Jonas Vingegaard of Team Visma | Lease a Bike is widely considered the leading favorite (“the man to watch”) for the General Classification (GC) in the upcoming 2025 Vuelta a España, which begins this Saturday. This is particularly true given the absence of his primary rival and reigning Tour de France champion, Tadej Pogačar.
Background and recent form
- Vingegaard is a two-time Tour de France winner (2022, 2023).
- He finished second in the 2025 Tour de France, just over four minutes behind Pogačar.
- In the 2023 Vuelta, he finished second overall, behind his teammate Sepp Kuss.
Reasons for his favoritism
- Absence of Pogačar: As the rider considered the best General Classification (GC) contender in the race, and with Pogačar focusing on other events, Vingegaard becomes the clear favorite.
- Suitability of the course: The 2025 Vuelta route is heavily weighted towards climbers, featuring ten summit finishes and five high mountain stages. Vingegaard is recognized as the world’s second-best climber and will look to capitalize on the mountain stages where differences can be made.
- Strong team support: Vingegaard will have the full backing of his Visma | Lease a Bike team, including Sepp Kuss, who is expected to play a crucial role as a domestique.
- Motivation: Vingegaard is highly motivated to end his two-year Grand Tour drought, with his last win being the 2023 Tour de France.
