Jasper Philipsen takes red jersey with stage one win at Vuelta a España 2025

Mathew Mitchell

Published on August 23, 2025
in Men's Cycling

Jasper Philipsen opened his 2025 Vuelta a España with a powerful sprint victory in Novara, claiming the first red jersey of the race. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider delivered a clinical performance, launching from a perfect position to beat Ethan Vernon and Orluis Aular to the line. It marked his fourth career Vuelta stage win and a crucial moment in a season shaped by highs, setbacks, and recovery.

The 80th edition of the Vuelta began in Turin with a flat 170.7km route heading west into Novara, offering a rare opportunity for the sprinters in a race dominated by climbing stages. With the next two days set to reshape the general classification, this opening stage carried added weight for those targeting stage wins rather than overall ambitions. Philipsen was the clear favourite, but he still needed his team to execute flawlessly.

Breakaway riders and early KOM battle

The day started at a measured pace as six riders moved clear of the peloton within the opening 10 kilometres. Alessandro Verre of Arkéa-B&B Hotels, Pepijn Reinderink of Soudal-QuickStep, Nicolas Vinokurov of XDS-Astana, Joel Nicolau of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Koen Bouwman of Jayco-AlUla, and Hugo De La Calle of Burgos-BH formed the breakaway. They worked well together early on, opening up a gap that briefly touched two and a half minutes, but the peloton never let them out of reach. Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck took responsibility at the front, controlling the tempo to keep their sprinters in play.

The only categorised climb of the day came just after the halfway point, where Verre accelerated away to secure the first KOM jersey. With that settled, the break began to splinter. Hugo De La Calle attacked solo with just over 100km to go, but his move was eventually neutralised as the sprinters’ teams tightened their grip on the race.

Lead-out trains dictate the finale

Inside the final 30 kilometres, the fight for positioning intensified. Alpecin-Deceuninck lined up strongly around Philipsen, with Jonas Rickaert and Edward Planckaert protecting his wheel. Lidl-Trek moved up for Mads Pedersen, while Israel-Premier Tech supported Ethan Vernon. UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike also hovered near the front, keeping their GC riders out of trouble.

With 10 kilometres remaining, speeds touched 60kph as lead-out trains battled for control. Visma briefly stretched the peloton into a single file before Alpecin-Deceuninck surged under the 5km banner. Rickaert delivered Philipsen through the sweeping left-hander at 1.2km to go, then Planckaert launched him perfectly into the final straight.

Philipsen opened his sprint with 175 metres to go, powering clear of Vernon and Aular to take an emphatic victory. Behind, Pedersen was boxed in and finished outside the top ten, while Tom Pidcock rode well to secure ninth. Vernon’s second place marked his best Grand Tour finish, and Aular’s third gave Movistar an early podium.

Philipsen’s comeback and what lies ahead

Less than a month ago, Philipsen’s Tour de France ended in heartbreak after a stage 3 crash left him with a broken collarbone. His recovery was short, preparation far from ideal, and his participation in the Vuelta was only confirmed late.

“After my crash in the Tour, I was really disappointed,” he admitted afterwards. “You work so long for it and then it’s over, so I had to find a new goal. This was the one. There aren’t many sprint chances here, so we targeted today and executed perfectly.”

He also praised his team’s precision: “I really trusted the team. Jonas and Edward did an incredible job in the final kilometre. I had the easiest part – I just had to finish it off.”

Philipsen leads the Vuelta after stage 1, but with stage 2 finishing atop Limone Piemonte, his time in red could be brief. The GC contenders, including Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Tadej Pogačar, crossed the line safely and will be on the attack as the mountains arrive.