Team Jayco AlUla will go into the Vuelta a España targeting stage victories and a strong general classification result, headlined by three Grand Tour stage winners in Australians Ben O’Connor and Chris Harper, and Irish rider Eddie Dunbar.
 
O’Connor will lead the Australian squad’s overall ambitions, having ridden to second place overall at last year’s Vuelta a España. The 29-year-old rode into the leader’s red jersey with a victory on stage six, holding onto the race lead until the final days and ultimately finishing runner-up.
 
A Queen stage purple patch
Over the past year, O’Connor, Harper, and Dunbar have delivered Team Jayco AlUla to three consecutive Queen stage victories in the calendar’s three-week races. The team will be aiming to make it a clean sweep of Grand Tour stage wins in 2025.
 
At last season’s Vuelta, Dunbar soared to two stage victories including on the formidable Picón Blanco. Harper made it a second Queen stage win in a row for the squad with his epic effort into Sestriere over the Colle delle Finestre.
 
O’Connor completed the hattrick of wins in the Grand Tours’ toughest stages by soloing to victory on a brutal day at the Tour de France last month. 

Ben O’Connor
“After the Tour is always a time to let it all soak in and enjoy the celebration for winning a stage and finding success at the biggest race in the world. After, you get back stuck into the hard work to prepare for the Vuelta a España. Last year, I had an amazing time leading the race for two weeks, wearing the red jersey, and it was a pretty special moment being on the podium.
 
I’m coming back this year aiming for another great result and another great time. The route in general is a bit of a mixture with some easier stages, along with climbs that suit me quite well. There are some iconic stages like the Angliru, which I’ve never actually done before. It’s one of the hardest climbs in the world, so I can tick that one off the list. Hopefully we’ll get to Madrid, and I can also be up there on GC myself.”
 
A mixture of youth and experience
Experienced veterans Chris Juul Jensen and Koen Bouwman will provide a wealth of racing knowledge with 25 Grand Tour appearances between them, guiding the team across flat, mountainous and climbing terrain. Adding to the engine room of the squad is Austrian Patrick Gamper, who has been part of two Grand Tour winning squads including the team that won last year’s Vuelta.
 
Rounding out the aggressive squad will be 24-year-old Anders Foldager and team pursuit Olympic champion Kell O’Brien. Foldager is set to make his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta as O’Brien lines up at the Spanish race for the second time. 

Stephen Cummings
“We’ve got a strong team for the Vuelta a España with Harper, O’Connor, and Dunbar for the climbs. Of course, nine of the stages finish uphill so hopefully they can be up there in those finishes, and we will aim to keep O’Connor in contention for the GC, too. Foldager has a fast finish, and he can also follow in bunch sprints so there are some good chances for him, too.
 
Bouwman will also be there to help in the mountains, while O’Brien, Juul Jensen, and Gamper, are hybrid riders. They can try to help O’Connor, Harper, and Dunbar when they can in the mountains and be present in breakaways and then help position Foldager for those other stages. I think the team time trial squad is very strong as well and we’ll be looking forward to a strong result on that stage.”
 
Team Jayco AlUla at the Vuelta a España 2025
Koen Bouwman (NED) 4th appearance
Eddie Dunbar (IRL) 3rd appearance
Anders Foldager (DEN) Debut appearance
Patrick Gamper (AUT) 3rd appearance
Chris Harper (AUS) 3rd appearance
Chris Juul Jensen (DEN) 2nd appearance
Kell O’Brien (AUS) 2nd appearance
Ben O’Connor (AUS) 4th appearance

Photos: Sprint Cycling