Vuelta a España La Vuelta a España 2025: Who will finish on the podium?

[Netserk]

Route (glued together by @ammattipyoraily):

 

[Berniece]

Vingegaard and Almeida are the obvious choices. I went for Pellizzari because I like him, and if he's able to peak again while others fade a bit, there is a chance.

 

[Netserk]

My Dark Horse is Riccitello, but podium is a bit too much to hope for.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I don't think the odds for Almeida and Ayuso are all that great compared to what the bookmakers think. Vuelta routes are terrible for Almeida compared to Giro/Tour ones, and Ayuso has a spotty track record and probably also a suboptimal preparation given that he wasn't scheduled to do this race until a few weeks ago.

A fully recovered Landa would probably have been my favourite for #2, but based on Burgos I doubt we get one. So for now I'll add Carapaz and Almeida to the obvious Vingegaard, but I kind of expect someone not yet listed by PCS to make the podium.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

1. Carapaz
2. Ciccone
3. Landa
4. Pelizzari or Hindley, for the purposes of this list they are the same person
5. Tiberi

Kom: langelotti
Green: Ciccone

 

[Red Lobster]

1. Carapaz
2. Ciccone
3. Landa
4. Pelizzari or Hindley, for the purposes of this list they are the same person
5. Tiberi

Kom: langelotti
Green: Ciccone

Is Jonas crashing out or what?

 

[Peyroteo94]

This route doesn't suit João.
I voted for:
1 - Vingegaard
2 - Ayuso
3 - Carapaz

 

[HashRouge]

1. Carapaz
2. Ciccone
3. Landa
4. Pelizzari or Hindley, for the purposes of this list they are the same person
5. Tiberi

Kom: langelotti
Green: Ciccone

Almeida and Ayuso crash each other out and Jonas gets lost on the way to the start...?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Landa will super peak for this. A podium place is almost a given
Not sure about Carapaz, but if he comes with top form the race will benefit.
I hope noone from UAE/Visma will podium, but its very unlikely.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

1. Vingegaard
2. Almeida
3. Tiberi

I expect Ciccone to compete for the podium until he doesn't. Ayuso will disappoint.

 

[Charlyghoul]

Pidcocks time to shine. He’ll make the leap from the teenies to the tens.
Bernal will rediscover himself. I put him to be third but can it happen probably not.
Vingo will win, how boring
Top ten

Vingegaard
Almeida
Carapaz
Aysuo
Bernal
Tiberi
Pelizzari
Gall
Pidders
Jorgensen

 

[ashhutch1997]

Pidcocks time to shine. He’ll make the leap from the teenies to the tens.
Bernal will rediscover himself. I put him to be third but can it happen probably not.
Vingo will win, how boring
Top ten

Vingegaard
Almeida
Carapaz
Aysuo
Bernal
Tiberi
Pelizzari
Gall
Pidders
Jorgensen

Agree with the top 3, but no way Pidcock us getting tip 10. The guy couldn't even get top 15 in the Giro this year which IMO had a lower quality field.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Agree with the top 3, but no way Pidcock us getting tip 10. The guy couldn't even get top 15 in the Giro this year which IMO had a lower quality field.

He's likely in a much better condition than in May.

 

[Rob5091]

Whoever gets the TTT done better will be the GC winner - Visma v UAE
(we've heard that before somewhere ...)

 

[Trakl]

Ciccone seems to have changed some stuff this year and looks consistent. He can top 3 with Vingos and Joao

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Ben O'Connor is now, at least according to PCS, due to ride: is he a podium contender, or just going for stages?

 

[yaco]

Ben O'Connor is now, at least according to PCS, due to ride: is he a podium contender, or just going for stages?

He will ride for GC.

 

[search]

He's likely in a much better condition than in May.

the easy route should help him as well, with basically not a single mountain stage in this race. Which is also great for someone like Ciccone, of course.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Ben O'Connor is now, at least according to PCS, due to ride: is he a podium contender, or just going for stages?

Probably riding the O'Connor way, shipping a bunch of time, suddenly finding himself many minutes down, until he somehow rescues his race with a big break finding a stage victory or randomnly getting into top-5 again

 

[yaco]

Probably riding the O'Connor way, shipping a bunch of time, suddenly finding himself many minutes down, until he somehow rescues his race with a big break finding a stage victory or randomnly getting into top-5 again

O'Connor did finish 4th in the 2024 Giro riding from the peleton.

 

[Valv.Piti]

O'Connor did finish 4th in the 2024 Giro riding from the peleton.

Thats true, but thats probably also his only high GC placement he got tradiotionally. That Giro was probably in line with his level in other GTs as well, the level was just quite low outside of Pog, so he could ride a top GC placement by riding his 5.70-6 w/kg on final climbs. Other more high level races he just gets spat out the bunch doing that, especially on more explosive parcours where he's really bad.

 

[Bolder]

Agree with the top 3, but no way Pidcock us getting tip 10. The guy couldn't even get top 15 in the Giro this year which IMO had a lower quality field.

Pidcock can top 10 by following wheels carefully. He's basically a punchier Ben Healy.

Is that how I want to see him race? No.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I went with some realistic choices (Vingo and Carapaz), and then Bernal is wishful thinking. I certainly at least hope Bernal has a good Vuelta.

 

[Rob5091]

I don't know about the podium, but at Movistar it seems it will be every man for himself, which could be highly amusing.

 

[YavorD]

I don't know about the podium, but at Movistar it seems it will be every man for himself, which could be highly amusing.

So its the 3 8 amigos all over again? Good times