Favorites team time trial stage 5 Vuelta a España 2025 | Some teams with 7, others with 8: Which squad will strike a blow?

Wednesday will be very flat, when the riders will set off from Figueres for a 24.1-kilometer race to the finish in the same town. After a slight turn to the right, the teams will soon find themselves on a major road, after which we will turn right in a northerly direction.

The riders will mainly have to contend with straight sections, which are ideal for riders with big engines, who can really accelerate on Spanish territory. After arriving in Cabanes after about seven kilometers, there will be a right turn, after which the teams will speed straight on to the next town.

That is Peralada, although the riders will not come close to its center. We will bypass the town and head for Vilanova la Muga, which looms up after fifteen kilometers. There, the riders will face a hairpin turn and, after another left turn, the teams will head back towards the start and finish line.

This is several kilometers of virtually straight road: the big engines will still be able to push hard. Once back in Figueres, there are four more turns to the finish: first right, then left, then right again, and finally left again. The last 500 meters are straight.

Times
Start: 4:37 PM local time (10:37 AM EDT)
Finish: around 6:30 PM local time (11:30 AM EDT)

The riders will be happy with the late start on Wednesday, as there may be some rain in the early afternoon. By the time the stage starts, the sun should be back. The temperature will rise to a pleasant 28 degrees Celsius, and the wind will blow lightly from the southeast, which means that the riders will have a headwind in the middle section of the time trial.

Who has brought good time trialists to the Vuelta? UAE Emirates-XRG has done so. In addition to leaders Juan Ayuso and João Almeida, the team from the Emirates also has Mikkel Bjerg, Jay Vine, and Ivo Oliveira as specialists. The team, therefore, seems to be the one to beat on Wednesday.

But when you mention UAE, you often look at what Visma | Lease a Bike can offer in response. Jonas Vingegaard has already shown many excellent performances in time trials throughout his career, while Matteo Jorgenson and Victor Campenaerts are also capable of riding fast against the clock. The disadvantage compared to most other teams is that the Dutch team will start with seven riders, as Axel Zingle had to withdraw after a crash.

In terms of top teams, INEOS Grenadiers is also one to watch, with Filippo Ganna, Magnus Sheffield, and Ben Turner, all perfect time trialists, at the start. The time trial will probably be about limiting the damage for leader Egan Bernal, but there is plenty of horsepower available in the English team.

Any other specialists? Certainly! Groupama-FDJ will have sprinters Stefan Küng and Rémi Cavagna at the start, while Lidl-Trek also has some big engines in Daan Hoole and Mads Pedersen. Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale has Bruno Armirail, although team leader Felix Gall is also quite good against the clock. Ben O'Connor is the best time trialist at Jayco AlUla. The team finished second in the Paris-Nice team time trial and, with Eddie Dunbar, eighth in the Dauphiné time trial, has another excellent time trialist in its ranks.

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will have to rely mainly on Matteo Sobrero and Tim van Dijke. Movistar has already lost one rider in this Vuelta, but with Pablo Castrillo, they have a rider who finished in the top 10 in the time trial at this year's Tour de France. Soudal Quick-Step is also down to seven riders after Valentin Paret-Peintre dropped out, and will be looking to limit the damage for its leader, Mikel Landa. Bahrain Victorious still has eight riders and will be counting mainly on Antonio Tiberi himself.

Top favorites: UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma | Lease a Bike
Outsiders: Groupama-FDJ, INEOS Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek