Favorites stage 21 Vuelta a España 2025 | A festive evening in Madrid, and one last chance for the sprinters

First, a slight change to the route: instead of 108 kilometers, the riders will cover 103. The suburb of Aravaca will be skipped, where protests seem to be the cause, even though the organization has not made any announcement about this. It means very little for the race: five kilometers shorter, but it will not change the outcome. Hopefully, the demonstrators in Madrid will remain calm, where a large crowd is expected.

The start of stage 21 is in Alalpardo, north of the Spanish capital. Heading south, the parade will proceed to Madrid. After just under 45 kilometers, the city will be reached, after which the riders will enter the final circuit via the Royal Paris. That circuit will be completed a total of ten times, covering approximately 52 kilometers, which means that each lap will be approximately 5.2 kilometers long.

The circuit will be familiar to cycling fans. It is primarily straight, but several roundabouts and 180-degree turns will still be important, especially in the final stretch. At 5 kilometers from the finish, there is a complete turn, followed by another one at 3.5 kilometers. Then, there is a sharp right turn at just over 2 kilometers. However, the most crucial point is just before the finish line: another 180-degree turn. From there, it is almost straight to the finish.

Times
Start: 4:44 PM local time (10:44 AM EDT)
Finish: around 7:20 PM local time (12:20 PM EDT)

Dry and warm: it will be a typical Spanish evening on the last day of the Vuelta. The start will be just before 5 PM local time, when it will be over 30 degrees... Of course, it will cool down a bit in the evening, but around 7 PM local time - just before the finish - it will still be above 25 degrees. There will also be almost no wind so that it will get hot!

Let's be very clear: it will be a final sprint. The last time Madrid did not have a sprinter as the winner (excluding time trials) was in 1983 when Australian Michael Wilson won. That's why only fast riders are included in this overview, and no one is faster in this Vuelta than Jasper Philipsen. The Belgian from Alpecin-Deceuninck is chasing his fourth stage win of the race.

Jasper Disaster will be the clear favorite, especially with his sprint train. Who are his biggest challengers? In terms of speed, they are Ethan Vernon (Israel - Premier Tech) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek). The Dane has already won once and is bringing the green jersey to Madrid, but the Brit is eager to win. He has come close before, but now is the time!

Other good riders who have already been on the podium in a sprint are Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty), Orluis Aular, and Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers). The Brit even won the fourth stage, but at top speed, he probably lacks that little bit extra. Then there are men like Elia Viviani (Lotto) and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) who are just a little bit faster.

Outsiders can be found at Arkéa-B&B Hotels with Jenthe Biermans, at Groupama-FDJ with Thibaud Gruel, and at Jayco-AlUla with Anders Foldager. Other riders who have already made their mark are Guillermo Thomas Silva (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Stan Aniolkowski (Cofidis), David González, Fabio Christen (Q36.5), Tim van Dijke (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), and Madis Mihkels (EF Education - EasyPost).

Top favorites: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Outsiders: Ethan Vernon (Israel - Premier Tech), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Orluis Aular (Movistar), Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers) and Elia Viviani (Lotto)
Long shots: Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Jenthe Biermans (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Anders Foldager (Jayco-AlUla), Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ), Stan Aniolkowski (Cofidis), Madis Mihkels (EF Education-EasyPost), Tim van Dijke (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), David González (Q36.5) and Guillermo Thomas Silva (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA)