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2025-09-14T17:52:20.723Z
Thanks for joining us today, and for the whole Vuelta a España. It’s been a controversial race, as epitomised by the events today, and amid the controversy was a GC race that went right down to the wire.
We’ll be back again next week with more live coverage of the World Championships in Rwanda, so be sure to return for what is always one of the highlights of the cycling calendar.
2025-09-14T17:47:35.507Z
Jonas Vingegaard fistbumping a staff member, a more muted celebration than he would have anticipated.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T17:41:56.679Z
This was the scene at the finish line.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T17:35:15.303Z
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2025-09-14T17:28:08.998Z
The Lidl-Trek riders, talking things through after the race was halted.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T17:22:12.366Z
There are protesters sitting at the Paseo de la Castellana, the location where today’ stage was supposed to finish.
2025-09-14T17:17:06.668Z
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T17:14:33.026Z
Here’s the official announcement from the Vuelta organisers, confirming that there will be no podium ceremonies.
#LaVuelta25 | Official statement – Comunicación oficialFor security reasons, stage 21 of La Vuelta has been ended early. There will be no podium ceremony.La etapa 21 de La Vuelta finaliza por motivos de seguridad. No habrá ceremonia protocolaria de podio.September 14, 2025
2025-09-14T17:07:38.622Z
There are clashes being reported in Madrid between protesters and the police.
2025-09-14T17:05:57.806Z
And here’s Egan Bernal leaving the race via an Ineos vehicle.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T17:02:01.824Z
Jonas Vingegaard leaving the race via his team car.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T16:57:51.792Z
It’s been announced that there will be no podium ceremonies.
2025-09-14T16:49:58.862Z
You can read more about how and why the race has been cancelled here.
2025-09-14T16:47:02.830Z
This was where the race was stopped for good.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T16:43:38.037Z
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T16:38:13.277Z
It’s been confirmed that the stage has been cancelled.
RACE CANCELLED
2025-09-14T16:35:02.343Z
Here is the scene in Madrid.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T16:32:44.674Z
Vingegaard is shaking hands with his teammates. This might be a sign the stage is to be cancelled.
2025-09-14T16:31:27.841Z
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T16:29:35.172Z
More discussions are happening now they have stopped again.
2025-09-14T16:29:10.365Z
Here was Vingegaard earlier, talking things over about the race situation.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T16:28:18.163Z
The rider have stopped again.
2025-09-14T16:26:26.751Z
The peloton is moving again, behind the race car. The race is neutralised for now.
2025-09-14T16:22:58.385Z
There are conversations taking place between police officers and some of the riders.
2025-09-14T16:21:09.345Z
The peloton has stopped for now.
RACE HALTED
2025-09-14T16:20:01.568Z
The race has been held up by pro-Palestine protesters.
2025-09-14T16:18:13.202Z
The pace is up now, as Visma-Lease a Bike lead the riders into Madrid.
60KM TO GO
2025-09-14T16:17:21.510Z
As likely as it seems, a bunch sprint isn’t nailed on today. Two years ago, on a similar finishing circuit in Madrid, a breakaway just about managed to hold off the charging peloton for Kaden Groves to win the stage, providing a positive template for anyone who wants to try and win from the breakaway today.
Sepp Kuss wins 2023 Vuelta a España
2025-09-14T16:15:00.646Z
When the race does finally burst into life, we can anticipate a rapid scramble to form a breakaway, and a committed chase to bring the race back for what is likely to be a bunch sprint.
2025-09-14T16:12:01.146Z
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T16:09:51.414Z
The racing still isn’t on yet, with riders still posing for the occasional photo. The top three on GC, Vingegaard, Almeida and Pidcock, are the latest to do so.
2025-09-14T16:06:47.218Z
There is again a sizable pro-Palestine presence in Madrid today.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T16:02:48.872Z
It’s been reported that the riders have taken a detour on their way to Madrid, avoiding the centre of San Sebastian de los Reyes and Alcobendas, presumably due to the presence of pro-Palestine protesters.
2025-09-14T16:00:03.335Z
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T15:58:23.834Z
A couple more races have recently wrapped up – Trofeo Matteotti in Italy, and GP de Fourmies in France.
2025-09-14T15:53:10.495Z
A rare sight at this year’s Vuelta – all of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG riders togeter
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T15:50:32.707Z
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T15:49:31.243Z
The riders are on the outskirts of Madrid, still over 20km away from arriving at the finishing circuit.
80KM TO GO
2025-09-14T15:43:44.799Z
Mads Pedersen with his Lidl-Trek team, celebrating their green jersey victory. That’s Pedersen’s second Grand Tour points classification of the season, something nobody has achieved since Laurent Jalabert in 1995.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T15:38:59.538Z
Visma-Lease a Bike celebrating their overall victory, the team’s second of the season following Simon Yates’ success at the Giro, and their fifth in three years.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T15:32:48.585Z
Lots of other races have taken place today, including Tour Féminin de l’Ardeche, Grand Prix Stuttgart & Region and La Choralis Fourmies Féminine, all of which have recently finished.
2025-09-14T15:25:59.193Z
It’s been a slow first half an hour, with less than 20km ridden in that time, but Lotto have just moved to the front and started setting a slightly quicker pace.
90KM TO GO
2025-09-14T15:21:49.119Z
The four jersey winners – Jay Vine, Jonas Vingegaard, Mads Pedersen and, as of yesterday, Matthew Riccitello.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T15:20:15.752Z
It’s all fun and games in the peloton. Someone even has a small water pistol they’re firing at a rider.
2025-09-14T15:14:07.085Z
The wildcard teams Burgos Burpellet BH and Caja Rural – Seguros RGA take turns to pose at the front, giving us a very visible notion of how much the former have suffered this Vuelta – their roster of just four riders looks especially depleted in contrast to Caja Rural’s almost complete set of seven.
2025-09-14T15:10:23.646Z
Jonas Vingegaard signing a red jersey at the start of the stage.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2025-09-14T15:04:24.603Z
The riders have taken these first few kilometres very easily. For now, they’re in party mode rather than race mode.
100KM TO GO
2025-09-14T15:03:15.574Z
UAE Team Emirates-XRG have their moment at the front, though this one’s a little less unambiguously celebratory. They have Jay Vine’s King of the Mountains win, João Almeida’s second-place overall and seven stage wins to celebrate, but there’s been internal tension throughout the race and questions about their tactics and harmony – and they ultimately fell short in their aim of winning the red jersey.
2025-09-14T15:00:27.499Z
It’s Lidl-Trek’s turn to celebrate. Their full roster of eight riders move to the front, Mads Pedersen resplendent in the green jersey he’s worn almost the entire race.
2025-09-14T14:58:13.779Z
Now Visma-Lease a Bike take their turn off the front of the peloton, celebrating Vingegaard’s overall victory. They’re posing in a custom black and red jersey they’re wearing for the day.
2025-09-14T14:56:17.559Z
The race has technically started, but as it’s the final celebratory stage, the riders are ambling along and in a party mood.
2025-09-14T14:54:54.094Z
There’s a fun moment for the Danish contingent in the peloton, as Pedersen in the green jersey and Vingegaard in the red jersey are joined by their compatriots arm in arm at the front of the race.
2025-09-14T14:49:51.423Z
The riders are off, making their way through the neutralised zone watched by packed crowds in the streets of Alalpardo.
2025-09-14T14:44:11.413Z
Completing the podium is Tom Pidcock, a result few predicted going into the Vuelta. The Brit has now proven himself as a Grand Tour GC contender, and spoke about how proud he was at this achievement, which ranks among the best of his career.
2025-09-14T14:40:27.824Z
While Jonas Vingegaard will wear the red jersey today, João Almeida will have to settle for second place. That’s still his highest ever finish at Grand Tour level, and is all the more impressive now we know that he has been suffering from illness.
2025-09-14T14:19:37.668Z
Jonas Vingegaard is set to clinch his third Grand Tour title, after his two Tour de France crowns. He may not have been at his very very best but he dismissed the talk of an Almeida comeback with a fine win on Bola del Mundo yesterday. This was his reaction.
2025-09-14T13:57:57.000Z
Will we even get a finale?
2025-09-14T13:24:46.459Z
It’s an evening finale, as per usual, with the sun setting on Madrid as the riders complete their laps of the Castellana and Gran Via. The start is coming up shortly before 5pm local time, with the finish expected around 7:15pm.
2025-08-11T19:11:44.082Z
Hello and welcome along to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of stage 21 of the Vuelta a España. It’s the end of the road for the Vuelta, with the final stage taking place in the Spanish capital of Madrid, on a circuit that usually sees a sprint finish and, barring accident, will see Jonas Vingegaard crowned as the overall winner of the 2025 Vuelta.