The Tours de France are over — and how great were they? — but there’s one more three-week race coming up. And it’s stacked with some very big names, including race favourite Derek Gee (Israel Premier Tech) of Osgoode, Ontario.
The 2025 Vuelta a España runs Aug. 23–Sept. 14, starting in Turin and passing through France and Andorra before entering Spain. The 21-stage, 3,150-km route features iconic climbs like L’Angliru and Bola del Mundo. Plus a 20-km team time trial and a stage-18 individual time trial. Canada’s Derek Gee (Israel–Premier Tech) is among the GC favourites, facing rivals like Richard Carapaz, Felix Gall, Thomas Pidcock, and Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard.
Vingegaard is the number one favourite. It would be great for the Dane to take a big win after another roller-coaster year. Granted, he did finish second at the Tour de France — behind a seemingly unbeatable Tadej Pogačar — but Vingegaard is a winner and is used to being on the top of the podium. The parcours certainly suits him — and his strong Visma–Lease a Bike squad should fare well in the team time trial, as well as being there to support him.
Israel–Premier Tech has not announced its full squad, but so far, it looks like there’s plenty of firepower to support Gee. Nadav Raisberg, Marco Frigo, Matthew Riccitello, and Ethan Vernon are confirmed so far.
Pogačar is — thankfully, most likely, for everyone else — not racing. Why? Well, it’s been a helluva season, but a long one. Instead, he will retool and focus on the road worlds in Rwanda.
Part of that prep includes two races over here. He will be trying to win both of the races at Les Grands Prix Cyclistes Montréal et Québec.
To watch the 2025 Vuelta a España, you can tune into Flobikes.com. Canadian Cycling Magazine will have a couple of reports every day after the race, so check this space. ¡Vamos!
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