Madrid, Sept. 13 -- The 2025 Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) cycle race will largely be decided in Saturday's mountain stage, which ends with the 2,250-meter-high climb to the 'Bola del Mundo' after Friday's stage 19 ended in a sprint finish.
The relatively flat 161-kilometer ride from Rueda to Guijuelo (regions famed for their wine and cured ham) offered one of the few remaining chances for sprinters.
For much of the day, the peloton rolled at under 40 kilometers an hour as both Visma and UAE conserved energy for Saturday's decisive showdown. But the pace surged in the final 40 kilometers, with teams shutting down every breakaway attempt to set up a bunch sprint.
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) showed he was the fastest sprinter i...