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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, August 29, 2025

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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion. - Thomas Paine

Les Woodland's book Cycling's World Championships: The Inside Story is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• August 23 - September 14: Vuelta a España
• August 26 - 29: Tour Poitou Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine

Upcoming racing:

• August 31: Bretagne Classic-Ouest France

Latest completed racing:

• August 20 - 24: Renewi Tour
• August 19 - 22: Tour du Limousin
• August 17: Hamburg Cyclassics
• August 17: La Polynormande
• August 12 - 16: Tour of Denmark
• August 15: Circuit Franco-Belge
• August 4 - 10: Tour of Poland
• August 7 - 10: Arctic Race of Norway
• August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
• August 6 - 8: Tour de l'Ain
• August 3: Circuito de Getxo
• August 2: San Sebastian Classic

We posted the report from the race organizer with the results.

Here's the Vuelta report from stage winner Jay Vine's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:

With a display that reiterated his credentials as a master of the breakaways, Jay Vine won stage 6 of the Vuelta a España at a canter. The Australian climber was on adopted home roads in Andorra, and used his local knowledge to full effect, dropping his breakaway companions on a tricky descent and riding alone to the summit of the final climb.

Crossing the line almost a minute ahead of the next-best rider, Vine claimed his third career stage victory at the Vuelta, and in doing so, moved into the lead of the King of the Mountains classification. As he pulled on the blue and white polka-dot jersey on the podium, the 29-year-old celebrated back-to-back victories for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Jay Vine wins stage six. Sirotti photo

Vine’s breakaway success comes, of course, just a day after the Emirati squad won the Team Time Trial in Figueres. On the race’s brief sajourn into Andorra on Thursday afternoon, Vine triumphed from a 10-man breakaway and took UAE Team Emirates-XRG to 75 victories for the 2025 campaign.

Celebrating with his wife, Bre and young son, Harrison, beyond the line, Vine could barely contain his smile. The Australian has now added to his two Vuelta stage victories from the 2022 edition, and moves himself to ten career victories since he turned professional four years ago. Speaking to the TV cameras after the finish, the stage 6 winner described his emotions of winning in his adopted backyard.

Vine: “My aim was definitely to win the stage, but there was always the option that if the break wasn’t going to win, then I could come back and do some work [for my teammates]. It was always on the cards to have me in the breakaway as an option to do something if everything came back together.

“I know these roads pretty well, I’m from just down the hill, so the Alto de La Comella is my favourite climb in all of Andorra. I would have normally liked to have done it way harder, but you know with the headwind, it was hard to get the guys to pull through and make it really hard. I decided to go at the top and with the wet descent, I know the descent really well. I thought, ‘ok, this is my chance to get away, and there’s no funny business, it’s just mano el mano.’

“I got the call up to do this race about four weeks ago, it wasn’t on my schedule originally. So to be able to win in Andorra, in front of my son, in front of my wife, it’s unbelievable. It was incredibly motivating for the last 5km, all I could think of was, ‘this is for you, Harrison, this is for you.'”

Vine had infiltrated the breakaway of the day at the very outset of the stage, with the Australian quickly joined by nine other riders up the road. In total, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG climber would spend 161km off the front of the race, with the GC favourites in the peloton content to see the breakaway battle for the day’s honours.

In turn, Vine rode with honour at the head of proceedings, never skipping a turn and ensuring that the break would head into the final categorised climbs of the day with a lead of well over six minutes. It was to be here that the stage victory was decided.

The penultimate climb was a Category 2 test in the shape of the Alto de La Comella, which stands at an average gradient of 8% for 4.2km. As detailed by Vine in his post-race interview, the Comella is his favourite ascent of the region, and as such, the Australian knew full well how to take advantage.

Having moved to second in the virtual King of the Mountains standings earlier in the stage, Vine made an attack towards the summit of the climb, ostensibly chasing more points to go in search of the polka-dot jersey. What his breakaway rivals did not anticipate, however, was that Vine would press on over the summit and try to extend his advantage on the technical descent that followed.

With rainfall having dampened the asphalt earlier in the afternoon, the descent of the Comella was liable to prove treacherous, and as such, Vine’s first-hand knowledge of its twists and turns was essential. The 29-year-old rode a near-perfect descent and as he headed towards the base of the final climb, he had stretched his lead to over 30 seconds to those nine riders in the breakaway behind.

Alone at the front of the race, Vine need only to press on and worry about getting to the finish line alone. It would be no mean feat, with the last climb averaging 6.5% for 9.6km, but the Australian has proven time and time again that he can climb with the very best when the going gets tough.

Indeed, as the kilometres ticked by, Vine’s lead only grew, and by the finish line it had reached almost a minute. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider could celebrate a job well done and look forward to his family’s embrace beyond the line. It was a sumptuous display and made it two stage wins in as many days for UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the Vuelta.

