"We saw the opportunity to take advantage" - Jonas Vingegaard improves his position before final showdown vs Almeida
Cycling
The Vuelta a Espana 2025 will be decided this Saturday on stage 20 with a brutal summit finish atop Bola del Mundo. However, a day before, Jonas Vingegaard grabbed the opportunity to cushion his lead with a few extra seconds to remove from his overall time. In the intermediate sprint of Salamanca, the Dane accelerated to cross 2nd and gain 4 seconds on João Almeida. The Portuguese rider will therefore start the decisive day at 44 seconds behind Vingegaard.
On a day when nothing should have happened, a mistake by UAE Team Emirates - XRG caused Jonas Vingegaard to take what could become a decisive advantage. The Visma | Lease a Bike leader and red jersey knows that, at the limit of his strength, every second is key before tackling the Bola del Mundo climb from which the winner of the Vuelta a Espana will emerge.
Speaking to his own team after the stage, Vingegaard explained the reason for the move and why it happened:
"Those 4 seconds are a good advantage. When we were in front, we saw the opportunity to take advantage of that, and it's always better to gain seconds than to lose them. Overall, I'm happy to have made it through the day without any problems," Vingegaard began by noting in the Visma | Lease a Bike press release.
The rider from Denmark is just a step away from converting a golden opportunity to add the third grand tour to his palmares (after the Tour de France victories in 2022 and 2023). For Vingegaard, it's clear that those 4 seconds are the best that could have happened before the Bola del Mundo:
"Those seconds make it a good day for us as a team. I'm still in the lead, I feel good and I have a strong team around me. I'm really looking forward to the last days of this Vuelta a Espana," concluded Vingegaard.
Jonas Vingegaard will arrive to the foot of Bola del Mundo with 44 seconds on Almeida
Visma, also satisfied
Jonas Vingegaard's words were echoed by the Visma team, specifically by its sports director in Spain, Michael Morkov:
"It was a good day for us. We were always in the right position and rode with great concentration, prepared for any crosswinds. We kept Jonas safe at all times. He even got a four-second lead, but above all, it was important that he made it to the finish safe and sound," said the Danish ex-pro who had only words of praise for his compatriot.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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