Vuelta a España Vuelta 2025, stage 20: Robledo de Chavela - Bola del Mundo - Puerto de Navacerrada (164.8 km)

[pelotonIQ]

Some of you folks are hilarious!

So you don't want Vingegaard to be mentioned in the same sentence and compared to the worlds best rider?

 

[YavorD]

The Pogacar era has produced the biggest gap in races I remember, and it's been truly boring to watch.

Well, we've got the. Giro in 2022 (and 2023) as races with small gaps and then Pogacar's Giro.
All 3 were terrible races.

 

[Sciatic]

You know Almeida is totally cooked when he doesn't even say "it is what it is" in an interview.

He went with “we did our best”

 

[AnotherArmChair]

I think tomorrows stage will be cancelled due to protestors. They will be out in force on the streets of Madrid

And I am about to cancel my over priced TNT subscription

I guess that's me for cycling this season as cannot find a site that is reasonably priced and not going to continue to pay £33 a month to TNT

And for some awful reason got (sound) blocked on TIZ for saying I couldn't find a feature button but was prepared to make a donation but not now

Its a pity as I may not be back to cycling next year as no way of watching it in UK except TNT

 

[pelotonIQ]

Yeah, I don't know about his trainers. What's the story? I know Tadej moved on from Iigo San Millan, even though he had some great results with him, and became even better with the next trainer.

The story is that Visma has a team issued trainer that everyone trains under and Niermann that thinks that he knows it all and lies to Vingegaard that his numbers are enough to win via some ''AI-algorithm'' Visma has been fiddling with.

 

[Sciatic]

So you don't want Vingegaard to be mentioned in the same sentence and compared to the world’s best rider?

Not sure why you’re saying that? I was responding to the suggestions that Vingegaard will no longer be competition for Pogacar based on this Vuelta. By that token Pogacar is also on the decline because he lost to Wout in Stage 21 and couldn’t catch the breakaway yesterday.

 

[Unchained]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Pidders seems to have matured in the past couple of years and fits better in the structure of team cycling.

This is also how I see it. I see Ineos as slightly idiotic about the Pidcock hybrid model. If anything you see his mountain bike- road racing mash up as a resounding success not only for him individually but for new organization who are exploiting Pidcock's popularity and positive approach to display team in positive, winning way. Ineos in my different opinion from postmanhat, looks like an organization who has no real direction, anti organization, disorganized.
Q36 looks like there is way way less money involved and side by side, Q36 getting way more bang for the buck(euros) than Ineos.
It's almost like Wiggins, Froome, Thomas, Bernal awesomeness is just erased.. No momentum.

 

[Invicituz]

What an exceptional performance from Jonas Vingegaard, cementing victory in the 2025 Vuelta a España with a solo win atop Bola del Mundo. Outstanding, from the Dane.

 

[RobertCrawley]

The story is that Visma has a team issued trainer that everyone trains under and Niermann that thinks that he knows it all and lies to Vingegaard that his numbers are enough to win via some ''AI-algorithm'' Visma has been fiddling with.

You'd think with the money and experience and knowledge they have on Visma, they'd be the best at getting the most out of riders.

 

[Sciatic]

I think tomorrows stage will be cancelled due to protestors. They will be out in force on the streets of Madrid

And I am about to cancel my over priced TNT subscription

I guess that's me for cycling this season as cannot find a site that is reasonably priced and not going to continue to pay £33 a month to TNT

And for some awful reason got (sound) blocked on TIZ for saying I couldn't find a feature button but was prepared to make a donation but not now

Its a pity as I may not be back to cycling next year as no way of watching it in UK except TNT

You’re that opposed to using a VPN?

 

[Unchained]

Not sure why you’re saying that? I was responding to the suggestions that Vingegaard will no longer be competition for Pogacar based on this Vuelta. By that token Pogacar is also on the decline because he lost to Wout in Stage 21 and couldn’t catch the breakaway yesterday.

And he got Canadian kicked by a Frenchman that half the forum said was washed up.. Pogacar showing multiple signs, physically and mentally that he is human.

 

[Sciatic]

Almeida just said he has been sick and on the limit all day

I do think there is a GT win in him (ex Pog and Vinge) and I hope he gets the chance

I'm now a fan

He’s definitely strong enough but it’s tough to gain time when there’s not the exclusivity to drop folks. But it wouldn’t be a fluke if he did win one, just has to be the right circumstances.

 

[pelotonIQ]

You'd think with the money and experience and knowledge they have on Visma, they'd be the best at getting the most out of riders.

You'd think so but the way Jonas races doesn't reflect that. Some of it falls on Jonas shoulders too, he is a quiet guy, he doesn't want to rock the boat, he doesn't want to put his foot down and make demands, he doesn't want his needs priotized. Hopefully his wife can put some sense into him, that he is a rider worthy of being priotized and have a team solely focused on riding for him and only him. And as for the trainer part, I would love for Jonas to explore his options and try something new. Soon it's not about Pogacar anymore, other riders are catching up to Jonas, you'd think that Jonas wins by minutes vs the likes of Almeida but he only won by slighty over 1 minute overall.

