"Races are never just preparation for me" - Maxim Van Gils returns to Vuelta a Andalucia to prove that last year wasn't just a fluke

The shortened 2024 Vuelta a Andalucia proved to be a perfect launch pad for Maxim Van Gils' breakthrough season. The versatile rider won the one and only stage - the 5-kilometer uphill time trial. Now he's back with his new team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe to win the regular edition and not just get a taste of the tapas.

"The winner takes it all, they said. And that sounded good to me," says defending champion Van Gils in a press release on the eve of the race's 71st edition.

"It was a nice reward for eight minutes of full speed," Van Gils says jokingly. Of course, he would have preferred to take his first professional victory in a more regular fashion, but the 25-year-old is nevertheless happy about the result.

Otherwise it was a really stange race with many last-minute cancellations and even more uncertainities. "In the evening before the stage, the question always arose: Will there be a race? The answer was usually no, we go for a training ride. But on the third day, we were told at lunch that there was going to be this little time trial."

This time, the situation should be calm in Andalucia and so nothing stands between Van Gils, who has grown to be a respected contender over the past 12 months, and a chance to defend his title in a more traditional race format.

"The profile of the stages actually suits me. Many of the climbs are steep, but not too long," he analyzes the 2025 course. This year's Ruta del Sol starts with two challenging stages, followed by three stages that should end in (reduced) bunch sprints. Exactly how Van Gils likes them.

Van Gils is still feeling the effects of his crash at the Etoile de Bessèges a little, but has already had a few good training sessions and sees himself in good enough shape to compete for a result in Spain: "Races are never just preparation for me. They are also there to achieve goals. You can prepare at home," Van Gils concludes.