LA VUELTA 2025 STAGE 20 ROBLEDO DE CHAVELA > BOLA DEL MUNDO. PUERTO DE NAVACERRADA
– Stage summary from laVuelta.com
Well, folks, here we are, the final climb of the Vuelta is behind us, and who else but Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) showed up to finish the job in style! On the brutal, leg-shattering slopes of Bola del Mundo, the two-time Tour de France champion put on a masterclass, taking the stage victory atop Bola del Mundo. His victory today set the stage to ride into Madrid the General Classification winner, the first Danish rider to do so at La Vuelta.
The stage was a pressure cooker from the start. Both UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe came out swinging, trying everything they could to crack the yellow-clad Dane. But Vingegaard was unflappable. He followed every move, absorbed every attack, and then, with just 1.2 kilometers to go on the climb’s steepest section, he unleashed his own devastating acceleration. Sepp Kuss, on his 31st birthday today, followed Vingegaard home to take a dominant second place, signaling Visma-Lease a Bike’s utter control of this race. Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) finished third, a strong ride, but not enough to unseat Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) from the overall podium. Portugal’s Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) remains in second place overall.
On the eve of the arrival in Madrid, the riders faced the stage with most elevation – 4,226m – to reach the highest summit of this edition: the mighty Bola del Mundo, at 2,251 meters of altitude. The highlight of the climb is the brutal three final kilometers from Puerto de Navacerrada at an average 12.5% gradient with kickers above 18%
A strong break closely watched by the bunch
The neutral uphill start on the slopes up the Alto de la Escondida saw the first attack signaling an exciting stage was ahead. Ineos Grenadiers forced a strong move with Filippo Ganna the first attacker of the day, followed by Egan Bernal. The likes of Michal Kwiatkowski, Bob Jungels and Brandon Rivera also get in the mix. A 37-man breakaway eventually went clear on the second ascent of the day, Alto de Parpadilla.
Bernal was in the break, with Jungels and Rivera. Four riders from Lidl-Trek, including the local hero Carlos Verona on his home roads, alongside Mads Pedersen, Giulio Ciccone and Julien Bernard, also joined. Fierce attackers like Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla) and Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step) made the break as well. But the peloton didn’t give them much leeway.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe collaborated to keep the gap under 2 minutes. The breakaway held over the Alto del Leon (km 59) and exploded on the Alto de Navacerrada, with Jardi van der Lee (EF Education-EasyPost) cresting in first position.
Almeida and Hindley try, Vingegaard takes off
The final climb up Bola del Mundo defined the stage. At the bottom (12.3 km at 8.6%, with gradients up to 20%), van den Lee was with Bernal, Landa, and Ciccone, a minute ahead of the bunch. Ciccone and Landa rapidly pulled away at the front while UAE Team Emirates-XRG upped the ante in the GC group.
The two leaders were caught 3 kilometers before the summit, as they hit the steepest gradients of the ascent. Jay Vine, his work done, moved aside for Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) to set the pace. Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) then accelerated with 2.5 km to go. But, unable to shake the leaders, Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike), Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) all matched the attack.
With 1.2 km left to climb, Vingegaard set off with a devastating explosion of power and gapping Kuss by 11” at the finish. Hindley rounded out the podium on the stage (+13’’), ahead of Pidcock (+18’’), who retains 3rd place in the overall standings.
Results Stage 20 la Vuelta 2025 – Courtesy of ProCyclingStats.com
DUE TO A TECHNICAL ERROR AT PCS, WE WILL BE UPLOADING THESE LATER TODAY.
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