 

[Sciatic]

If a gap of less than a minute between number one and two in the GC before stage 20 is boring, then it must be hard for you to find a grand tour that isn't boring. Or is it a matter of personal preference regarding the top riders?

I will say that this race was really noteworthy (un-noteworthy?) but of how few attacks there were from any of the favorites. Most of the damage was simply by attrition. Which isn’t bad but less exciting.

 

[Unchained]

You'd think with the money and experience and knowledge they have on Visma, they'd be the best at getting the most out of riders.

I would say that evaluating the roster with guys like Brennan, Vingegaard, Kuss, Wout, Matteo, Benoot, Kooij, a completely renewed Campenarts, ....Visma training team is getting plenty out of it's riders. Probably a debate, but today's stage was the hardest in my opinion because it came under enormous pressure on GC and after bizarre 3 weeks of racing.. Visma had a stellar showing..

 

[movingtarget]

Vingegaard impressive. Hindley gave it his all. Gutsy ride by Pidcock who looked ready to crack a few times. Amazing ride by Vine to finish at 47 seconds. One climb too many for Pellizzari. Nice ride by Howson for a top 10. Meintjes ghosts his way to another top 20 overall.

 

[Danskebjerge]

I will say that this race was really noteworthy (un-noteworthy?) but of how few attacks there were from any of the favorites. Most of the damage was simply by attrition. Which isn’t bad but less exciting.

I sort of agree, but then again, even under these circumstances, there were plenty of "this race is over" comments many stages ago. So it's hard to make everyone happy, to say the least.

 

[RedheadDane]

Some of it falls on Jonas shoulders too, he is a quiet guy, he doesn't want to rock the boat,

Which is funny, considering he's from a place quite famous for rocky boats.

 

[Sciatic]

I sort of agree, but then again, even under these circumstances, there were plenty of "this race is over" comments many stages ago. So it's hard to make everyone happy, to say the least.

For sure, and I am glad to have racing to watch! Especially knowing the end of the road season is just a bit more than a month away.

 

[Unchained]

You'd think so but the way Jonas races doesn't reflect that. Some of it falls on Jonas shoulders too, he is a quiet guy, he doesn't want to rock the boat, he doesn't want to put his foot down and make demands, he doesn't want his needs priotized. Hopefully his wife can put some sense into him, that he is a rider worthy of being priotized and have a team solely focused on riding for him and only him. And as for the trainer part, I would love for Jonas to explore his options and try something new. Soon it's not about Pogacar anymore, other riders are slowly catching up to Jonas, you'd think that Jonas wins by minutes vs the likes of Almeida.

I hope his wife starts a cake baking website and is never heard from again.. Ever. Jonas Vingegaard is riding great, has massive support top to bottom from Visma. The team road the race with a solid strategy and looks to have learned from self imposed pressure stupidity at TDF. For Visma to think putting pressure on themselves was a good idea was ridiculous and misplaced. As you see here regardless of Almeida or Pogacar, UAE will apply pressure on the race, they don't need help making it hard. Visma doesn't need to do anything drastic, dramatic.. Just ride solid and chip away.. Here a bonus, there a bonus, everywhere a bonus.
Vingegaard racing with great economy and waiting to spend energy today was brilliant..

 

[Netserk]

I sort of agree, but then again, even under these circumstances, there were plenty of "this race is over" comments many stages ago. So it's hard to make everyone happy, to say the least.

The best GTs recently have had very different dynamics, but I think many have enjoyed all three:

2023 Tour
2024 Vuelta
2025 Giro

 

[Red Rick]

The best GTs recently have had very different dynamics, but I think many have enjoyed all three:

2023 Tour
2024 Vuelta
2025 Giro

2025 Giro wasn't much better than the 2023 Giro.

 

[Netserk]

2025 Giro wasn't much better than the 2023 Giro.

I think it was, even if it was also flawed. And I think only the Tour last year challenges it as in the top-3 of the past 9 GTs.

 

[YavorD]

2025 Giro wasn't much better than the 2023 Giro.

2025 was parcours fault.
I give it to the riders, they made the best out of what they were given.

 

[Oldman]

What an exceptional performance from Jonas Vingegaard, cementing victory in the 2025 Vuelta a España with a solo win atop Bola del Mundo. Outstanding, from the Dane.

Considering that all the top 5 are exhausted; Jonas pulled out the last bit of energy on a really cruel finish. Look at the rest of the Visma guys, too. They didn't beat themselves like the Tour effort and came away with excellent and effective efforts for the whole race.
Comparing the overall contribution to how UAE played the Vuelta it demonstrates how the accumulative demands on an unsupported leader leads to very excessive fatigue. It got laid out in 5kms of the 20th stage for all to see. Ayuso's effort today managed to get them closer to the breakaway but couldn't help Almeida in any real way. That should be his legacy for this Vuelta with the subtitle: Selfishness triumphed!