Vuelta 2025 Favourites stage 6: First proper mountain-top finish

foto: Cor VosIn stage 6 of the Vuelta, the riders tackle three climbs before reaching the foot of the final ascent. The last 9.7 kilometres rise at 6.4% to the mountain village of Pal. Who'll win the Vuelta’s first mountain stage? (Slideshow route/profile)

Are the breakaway specialists set to prevail, or is the course more suited to GC contenders? Hard to say — it’s probably equally suited to both. It all depends on how the race unfolds.

A fierce battle for a spot in the breakaway is on the cards, that’s for sure. All the climbers without GC ambitions will be licking their lips. They start off on familiar terrain straight away, with the Collada de Sentigosa rising for 11.4 kilometres at 4.1%.

After the descent, the riders tackle a long stretch of rolling terrain towards the foot of the Collada de Toses. The climb itself rises at 3.5% over 24.3 kilometres, but including the approach, the road climbs for nearly 40 kilometres straight.

A seemingly endless descent leads onto another false flat section. The riders enter Andorra and, after 145 kilometres in the saddle, begin the Alto de la Comella: 4.2 kilometres at 8%. At the summit, 21.1 kilometres remain.

About half of that goes to a descent and an uncategorised climb, and then the final ascent delivers 9.6 kilometres at an average gradient of 6.3%.

It’s impossible to predict beforehand whether the GC contenders will fight for the stage win or let the attackers have their day. If we had to choose, we’d put our money on the breakaway.

Favourites 6th stage 2025 Vuelta a España

*** Wilco Kelderman, Matthew Riccitello, Lorenzo Fortunato
** Jonas Vingegaard, Juan Ayuso, João Almeida, Egan Bernal
* Wout Poels, David Gaudu, Jay Vine, Esteban Chaves, Torstein Træen

Another interesting read: route 6th stage 2025 Vuelta.