Vuelta 2025 Favourites stage 15: Attrition battle with sprint finale

The flag drops and it’s uphill straight away. The riders face 16.5 kilometres at 5.1% on the Puerto A Garganta, topping out at 875 metres above sea level. From there, it’s a constant grind of climbing and descending, with the peloton spending kilometre after kilometre hovering around that altitude.

TThe second categorised climb is the highly irregular Alto de Barbeitos. At 11.9 kilometres, its profile resembles a rollercoaster, ramping up to double digits at times, though the average gradient is just 3.9%.

The route continues in similar fashion – up and down – until a long descent ushers in the second half of the stage. It never flattens out completely, but the hardest climbing is done and dusted. After a 4.8-kilometre stretch at 3.7%, with 27 kilometres remaining, the road runs virtually straight south towards the finish.

Given the demanding opening, only those with climbing legs can make the day’s break, while the finale favours fast men with a touch of climbing DNA. Stage 15 is tailor-made for sprinters who can handle the hills. No coincidence that Magnus Cort triumphed in Monforte de Lemos four years ago after a similar route.

Favourites 15th stage 2025 Vuelta a España

*** Mads Pedersen, Tom Pidcock, Ethan Vernon
** Ben Turner, Filippo Ganna, Victor Campenaerts
* Marc Soler, Anders Foldager, Bruno Armirail, Brieuc Rolland

Another interesting read: route 15th stage 2025 Vuelta.