Meanwhile, in the peloton, Felix Grossschartner led his teammates into the final climb and ensured that they would be well-positioned come the crunch moments. Juan Ayuso was forced to bid adieu to the bunch as the pace ramped up, with the Spaniard ceding control of the white young rider’s jersey, but both João Almeida and Marc Soler stepped up for the Emirati squad.

Of the GC contenders, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) were the first to make their move, attacking their rivals inside the last 2km. The pair opened up what looked to be a significant gap to those behind, but it was at this moment that Almeida shone.

Riding at his own pace, Almeida refused to be baited into no man’s land, and instead sat at the front of the group of favourites and slowly but surely reeled in the escaped duo. Thanks to the dogged determination of the Portuguese climber, Vingegaard and Ciccone were forced to relent, with Almeida laying down a further marker by becoming the first GC contender to cross the line.

Heading into another summit finish on Friday, the 27-year-old sits just eight seconds behind Vingegaard in the general classification. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider handed over the red jersey to Torstein Træen of Bahrain Victorious on stage 6, but is the de facto leader of the big contenders in fifth place in the overall standings. The battle lines will be drawn once more on stage 7.

Here's the Vuelta report from Jonas Vingegaard's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

In stage six of La Vuelta Ciclista a España, finishing in Andorra, it was breakaway rider Jay Vine who came out on top. Fellow escapee Torstein Træen took the red jersey off Jonas Vingegaard’s shoulders and is now the new overall leader.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike took control of the race right from the start. The Dutch squad allowed a group of ten riders to fight for the stage win on the climb to Pal, Andorra.

In the final kilometers of the last ascent, Vingegaard showed he was still attentive. The Dane comfortably countered an attack from Italy’s Giulio Ciccone. For a brief moment, Vingegaard accelerated himself, but the rivals responded quickly, preventing him from riding away.

The peloton 60 kilometers into the stage with Team Visma | Lease a Bike at the front. ASO photo

For Sepp Kuss, the sixth stage carried special significance. The American has been living and training in Andorra for years, meaning today he raced on home soil. “It was a very special stage. It’s nice to race on roads I know so well. That was the case throughout the day. I know these climbs inside out. We’re happy with how the race unfolded. It wasn’t a problem for us to let a breakaway have its chance. Things still look good for us in this Vuelta.”

Sports director Jesper Mørkøv echoed that sentiment. “The team performed well again today. We took control. For us, it wasn’t an issue if a strong break went up the road. That allowed us to focus on the remainder of this demanding stage. Jonas was in good shape on the final climb, which is promising for tomorrow and the rest of this Vuelta”, the Dane said.

Here's the Vuelta stage six report from GC fourth-place Louis Vervaeke's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Louis Vervaeke did a great race Thursday afternoon, as the peloton visited Andorra for a stage that culminated atop Pal, a 9.6km climb averaging 6.3% which returned at the race for the first time in 15 years.

T-Rex Quick-Step was on a mission on this demanding stage six, which came just twenty-four hours after the team time trial that reshuffled the general classification, sending both Gianmarco Garofoli and Louis Vervaeke in the twelve-man breakaway that formed after just twenty kilometers. Not bothered by the nagging rain, the group went on to build a comfortable six-minute advantage over the peloton, a big contribution to this coming from our riders, who did a great effort on the climbs.

Louis Vervaeke on the final climb to Pal, Andorra. Sirotti photo

At the same time, Vervaeke began picking up points on the climbs, including the first-category Collada de Toses, over whose top he led the group, and this ended up bringing him in the fight for the KOM jersey. On the last ascent, where Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) rode to victory, the 31-year-old Belgian began paying for his efforts, but didn’t give up and continued pushing all the way to the line, where he finished seventh. It was Louis’ best ever result at the Vuelta, one that elevated him to fourth place overall and also helped the T-Rex Quick-Step climber move to second in the mountain classification.

“We were really committed to working together and opening a gap, and this helped us stay away. I was lucky to have Gianmarco there, who was of great help. My main goal was the climber’s jersey and I gave everything out there for this, taking points wherever possible. I had a good day, but I began suffering on the last ascent, and in the end, I missed out on taking it for just one point. It’s a bit frustrating, but despite this, I am content with my effort and I am determined to try again, as the Vuelta is still long”, Louis said after the stage.

And here's the Vuelta report from Egan Bernal's Team INEOS Grenadiers:

Egan Bernal finished with the group of GC favourites on a mountainous stage six at La Vuelta a Espana.

An early break of 10 managed to stay away across the 170km stage, with Jay Vine (UAE Emirates - XRG) taking the win from a solo attack up the final climb in Pal.

The early break of ten riders. ASO photo

The Grenadiers worked well all day to protect Bernal, with the Colombian part of the GC fight on the final climb of the day.

Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) attacked with leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease A Bike), before Joao Almeida (UAE Emirates - XRG) counterattacked. Bernal continued to follow suit behind Ciccone and Vingegaard, and strong sprint to the finish saw Bernal finish fifth from the group and take 14th on the stage.

Bernal continues to fight another day with 11th on the GC.

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