Green jersey Mads Pedersen scored his fourth career Vuelta victory and first of the 80th edition on Sunday’s final stage of the second week. The GC men called a truce before the rest day and Jonas Vingegaard remained in red.
The Course
A long Cat. 1 climb right from the gun would elicit a big breakaway, and although the categorized ascents came early, there were plenty of ripples along the 167-km route to favor the escapees.
Sure enough, a 47-strong breakaway missing representation from only two teams but including five members of Lidl-Trek roared away on the opening Puerto a Garganta climb, KOM leader Jay Vine scoring the maximum mountains points at the top. Cat. 2 Alto de Barbeitos was also a long ascent. By the time the Dotted One crested first, the peloton was 7:30 in arrears.
Jay shuffled off with Louis Vervaeke and they quickly rolled up a two minute lead over their breakmates and ten minutes over the peloton. Forty-five riders pursued the duo. On the day’s final uncategorized climb, the chase split to pieces, and when V & V were swept up with 8 km to race, it was by a septet containing Mads Pedersen, Egan Bernal and Santiago Buitrago.
This new nontet steamed towards Monforte de Lemos half a minute in front of a large chase. Pedersen stayed at or near the front through the roundabouts. Vine led under the red kite. Pedersen took over before a left corner. Marco Frigo grabbed the reins into the last right corner, where Magnus Sheffield crashed. Pedersen went hard down the middle and had time to look back and then celebrate over the line.
Monday is the final, well-earned rest day of the 2025 edition.
2025 Vuelta a España Stage 15
1) Mads Pedersen (Denmark/Lidl-Trek) 4:02:13
2) Orluis Aular (Venezuela/Movistar) s.t.
3) Marco Frigo (Italy/Israel-Premier Tech) s.t.
2025 Vuelta a España GC
1) Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Visma-Lease a Bike)
2) João Almeida (Portugal/UAE-Emirates) +0:48
3) Tom Pidcock (Great Britain/Q36.5) +2:38
4) Jai Hindley (Australia/Red Bull) +3:10
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