"The climb took forever" - Landa falls short after brave breakaway battle at the Vuelta a Espana

Mikel Landa’s 2025 Vuelta a España was a rollercoaster of difficulties, persistence, and flashes of brilliance. At 35, the Basque climber came alive particularly in the final week, attacking and showing he was getting back to his best. On the Bola del Mundo, he found himself part of the decisive breakaway, battling alongside Giulio Ciccone before the favorites reeled them in. Though the victory eluded him, Landa’s ride added drama to the penultimate stage and underlined he is by no means done just yet.

Speaking after the finish, he admitted the difficulty of the task. "A very hard stage, the breakaway had very few options, but I had to try. The last climb was too hard for me," he explained. Despite reaching the foot of the Bola del Mundo first, he was soon caught by Ciccone, who had fresher legs. "It was hard from the beginning, I felt empty at the end."

The radio gave him hope when he learned the favorites were under pressure. "I was optimistic because I heard that the group was small, so we gave it a try," he said. That select group included Jonas Vingegaard, João Almeida, Sepp Kuss, Tom Pidcock, Jai Hindley, and Matthew Riccitello, while many others fell away on the steep early ramps.

For Landa, the Vuelta was also about redemption after a difficult season marred by setbacks. "Yes, I'm happy with my Vuelta, a bit sad because my legs were good but my back wasn't. But I'm happy to be in good shape again after the crash in the Giro and to finish the Vuelta like this," he reflected. His words carried extra weight given that he had been forced to abandon the Giro d’Italia on the opening stage, leaving questions over whether he could recover in time to shine later in the year.

The moment he attacked on the way to Navacerrada remains vivid in his mind. "I tried, when we passed a key moment with one minute and they told me that the group was reduced, I knew it would be hard for them to catch us, but I was empty at the beginning of Navacerrada and the climb took forever," he recalled.

There was also unexpected drama away from racing lines, as pro-Palestine demonstrators attempted to block the road. Landa, leading the breakaway, narrowly avoided them. "They jumped suddenly, I was the first and I had time to pass, I don't know what happened behind," he said, relieved that the incident ended without major consequences.

In the final kilometers, his efforts faded under the relentless pace of the GC contenders. "They caught me just below, my strength was very limited and the last climb was very long," he admitted. Even so, his aggressive racing delivered a strong stage result and secured him a place among the top Spanish riders in the general classification, a satisfying end to a complicated but memorable Vuelta.