Who is the big favourite for the Vuelta?

The 2025 edition of the Vuelta a España, which starts this Saturday in Turin, Italy, has a clear favourite: Jonas Vingegaard. The Danish cyclist from the Visma - Lease a Bike team is the leading contender for the red jersey.

The Danish cyclist enters the Vuelta a España on the back of his second place in the Tour de France, supported by a powerful team. The absence of Tadej Pogačar, Primoz Roglic, and Remco Evenepoel places Vingegaard in a dominant position.

UAE Team Emirates should be his main threat, with Juan Ayuso and João Almeida starting the Vuelta as co-leaders. Ayuso is the great Spanish hope, young and very strong in the mountains. He's racing on home soil and will benefit from the support of the home crowd, which could be key factors for him.

Portuguese João Almeida is consistent and a time trial specialist; he will need to be able to take advantage of any weaknesses in his rivals to try to take the lead in the standings. Among the other riders mentioned are Italians Antonio Tiberi and Giulio Ciccone. They are undoubtedly lesser favorites, but capable of causing a surprise if the race gets tougher or if an unforeseen event occurs. Other notables include, to a lesser extent, Jai Hindley, Giulio Pellizzari, Felix Gall, Egan Bernal, and Mikel Landa.

But bookmakers and experts are unanimous: barring an accident or major surprise, the overall victory of the 2025 Tour de France should go to Jonas Vingegaard.

(MH with FM - Source : Marca - RTVE - Photo : ©Unsplash)