On Saturday, August 23, the last Grand Tour of 2025 will start. As usual, it’s the Vuelta a España, where organizer Unipublic always puts together an awesome route. In 2025, it will be no different. Jonas Vingegaard will be there, but Tadej Pogacar won’t. What will the riders face? IDLProCycling.com lists all the stages for you!
Please note: the favorites for the stage wins are only meant to give an idea of what type of rider could be successful!
Stage 1, Saturday, Aug. 23: Turin – Novara (186.1 km)
This year’s Vuelta a España will start in Turin. The Italian city has been the host of the Grande Partenza of the Giro several times in recent years, but now it will also host the Gran Salida. 186 kilometers later, the first red leader’s jersey will be up for grabs in Novara, where the sprinters will have their chance for success.
Favorites
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty)
Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers)Stage 2, Sunday, Aug. 24: Alba – Limone Piemonte (159.6 km)
The second stage of the Tour of Spain is also on Italian soil, but with a distinctly Spanish character. It is a so-called unipuerto stage: virtually flat all day, but with an uphill finish. This will take place in Limone Piemonte, after a climb of 7.6 kilometers at an average gradient of 5.6 percent.
Favorites
Tom Pidcock (Q36.5)
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)Stage 3, Monday, Aug. 25: San Maurizio Canavese – Ceres (134.6 km)
The third and final stage in Italy is from San Maurizio Canavese to Ceres. It is a short stage, only 134.6 kilometers. This should suit the strong sprinters, as the finish is on a two-kilometer hill with a gradient of just over four percent.
Favorites
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Tim van Dijke (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech)
Stage 4, Tuesday, Aug. 26: Susa – Voiron (206.7 km)
The peloton will cross from Italy to Spain by bike, which means they will have to pass through the French Alps. From the start in Susa, the riders will climb 77 kilometers to the top of the Lauteret, at an altitude of 2,069 meters. Then comes the long descent to Voiron, where we finish at 312 meters above sea level. An ideal stage for breakaway riders, or can someone like Mads Pedersen spot an opportunity?
Favorites
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Rémi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ)
Marc Soler (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Stage 5, Wednesday, Aug. 27: Figueres – Figueres (24.1 km, team time trial)
The fifth stage is likely to be the first serious test for the GC contenders, as a 24-kilometer team time trial in Figueres is scheduled once the riders reach Spain. Which team will excel in this discipline?
Favorites
UAE Emirates-XRG
Visma | Lease a Bike
INEOS Grenadiers
Stage 6, Thursday, Aug. 28: Olot – Pal Andorra (170.3 km)
We are only six days into the race, but already in our fourth country. After Italy, France, and Spain, the peloton heads to Andorra, where many riders live. The tiny country is known for its altitude differences, which are also reflected in the stage, which has 3,500 meters of climbing and a mountain finish on a 9.7-kilometer climb at 6.4 percent.
Favorites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Joao Almeida (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Stage 7, Friday, Aug. 29: Andorra La Vella – Cerler. Huesca la Magia (187.0 km)
From Andorra, the riders return to Spain, where they will discover that the landscape there also has its challenges. The day after a ride with 3,500 meters of elevation gain, another 4,300 meters await, including a grueling finish on an irregular climb. After these two days, the cards will have to be laid on the table.
Favorites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Juan Ayuso (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers)Stage 8, Saturday, Aug. 30: Monzon Templario – Zaragoza (163.4 km)
On the second Saturday, the peloton heads for Zaragoza, which often means a fast ride. Looking at the elevation profile for this day, it seems likely that this will be the case again. There are no hills in sight, which is rare in Spain.
Favorites
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Elia Viviani (Lotto)
Jenthe Biermans (Arkéa – B&B Hotels)
Stage 9, Sunday, Aug. 31: Alfaro – Estacion de Esqui de Valdezcaray (195.5 km)
On paper, this looks like another unipuerto stage, but make no mistake: over a distance of 195.5 kilometers, there are 3,300 meters of climbing on the program. With the climb to Valdezcaray (13.5 kilometers at 5.1 percent), the real challenge comes at the end. Who will go into the rest day feeling good?
Favorites
Max Poole (Picnic PostNL)
Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto)
Wout Poels (XDS-Astana)
Stage 10, Tuesday, Sept. 2: Parque de la Naturaleza Sendaviva – El Ferial Larra Belagua (175.3 km)
After a well-deserved rest day in Pamplona, the Tour of Spain continues on Tuesday with a stage that is remarkably similar to the stage before the rest day. Once again, there are more than 3000 meters of climbing on the menu, but it is mainly the finish on a first-category climb (9.4 km at 6.3%) that will decide the stage winner at the end of the day.
