The most global course in the history of La Vuelta Ciclista a España put a new nation on top of the overall standings. Two-time winner of the Tour de France (2022, 2023), Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) brought Denmark a maiden victory in the Spanish Grand Tour after three weeks of intense battles. It started in Italy, rolled through France and Andorra, and eventually settled in Spain to definitively crown a new king in Madrid.
Vingegaard established his authority on the 80th edition of La Vuelta from the first days. As early as stage 2, in the Italian Piedmont region, he pounced to victory on the slopes of Limone Piemonte, already donning the red leader’s jersey - La Roja - as the second leader of the overall standings after Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who had sprinted to opening glory (in Novare), just like he had done for the Tour de France leader’s yellow jersey a few weeks earlier in Lille.
The stellar duo had initiated a lively waltz, with swaps at the top of the overall standings that would also put a red spotlight on David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), leader after stage 4, and Torstein Træen (Bahrain Victorious), who wore La Roja into the second week. But Vingegaard showed the composure and strength that already make him one of the greatest stage racers of all time, with previous success in other UCI WorldTour events such as Itzulia Basque Country, the Critérium du Dauphiné, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour de Pologne.
Kuss: “Everybody stepped up a lot”
Visiting some of the most iconic ascents and venues in La Vuelta’s history, Vingegaard showed his personal worth and also enjoyed stellar support in an event Team Visma | Lease a Bike have mastered in recent years, notably with Sepp Kuss. The American climber first played a part in Primož Roglič’s successes with the Dutch outfit (2019, 2020, 2021), then claimed victory himself (2023, with Vingegaard in 2nd place) and this year was once again an essential player by his leader’s side.
“It’s hard to compare [victories in La Vuelta],” Kuss smiled at the end of the road. “The first one of course was really special, but each one has its ups and downs, and I think that’s what you take the most from, the ones that are really close and the ones that you have to overcome a lot of setbacks. We didn’t have so much luck in some moments, and we finish with six guys, missing Victor [Campenaerts] and Axel [Zingle]. Everybody stepped up a lot and that made this Vuelta really special.”
Vingegaard and his band took La Roja for good on day 10, climbing to Larra-Belagua, and never relinquished it. It was nevertheless a hard-fought battle until the Danish climber sealed the deal on day 20, up the mighty gradients (maximum 20%) of Bola del Mundo, where he took his third stage win in this edition and made sure João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG) wouldn’t topple him at the summit of the overall standings.
Historic hauls for UAE Team Emirates XRG, Pidcock and Pedersen
The Portuguese star also comes out of La Vuelta with a stage win, as he ruled the infamous ascent of the Angliru (stage 13). The next day, his teammate Marc Soler conquered the Alto de La Farrapona, claiming a seventh stage win in La Vuelta 25 for the Emirati’s outfit, with four different riders (Almeida, Soler, as well as Jay Vine and Juan Ayuso). Such collective performances had not been witnessed this century. They also won the polka dot jersey with Vine and ruled the team standings.
On the third spot of the overall podium, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) also made history, becoming the first male mountain bike Olympic Champion to finish in the top three of a Grand Tour general classification (GC), a month after Pauline Ferrand-Prévot achieved the same in women’s cycling with her victory in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The multi-disciplinary star claims the 10th British GC podium in La Vuelta, 40 years after the first. He is also the first rider from an invited team to podium a Grand Tour since Carlos Sastre came 2nd at the 2009 Giro d’Italia.
History was also made by Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), winner of the green points jersey, as he was in 2022. This time, he doubled up on his victory in the points standings of the Giro earlier this year. He is the second rider ever to win the competition in Italy and Spain the same year. Add in Jonathan Milan’s success in the Tour de France, and Lidl-Trek is the first team to rule the points standings of all three Grand Tours in one year.