As the 2025 Vuelta a España looms, all eyes are on Jonas Vingegaard, who enters as the overwhelming favorite.
Fresh off his Tour de France battles and with rival Tadej Pogacar absent, Vingegaard’s path to a maiden Vuelta title seems clear. But the Spanish Grand Tour’s brutal climbs and unpredictable dynamics mean no victory is guaranteed. Here are the riders who could derail Vingegaard’s quest for glory in 2025.
Juan Ayuso: The Home Hope
At just 22, Juan Ayuso is Spain’s brightest cycling star. With a podium finish (3rd) in the 2022 Vuelta and a 4th-place result in 2023, Ayuso has the pedigree to challenge Vingegaard. Despite a rocky 2025—marked by crashes and an illness-forced exit from the Giro d’Italia—Ayuso’s recent second-place sprint at the Circuito de Getxo signals a return to form. However, his history of Grand Tour abandonments raises questions about his endurance. If Ayuso can stay consistent, he could push Vingegaard to the limit.
João Almeida: The All-Round Menace
Joao Almeida is having a good 2025 season, with victories at Itzulia Basque Country, Tour de Romandie, and Tour de Suisse. The Portuguese rider’s consistency, strong time-trialing and climbing ability make him a rival for Vingegaard. Despite crashing out of the Tour de France with broken ribs, his recovery period could give him fresher legs than Vingegaard, who raced the full Tour. Almeida’s best Vuelta result—4th in 2022—shows he’s yet to crack the podium, but his 2025 form suggests he’s ready to challenge for the red jersey.
Antonio Tiberi: The Italian Podium Hope
At 24, Antonio Tiberi is Bahrain Victorious’ designated leader for the 2025 Vuelta, his fourth appearance at the race. The Italian climber has shown flashes of brilliance, notably wearing the white jersey as the best young rider in 2024 before abandoning due to heatstroke while in the top 10.
His 2025 season has been mixed—his Giro d’Italia campaign ended in 17th after a crash on stage 14 derailed his podium hopes—but a strong 2nd overall at the Tour de Pologne signals he’s peaking at the right time.
Tiberi’s strengths include his time-trialing ability, honed as the 2019 junior world champion, which could prove decisive in stage 18’s individual time trial. He’s expressed confidence in the Vuelta’s longer climbs, which suit his steady pacing better than the steeper gradients where he struggles with rhythm changes. “
Egan Bernal: The Comeback
Egan Bernal leads Ineos Grenadiers with renewed confidence, aiming to complete the Grand Tour trilogy after winning the Tour de France (2019) and Giro d’Italia (2021). His 2025 season shows a steady return to form following a life-threatening crash in 2022. Bernal secured 7th overall at the Giro d’Italia, his strongest Grand Tour result since 2021, and followed it with 6th at the Vuelta a Burgos, just 59 seconds off the winner.
“I’m better than I was for the Giro. My numbers are better, but now it’s about translating that to the race,” Bernal said, expressing optimism about his preparation.
“If I could sign for a top-5 now, I would, but once I pin on the number, I’ll want to be as far forward as possible,” he said in a press conference.