Favorites
Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious)
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Juan Ayuso (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Stage 11, Wednesday, Sept. 3: Bilbao – Bilbao (157.4 km)
This is an exciting stage! Who remembers the start of the 2023 Tour in Bilbao, where the Yates brothers ultimately took the lead? This eleventh stage will be a repeat of that finale, plus a lot of other steep Basque climbs. The total number of meters climbed will exceed 3,000 in just 157 kilometers. Pay attention!
Favorites
Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Tom Pidcock (Q36.5)
Stage 12, Thursday, Sept. 4: Laredo – Los Corrades de Buelna (144.9 km)
A typical transition stage in the Vuelta. Relatively short, with two vicious climbs—especially the second one—along the way and the necessary flat kilometers in between to make it tactical. Baroudeurs, come on in.
Favorites
Wilco Kelderman (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech)
Tom Pidcock (Q36.5)
Stage 13, Friday, Sept. 5: Cabezon de la Sal – l’Angliru (202.7 km)
Alto de l’Angliru! One of the most feared mountains in Spain and, by extension, in all of Europe, is what awaits the riders on Friday, September 5. First, the Mozqueta and Cordal, then 12.1 kilometers of climbing at 10 percent, on a day with 200 kilometers to go.
Favorites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Jao Almeida (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Stage 14, Saturday, Sept. 6: Aviles – Alto de la Farrapona (135.9 km)
Anyone who thought that the riders would be able to take it easy the day after the Angliru will be disappointed. With a stage that packs 3,800 meters of climbing into just 136 kilometers, it’s time to hammer the pedals again. We finish on the Alto de la Farrapona, the last seven kilometers of which climb at an average gradient of 8.5 percent.
Favorites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R)
Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step)
Stage 15, Sunday, Sept. 7: Vegadeo – Montfote de Lemos (167.8 km)
This is a stage with a somewhat unusual character on the penultimate Sunday. We start with a 17-kilometer climb, after which the road continues to rise and fall until kilometer 100. The last 67 kilometers are mainly flat, so on paper, this is a good opportunity for attackers who still have some energy left in the tank.
Favorites
Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech)
Simon Carr (Cofidis)
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Stage 16, Tuesday, Sept. 9: Poio – Castro de Herville (167.9 km)
After the second rest day, which will be spent in Pontevedra, day sixteen will see a typically tricky Tour of Spain stage. The first half of the stage is relatively easy, but the second half is characterized by ups and downs. The finish is on a second category climb: 8.1 kilometers at an average gradient of 5.7 percent.
Favorites
Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla)
Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana)
Guillermo Thomas Silva (Caja Rural-Seguros)
Stage 17, Wednesday, Sept. 10: O Barco de Valdeorras – Alto de El Morredero (143.2 km)
It won’t be easy for the riders. On day 17, there is another uphill finish, this time on the Alto de El Morredero. There isn’t much climbing along the way, but a monster climb of 18.1 kilometers at 6.3 percent will hurt a lot after everything we’ve already been through.
Favorites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Joao Almeida (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Juan Ayuso (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Stage 18, Thursday, Sept. 11: Valladolid – Valladolid (27.2 km, individual time trial)
We are nearing Madrid, and we haven’t had a time trial yet, so Unipublic has chosen Valladolid as the location for a time trial on day eighteen. 27.2 kilometers of hard pedaling, although for some it will feel like a welcome half rest day.
Favorites
Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers)
Jay Vine (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Stage 19, Friday, Sept. 12: Rueda – Guijuelo (161.9 km)
On the last Friday of the race, the organizers have planned a transition stage from Reuda to Guijuelo. Here, the sprinters – if there are any left – will have another chance to shine, although it could just as easily turn into a stage for the breakaway.
Favorites
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers)
Tim van Dijke (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Stage 20, Saturday, Sept. 13: Robledo de Chavela – Bola del Mundo. Puerto de Navacerrada (165.5 km)
One more time up those damn mountains, some of the peloton will be thinking. On the penultimate day of the 2025 Vuelta a España, there is another stage with 4,200 meters of climbing on the program. However, we believe the most important part is at the end, with the finish on the grueling Bola del Mundo. Twelve kilometers of climbing at 8.5 percent!
Favorites
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ)
Stage 21, Sunday, Sept. 14: Alalpardo – Madrid (111.6 km)
Those fast men will get their reward after all. Last season, the Vuelta ended with a time trial, but this time it’s another sprint in the Spanish capital. You wouldn’t want it any other way.
Favorites
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech)
Jenthe Biermans (Arkéa – B&B Hotels)