2025 Vuelta a España course: A climber’s feast... and an open invitation to Pogacar
CyclingThursday, 19 December 2024 at 21:01
At last, the route for the Vuelta a España has been finalized. Unsurprisingly, the 2025 edition will once again be one for the climbers. The start is in Italy, as was recently announced. Afterward, the Spanish circus moves to its home territory, where the organizers have once again opted for a large number of (familiar) climbs, including the return of the Angliru and Bola del Mundo. The Vuelta will again finish in Madrid. Nearly the entire edition takes place in the northern part of Spain. The organization is calling it a historic edition, as the Vuelta will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2025.
For the second year in a row, the Vuelta will start outside Spain. The opening weekend offers a bit of everything. There is a flat finish in Novara, followed by a second day with significant climbing, ending at Limone Piemonte, which will create the first real selection. Day three concludes with an uphill finish and includes some elevation mid-stage. Strong sprinters can win here, but adventurers and riders targeting the early leader's jersey will also have opportunities.
On day four, the peloton heads toward France through the mountains, meaning that day four will feature significant climbing, including several classic climbs such as Montgenèvre and Col du Lautaret. Afterward, the peloton flies toward Spain, arriving in Figueres, for a 20-kilometer team time trial — an interesting checkpoint for the GC contenders. Then we go back to climbing, with a summit finish at Pal in Andorra, a category-one climb. There will be little time for recovery, as stage seven also ends with a summit finish at Cerler. Stage eight offers opportunities for the sprinters. The ski station at Valdezcaray marks the end of the first week.
After a grueling first week, a well-deserved rest day follows. Week two begins, as expected, with another summit finish. Stage eleven is a day for all-rounders, around Bilbao, including climbs like Pike and Vivero, familiar from the 2023 Tour de France start. Stage twelve, with two mid-stage climbs, is ideal for breakaways. Then things heat up with the Angliru-La Farrapona double. Two tough summit finishes in the second week will separate the men from the boys. The final stage of week two is one for adventurers, with plenty of climbing in the first part of the stage. After day fifteen, the second rest day follows.
The final week begins with a stage to Mos, a punchy but not too difficult uphill finish. Stage seventeen offers another opportunity for climbers, with a finish on Morrodero. The only individual time trial follows on the final Thursday. It is a flat route of 26 kilometers. Stage nineteen provides an opportunity for sprinters, although the finale is tricky and sharp. The Bola del Mundo, on Saturday, is the last chance to make differences in the general classification. Several climbs precede this brutal ascent, and the final three kilometers, reminiscent of the Ventoux in terms of scenery, are punishing. On Sunday, the Vuelta concludes with a sprint finish in Madrid.
In summary: two time trials, one of which is a team time trial, four flat finishes, ten summit finishes, and five stages with significant climbing but flat finishes.
Overview stages Vuelta a España 2025
The below tweets sum up each stage in a nutshell. Enjoy!
Stage 1 - Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025: Turin - Novara
Stage 2 - Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025: Alba - Limone Piemonte
Stage 3 - Monday, Aug. 25, 2025: San Maurizio Canavese - Ceres
Stage 4 - Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025: Susa - Voiron
Stage 5 - Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025: Figueres - Figueres
Stage 6 - Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025: Olot - Pal (Andorra)
Stage 7 - Friday, Aug. 29, 2025: Andorra la Vella - Cerlier
Stage 8 - Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025: Monzon Templario - Zaragoza
Stage 9 - Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025: Alfaro - Estacion de esqui Valdezcaray
Stage 10 - Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025: Parque de la Naturaleza Sendaviva - El Farial Larra Belagua
Stage 11 - Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025: Bilbao - Bilbao
Stage 12 - Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025: Laredo - Los Corrales de Buelna
Stage 13 - Friday, Sept. 5, 2025: Cabezon de la Sal - L'Angliru
Stage 14 - Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025: Aviles - Alto de la Farrapona
Stage 15 - Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025: A Veiga/Vegadeo - Monforte de Lemos
Stage 16 - Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025: Poio - Moss
Stage 17 - Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025: O Barco de Valdeorras - Alto de El Morredero
Stage 18 - Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025: Valladolid - Valladolid
Stage 19 - Friday, Sept. 12, 2025: Rueda - Guijuelo
Stage 20 - Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025: Robledo de Chavela - Bola del Mundo
Stage 21 - Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025: Alalpardo - Madrid
Read also
IDL-productions
Results Tour of Holland 2025 | After a rollercoaster of emotions, there is plenty to analyze
Results Tour of Guangxi 2025 | Paul Magnier wins five stages, Paul Double takes one — and the overall victory
Son of Olympian extends stay with Visma | Lease a Bike: "I’d only done five road races in total"
Tibor Del Grosso says Van der Poel comparisons and pressure for his cyclo-cross and road future make perfect sense
Favorites time trial stage 2 Tour of Holland 2025 | Power riders take center stage across the Dutch countryside!
