Pedersen triumphs in a sprint finish at Stage 15 of the 2025 Vuelta a España, ending his long-awaited victory drought

Mads Pedersen Wins Stage 15 of Vuelta a España 2025 in a Sprint Finish

In a thrilling conclusion to Stage 15 of the Vuelta a España 2025, Mads Pedersen (Picnic PostNL) claimed victory in a sprint finish. The day's stage was marked by a breakaway, with Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) leading alone for 115km.

Initially, a pair consisting of Gijs Leemreize (Picnic PostNL) and Jay Vine formed a breakaway, which was eventually caught by a chase group that included Pedersen, Otruba, Orluis Aular (Movistar), Marco Frigo (Bahrain Victorious), and others. The pace was high, and no one made a move until the last kilometre.

In the final sprint, Pedersen outpaced Aular and Frigo to secure the stage win. Aular finished second, while Frigo came in third. The victory was shared by Pedersen, Aular, and Frigo, along with six other riders.

The chase pack broke apart at various points during the race. Notably, Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious), Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), Pedersen, Aular, Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), Dunbar, and Frigo formed a new group. Vine and Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) made a break from the chase group, but were later caught by a larger group led by Pedersen and Ciccone.

Junior Lecerf (Soudal-Quickstep) moved into ninth place in the general classification, pushing out Matteo Jorgensen (Visma-Lease a Bike). The final group of riders at the front of the race numbered 40, with a significant advantage over the peloton.

Pedersen, who held the green jersey since the outset, expressed a desire for a stage victory before the start of the day. His wish was fulfilled as he crossed the finish line first. After the race, Pedersen credited his team for their efforts throughout the day, particularly five team members who were in the leading group.

The stage had over 3,000 meters of climbing, making it suitable for sprinters. The general classification after stage 15 shows Jonas Vingegaard in the lead, with João Almeida 48 seconds behind and Tom Pidcock 2 minutes and 38 seconds behind.

Despite Romo crashing due to a protester standing in the road, the deficit stopped growing at 70km to go. Movistar's Carlos Canal and Javier Romo moved up front to support the chase at 60km to go. With 60km to go, the lead pair were under three minutes ahead.

As the race progressed, the lead pair's advantage was significantly reduced by the cooperative efforts of the chase pack, led by Pedersen and Ciccone. The chase group eventually caught up to the lead pair, setting the stage for a thrilling sprint finish.

In the end, Pedersen's determination and teamwork paid off, securing him the stage victory and a significant boost in morale as the race continues.

Pedersen triumphs in a sprint finish at Stage 15 of the 2025 Vuelta a España, ending his long-awaited victory drought