"Joao Almeida triumphs on the formidable Angliru climb during stage 13 of the Vuelta a Espana, while Jonas Vingegaard maintains the red jersey"
Vuelta a España 2025: Almeida Claims Stage 13 Victory, Race for Podium Intensifies
The Vuelta a España 2025 is reaching its climax, with four mountain top stages remaining, including one tomorrow. The battle for the podium and the top five positions is heating up, as the race enters its final stages.
In the general classification, Jonas Vingegaard continues to lead the race by 46 seconds from João Almeida. Vingegaard held onto the red jersey after stage 13, despite a strong challenge from Almeida. The Portuguese rider, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, claimed victory on the 13th stage, a testament to his form and determination.
Almeida's victory atop the legendary Asturian climb, the Alto de L'Angliru, was the 79th for UAE Team Emirates-XRG this season. The stage was completed at an average speed of 41.3km/h over a distance of 202.7km, with a gruelling 3,958m of climbing.
The break during stage 13 included several notable riders, such as Bob Jungels (Ineos Grenadiers), Nicolas Vinokourov (XDS Astana), and Jefferson Cepada (Movistar). Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was also part of the large break. However, the break was caught halfway up the Angliru, after being briefly held up by a protest.
Tom Pidcock remains on the overall podium despite losing time. Pidcock is currently 2:18 behind the leader, with Jai Hindley in fourth, 42 seconds behind Pidcock. The team is approaching the record for most wins in a year, currently held by Columbia-HTC with 85 in 2009.
As the race enters its final stages, the battle for the red jersey seems to be tight between Vingegaard and Almeida. Hindley has moved up in the general classification, and Pidcock is fighting to maintain his position on the podium. The final four stages promise to be thrilling, with the overall winner set to be decided in the mountains.