Latest Cycling News
Ellen van Dijk and Joshua Tarling celebrate victory in France
Results Tour of Holland 2025 | After a rollercoaster of emotions, there is plenty to analyze
Tour of Holland gets perfect publicity on a brilliant final day: red, white and blue and Visma | Lease a Bike take the win
Magnier, Double and Martinez, and even Visma | Lease a Bike, finish their Asian campaign on a high: "Best performance so far"
Unique spectacle in Andorra: Pogacar, Vingegaard, Roglic and Del Toro battle it out, Mexican wins by a narrow margin
Popular Cycling News
Visma | Lease a Bike crosses off another name for 2026: Van Aert and Kooij’s right-hand man hangs up his bike
“Now I understand if he wants to quit” - Pogacar’s mother opens up about his exhaustion and retirement comments
Unique spectacle in Andorra: Pogacar, Vingegaard, Roglic and Del Toro battle it out, Mexican wins by a narrow margin
Son of Olympian extends stay with Visma | Lease a Bike: "I’d only done five road races in total"
Results Tour of Holland 2025 | After a rollercoaster of emotions, there is plenty to analyze
Latest Comments
- Now the Palestinian protestors can stop their whining. Trump came to the rescue. So they can now STFU and go back to waving the rainbow flags.raufus15-10-2025
- Cracked the code lol. If it was that easy to 'crack the code' jonny Vegas would be charging up the Kwaremont giving Pog a dose of his medicine. Evenepoel can't match pog on a climb and neither can mvdp. Anything with a half difficult climb and Pog smashes the field. Even on flat(ish)parcours like Roubaix it came down to a mistake and crash by pog to definitively crown mvdp. MSR is the only one that Pog probably won't win.kevpt10-10-2025
- We've seen this movie before. I think Pogacar is doping.DeadBlow10-10-2025
- 👍Bea08-10-2025
- 👌🏻Bea08-10-2025
- What the data doesn't show is how much of an effect drafting had for evenepoel. Pogacar went with del toro at 100km whilst Evenepoel was still in the bunch. Despite the bike changes he still had a lot of assistance getting back to the bunch. Pogacar then rode 60km solo whilst evenepoel rode with Healy/Skjelmose until going solo in thd last 10-15km. Thats ~20% less power / energy requirements for 45-50km. Apples and oranges...kevpt30-09-2025
- 👏👏Bea24-09-2025
- Agreed! As we all know now, Juan Ayuso will be on another team. But it was sweet to see him win the stages at La Vuelta. I do love the drama of cycling admittedly but its clear to see the talent of winners of stages in a Grand Tourryhw2814fq921-09-2025
- Pogacar has no competition he has won everything, I cant imagine even being him in that position!! Crazy. I am sure he has some back up plan for how he wants to spend his retirement years at age 30 onward. Does he like beer? Plenty of innovation in brewing. And you don't have to be super social. Chapeau/Cheers whatever you like Tadej you will do.ryhw2814fq921-09-2025
- Plus its confirmed that the Philadelphia Cycling Classic up the Manayunk Wall is back for 2026! hooray for thatryhw2814fq918-09-2025
Loading
