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Photo Credit: Getty<\/p>\nJonas Vingegaard reignited the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a with a stinging attack on stage 9, winning solo at Valdezcaray to claim his second victory of the race and slash his deficit to race leader Torstein Tr\u00e6en to just 37 seconds. After a week of defensive riding and lingering doubts about his form, the Dane showed he is back at full strength, reshaping the general classification in the process.<\/p>\n
How the stage unfolded<\/p>\n
The 171km stage into the Valdezcaray ski station began in typical Vuelta fashion, with a fierce battle to form the day\u2019s breakaway. Eventually, a small group of five riders escaped, far fewer than expected on a day thought to favour attackers. With no major GC threat up the road, Visma-Lease a Bike initially stayed quiet, expecting the move to fight for the stage win. However, Lidl-Trek and Q36.5 were unwilling to let the opportunity slip and set about controlling the gap.<\/p>\n
As the kilometres ticked by, the peloton kept the escape on a short leash, ensuring they were reeled in at the foot of the final climb. The 13.3km ascent to Valdezcaray, averaging 5% but flattening after an early steep section, was not considered selective enough for big time gaps. The expectation was for a reduced sprint from the favourites.<\/p>\n
That plan evaporated when Vingegaard called for a lead-out on team radio. Matteo Jorgenson surged to the front and launched his leader just as the gradient stiffened in the trees. Only Giulio Ciccone could follow, but the Italian soon cracked, leaving the Dane alone with more than 10km to go. \u201cI thought it was closer to the finish when I attacked,\u201d Vingegaard later admitted, \u201cbut I had the gap and had to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind, Jo\u00e3o Almeida tried to salvage the situation but found himself isolated, shouting in frustration as his teammates faded. Tom Pidcock latched onto his wheel, the pair working together only loosely as the gap stabilised. Almeida\u2019s repeated accelerations could not bring Vingegaard back, and Pidcock admitted he had little to give until the final kilometre.<\/p>\n
Felix Gall briefly clung to Almeida\u2019s pace before slipping back, while most of the GC contenders cracked earlier and rolled in closer to two minutes down. Sepp Kuss, Vingegaard\u2019s own teammate and former winner of the Vuelta, lost time, while UAE endured a disastrous day with Juan Ayuso conceding over 20 minutes.<\/p>\n
At the finish, Vingegaard crossed the line grimy from the rain but jubilant, 24 seconds ahead of Almeida and Pidcock. Gall followed at 1:02, while Ciccone drifted in nearly two minutes back after his failed attempt to hold the Dane\u2019s wheel.<\/p>\n
Photo Credit: Getty<\/p>\n
The reaction<\/p>\n
The victory marked Vingegaard\u2019s 40th career success and confirmed that his legs are back after a cautious first week. \u201cI felt fantastic throughout the entire stage today,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the final climb, I gave the signal to my teammates to launch me. They did it in an impressive way. I\u2019m incredibly happy to finish it off like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Almeida admitted surprise at the move. \u201cThey got a bit of the surprise factor, we were not expecting it. I was in a good position, but they went really hard, and I couldn\u2019t close the gap. Nobody was with me in the end today. It is what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pidcock, meanwhile, was delighted with his second place, which lifted him to fourth overall. \u201cJonas is Jonas, and you shouldn\u2019t give him a gap. Almeida was like a tractor on that flatter section, and I could just come round him at the finish. Today definitely gives me confidence going into the harder stages.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Visma, sports director Grischa Niermann confirmed it had been an instinctive call by their leader: \u201cThe plan was to be defensive, but Jonas asked to be launched. He told the guys to speed up where it was steepest, because later he couldn\u2019t make the difference. It was Jonas\u2019 initiative, and it was a very good move.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Dane\u2019s sudden return to attacking form has left his rivals with little margin for error heading into the second week. If he can open gaps on a relatively benign climb like Valdezcaray, the looming Angliru and La Farrapona will be a far sterner test for those hoping to deny him a third red jersey.<\/p>\n
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Photo Credit: Cor Vos<\/p>\n
2025 Vuelta a Espana Stage 9 result<\/p>\n