Here we go! The final Grand Tour of the year, the 2025 Vuelta a España, begins Saturday. Stage 1 is 186.7 km and finishes in Novara. It’s a largely flat profile. So it will offer sprinters the first chance at the red leader’s jersey. Early in the day, a minor climb and an intermediate sprint punctuate the route, but neither is expected to influence the final outcome.
The finale in Novara is relatively straightforward. Although, a few roundabouts could stretch the peloton and add chaos ahead of the sprint.
Jasper Philipsen, a late entry after an early Tour de France exit, is the favourite if his form holds. Mads Pedersen, in strong shape but without a full leadout, could challenge. Casper van Uden and a handful of others—including Ethan Vernon, Jake Stewart, and Filippo Ganna—may feature, but the stage appears dominated by the Belgian and Dane.
Stage 1 offers a chance to grab the first red jersey before the mountains take over the Spanish mainland.
There are two Canadians racing: Pier-André Côté from Israel Premier Tech, and Nickolas Zukowsky from Q.36.5. For Zukowsky, it’s his second Grand Tour of the year. He began the Giro d’Italia after a strong spring but had to abandon after a crash.
One rider who won’t be there is Derek Gee of IPT. The Osgoode, Ont., rider was the talk of cycling media on Friday when his team announced that he had sent a letter of termination on Aug. 9. Following that, rumours surfaced that Ineos Grenadiers was trying to secure him. However, it’s unclear what is going on behind the scenes, as Israel Premier Tech made it clear he has a contract until 2028. Things could get messy…
In the meantime, tune into FloBikes.com at 6:45 a.m. EDT for Stage 1. After the race, Canadian Cycling Magazine will have a full report with photos. ¡Vamos!
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…