothing goes too out of the ordinary and they avoid falls with the Dane. Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss can both achieve a lot here but as supporting riders they can be a flawless armour around Vingegaard; whilst the entire team is packed with quality climbers. I would say the decision of this race is up to how well Vingegaard will be able to stay upright, because I see in him the obvious and outright favourite.

UAE - UAE will be the main team to rival Visma, not the only one but the main one without a doubt. The team should have a co-leadership, but due to circumstances we can assume João Almeida will be the most protected rider as Juan Ayuso comes in as a replacement for Pogacar. I think neither come in the ideal conditions, and in the past they have not worked too well together. I think UAE did build a team around a GC stint instead of giving freedom to everyone as has happened in the past in the absence of the World Champion. But as UAE showed at the Tour, if the strongest rider is simply well above the competition, there's little rivals can do even if their team is stronger.

In Almeida and Ayuso there are two clear podium contenders but if they can go above that depends mostly on what Vingegaard will feel like. Almeida comes in after crashing out of the Tour whilst Ayuso takes on his second Grand Tour of the season for the first time and wasn't initially scheduled to be here. But a well-rounded team with good climbers in the mix means they have weapons to attack Visma.

The GC field is good. Not as strong as in the Tour, but I would say equivalent to the Giro, with lots of depth but this being the Vuelta - with heat being a big factor, riders having wildly different preparations and season fatigue kicking in for some - we can see some odd results. In fact we have a few riders coming off the Tour such as Felix Gall and Ben O'Connor who can be proud of what they've done over there, and don't come with as much pressure to perform hence likely more willing to take risks.

Equally we have a few riders that are not a given to a GC stint. Jai Hindley, David Gaudu and Guillaume Martin for example are all quality riders and well suited to this race when at their best but one bad day could see them quickly change ambitions fully. We have riders such as Lorenzo Fortunato, Giulio Pellizzari and Mikel Landa. who likely won't come to the race with the set goal of racing for the GC but the race is so difficult with so many mountain stages and successful breakaways that they may end up entering it anyway if they make it into the right moves or their form increases quite a bit during the race respectively. 

We have a Tom Pidcock who is trying out for GC and I think he'll do much better than before as the Vuelta is perfect for him and he was actually able to prepare properly this time around unlike the Giro; Giulio Ciccone who tends to crash a lot but comes in with incredible form and is a podium contender without a doubt; Egan Bernal who is a big wildcard but has ambitions of still winning this race one day and is fully focused on the overall classification... And a very strong Bahrain - Victorious who come in with an in-form Antonio Tiberi aiming for the podium, backed up by the experienced and strong climbers Santiago Buitrago and Damiano Caruso who usually thrive on different kinds of stages. 

In the sprints we should see Mads Pedersen as the head of affairs and the main favourite to win the points classification if he finds good form. Jasper Philipsen is the main competition, not coming in with his best form, but the strongest of the bunch sprint specialists, with very little other competition present. The likes of Casper van Uden, Ethan Vernon, Ben Turner, Bryan Coquard and Orluis Aular are some of the strongest rivals. Safe to say the Lidl-Trek rider will dominate as he did in the Giro if he is facing this field. Axel Zingle will be an interesting rival for some of the hilly finishes whilst the likes of Stefan Küng and Filippo Ganna will be hunting victories in the race's time-trial but also a few breakaways. 

*** Jonas Vingegaard
** João Almeida, Antonio Tiberi
* Juan Ayuso, Felix Gall, Giulio Pellzzari, Tom Pidcock, Giulio Ciccone, Egan Bernal, Santiago Buitrago, Damiano Caruso, Matteo Jorgenson

Pick: Jonas Vingegaard