Jonas Vingegaard has reclaimed the leader’s red jersey at the Vuelta a España after a dramatic team time trial on stage five that was overshadowed by a protest disrupting the race.
The 24.1km route in Figueres was expected to provide tactical battles between the top teams, and it did not disappoint. UAE Team Emirates-XRG delivered the fastest time of the day, completing the course in 25 minutes and 26 seconds at an astonishing average speed of nearly 57 km/h. However, Visma-Lease a Bike secured second place, just eight seconds behind, which was enough to put Vingegaard back at the top of the general classification.
The Danish rider had lost the red jersey to David Gaudu of Groupama-FDJ after stage four when they were tied on time, with the Frenchman taking the lead on countback. Wednesday’s time trial, however, saw fortunes reversed as Groupama-FDJ slipped to ninth place, finishing 24 seconds down on the winners.
Vingegaard now holds an eight-second advantage over UAE Team Emirates-XRG trio Juan Ayuso, João Almeida and Marc Soler. Lidl-Trek’s Giulio Ciccone sits just one second further back, while Gaudu has dropped to 16 seconds off the pace in the overall standings.
The biggest controversy of the day came when Israel Premier-Tech riders were brought to a halt by protesters waving Palestinian flags. Half of the team was forced to stop before resuming, losing significant momentum. The disruption cost them valuable seconds, and they eventually placed 19th on the stage, 54 seconds behind the winners.
While team time trials have become rare in modern Grand Tours, their reintroduction has reignited interest, as they can dramatically reshape the overall standings in a single day. The Vuelta’s choice of a team trial so early in the race has already shifted the balance of power, ensuring a tightly contested general classification heading into the next stages.
For Vingegaard, regaining the red jersey is an important psychological boost as he continues his pursuit of another Grand Tour victory. With only seconds separating the top riders, and external factors such as protests already influencing outcomes, the battle for the Vuelta promises to be unpredictable and fiercely competitive in the days ahead.
