La Vuelta finally arrives home. Stage 5 of the last Tour of the year will take place in Spain, and after the opening 4 in Italy, it will be the first in the home country of this magnificent race.
We’ve seen plenty of interesting things back in Italy, yet the real deal starts here, and the best is yet to come. Things are just beginning to heat up, and we are here to deliver the stage preview for today.
Also, those who want to see some La Vuelta odds, here they are.
La Vuelta – Stage 5 preview
The race takes place in Figueres, and it’s a time trial
- Date: Wednesday, August 27
- First Start: 16:37 (CET)
- Expected Finish: 18:30 (CET)
- Stage Type: Team Time Trial
- Distance: 24.1 km
- Elevation Gain: 86 m
Figueres, located near Girona in Catalonia, is home to the renowned Dalí Theatre-Museum, dedicated to the famous Salvador Dalí, who was born here. We all know that he is one of the most influential artists of his time and arguably one of the biggest in Spain’s history.
💪 This is how you get your first Grand Tour win
😤 Así se consigue tu primera victoria una Gran Vuelta#LaVuelta25 pic.twitter.com/cqbLimG1fO
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 26, 2025
This will be the first time Figueres has ever hosted a La Vuelta stage, and it makes up for lost time by hosting both the start and finish, as this is a time trial stage covering only 24.1 kilometers.
The course itself is flat and fast, perfect for powerhouse riders and time trial specialists. The only technical challenge comes in the final 2 km, with four roundabouts to navigate before a slight rise to the finish. This will be a delight to watch because it will force the riders to give their best, as slight uphills at the end of the time trial sequences are, for many, the most demanding aspect of cycling.
Who to Watch
Visma | Lease a Bike. They have everything that it takes to dominate this stage. After all, this team won the most recent UCI WorldTour team time trial at Paris-Nice in March.
Three riders from that winning squad—Jonas Vingegaard, Matteo Jorgenson, and Victor Campenaerts—line up here, alongside Wilco Kelderman, Ben Tulett, Dylan Van Baarle, and Sepp Kuss. However, they’ll be a man short after Axel Zingle abandoned the race. He was part of their Paris-Nice victory, so his absence is a blow; yet, Visma remains the top favorite.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG will also be strong, with GC hopefuls João Almeida and Juan Ayuso both strong against the clock. The team boasts plenty of time trial pedigree: Jay Vine (two wins), Felix Großschartner (three), Ivo Oliveira (two), and Mikkel Bjerg (one, plus three U23 world titles). So, all of them are terrifying sprinters.
Lidl-Trek brings serious firepower with Mads Pedersen, Søren Kragh Andersen, and Dutch champion Daan Hoole, winner of the Giro’s stage 10 time trial—their goal: set up Giulio Ciccone for the GC battle and also take as many accolades along the way as possible.
Groupama-FDJ has the red jersey on David Gaudu’s shoulders—at least for now. Keeping it will be tough, but they have Stefan Küng, one of the best in the discipline, plus Rémi Cavagna and Thibaud Gruel.
Ineos Grenadiers come in with confidence after Ben Turner’s stage 4 win. They have Filippo Ganna, a two-time world champion, plus Magnus Sheffield and Michał Kwiatkowski, giving them a strong chance to fight for the win and help Egan Bernal in GC. Unlike Visma, they still have a full eight riders.
History
Among the three Grand Tours, the Ls Vuelta has been the most willing to keep team time trials in the mix. Both the 2022 and 2023 editions opened with TTTs—the only Grand Tour TTTs so far this decade.
Last year’s opener in Barcelona was chaotic, with heavy rain and fading daylight turning the stage into a slippery, dangerous affair. Team DSM-Firmenich claimed a surprise victory that day. Their sprinters utilized the tough weather conditions to their advantage, and despite the chaos, maintained the most focus and composure.
The last WorldTour TTT before this Stage 5 was the Paris-Nice stage won by Visma | Lease a Bike. That course had far more climbing (264 m vs. 86 m here), so this flat route should heavily favor pure sprinters.
