Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' coverage of stage 3 of the 2025 Vuelta a España from San Maurizio Canavese to Ceres.
The riders are set for a lumpy day through the region of Piedmont on stage three with a testing uphill finish in Ceres. Will any sprinters be able to survive the final ascent, or will this be a day for the puncheurs of the peloton?
The big news overnight, if you missed it, is that the team of race leader Jonas Vingegaard, Visma-Lease a Bike, had their mechanic's truck broken into with up to 18 bikes stolen.
Here's the latest on this story: Mass overnight theft of Visma-Lease a Bike bikes at Vuelta a España, police launch investigation
It was an eventful stage yesterday, with Vingegaard pulling himself off the tarmac after a crash to out-sprint Lidl-Trek's Giulio Ciccone in the race's first uphill finish.
Here's the full report if you need to catch up: Vuelta a España: Jonas Vingegaard pips Giulio Ciccone to win stage 2
Ineos Grenadiers will be pleased with the performance of Egan Bernal yesterday, who sprinted to fourth-place in the first test of the GC riders' form.
Here are the full results from stage 2
Australian Jai Hindley is at the Vuelta as the leader of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. He is on the comeback after a disappointing Giro d'Italia which he abandoned after a heavy crash.
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) showed yesterday that he is the number one favourite going into this Vuelta with a stage win and the red jersey on day two...
Coming into this race, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) was down as a possible GC contender. However, the Yorkshireman is instead aiming for stages with GC being a potentially happy achievement off the back of that...
Sign on is well underway as the riders get ready for the neutral start of stage three which is due in around 20 minutes from now.
Today's stage is a very lumpy one with an uphill finish. Saying that, the final climb has an average of just over 3%.
No more red for Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck). He goes into green today which is something we're getting used to seeing.
Green is DEFINITELY your colour, Jasper! 😍💚¡Qué bien te queda el verde, Jasper! 😍💚#LaVuelta25 pic.twitter.com/b9zfmyHPbdAugust 25, 2025
The jerseys today:
It is a sunny and warm start but the clouds look very moody up the road as they head to the hills. It is unsure whether it will stay dry or not.
Lotto, Intermarche-Wanty, Jayco-AlUla, Cofidis and Groupama-FDJ have riders right up towards the front to possibly go for the early breakaway.
A brief delay with some mechanicals off the back. The riders have gone through the KM0 marker a while ago as the riders wait to get going.
Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla) is off the back after an issue. When he rejoins racing may then begin.
Another mechanical with Carlos Garcia Pierna (Burgos-Burpellet-BH). At this rate they'll race the entire stage neutralised. Hopefully it will be sorted soon.
Garcia Pierna is actually being dragged by the hand by the commissaire motorbike.
Official start
📍𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐞 😊 Stage 3️⃣ is underway! The real start was delayed a bit because the peloton were waiting for Chris Harper 💪 ¡Salida lanzada de la etapa 3️⃣! La salida se ha retrasado unos segundos para esperar a Chris Harper ✨ Grupo Fertiberia | #LaVuelta25
— @lavuelta.bsky.social (@lavuelta.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-08-25T12:49:18.075Z
Originally the stage was just over 134km long but now it is 131.8km of racing today.
Four riders get a gap and Lidl-Trek are already trying to block the rest of the peloton. However, Jayco-AlUla and another team get riders out of the block and things open up again.
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) himself followed a move by Kelland O'Brien (Jayco-AlUla) and that kills the break as Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) drags it all back again.
Polka dot jersey, Alessandro Verre (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost), Patrick Gamper (Jayco-AlUla) and an Intermarche-Wanty rider get a gap.
More moves come behind with Lotto and Cofidis trying to get across and they are let go. Q36.5 try but Lidl-Trek are not letting him have an inch.
The Intermarche-Wanty rider at the front is Luca Van Boven. They are working well together but Caja Rural-Seguros RGA are getting involved in the chase.
Lidl-Trek decide to drag the Cofidis and Lotto riders as well and now the peloton sits up yet again as the four leaders try to open up their gap.
Cofidis are trying to go and get up the road but Lidl-Trek are doing everything they can to stop that move. Four riders are clear and the big teams are happy with that.
The first climb of the day doesn't come until 60km into the race with the Issiglio (Morris) climb.
Lidl-Trek now take up the pacing in the peloton. They are all in for Pedersen with a short day and a tricky uphill finish. They have 1'29" on the four riders up the road.
The break are not being allowed much gap at all with Daan Hoole and Amanuel Ghebreigzahbier of Lidl-Trek leading the peloton.
It is a good opportunity for Verre in the break. He is just two points behind Vingegaard in the KoM standings with 5, 3 and 1 point(s) available on the climb in the middle of the day.
The weather is brightening up. When the riders started it was sunny but the surrounding clouds looked threatening. Fortunately, for the riders, it has completely cleared up with clear skies and a very pleasant 23°c temperature.
The gap did go up to just under two minutes but Lidl-Trek have dragged it back down to 1'40" again.
The average speed so far has been 48.7kph. This is a rapid day so far but the break are being given much at all.
Lidl-Trek really are keeping a tight rein over the race today. Hoole and Ghebreigzabhier have set pace like metronomes throughout.
We're around 20km away now from the main test of the day, the 5.8km climb of Issiglio, which averages 6.5%.
It's lunch time for some in the peloton as a few riders picked up musettes from the side of the road
The riders are now cruising through the town of Cuceglio. It looks like an easy day in the bunch so far
The gap is hanging around 1'30" with just over 20km to the KoM in the middle of the stage.
The average speed is ramping up to 50kph. It has been an incredibly fast start today.
Once again, the weather is changing and the clouds on the hills look dark and moody. They are getting closer to those hills and the KoM sprint today.
Lidl-Trek are joined by Visma-Lease a Bike, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Q36.5 and Israel-Premier Tech on the front of the peloton.
The gap finally goes out to above two minutes as multiple teams led the peloton onto the Issiglio (Morris) climb.
Vingegaard decked out completely in red today after his stage win yesterday.
Attack in break
🇦🇹 @patrickgamper.bsky.social can’t keep up with the high pressure on the climb 🇦🇹 Patrick Gamper no puede seguir el ritmo de los escapados. ¡Van Boven también sufre! #LaVuelta25 #VueltaLIVE
— @lavuelta.bsky.social (@lavuelta.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-08-25T14:02:58.074Z
Hoole and his Lidl-Trek teammates come back to the front of the peloton and up the pace again after the gap grew to 2'35". That gap is now dropping again.
Verre is continuing the high pace in the break and Van Boven is the next to be dropped by the Italian. He only has former American champion, Quinn, left with him.
Just 3km to the top of the climb with Quinn half wheeling Verre at the front of the race.
Hoole has been dropped by the pace being set by his teammates. He has done an awful lot of work today. He may get back on but is distanced for now with Ghebreigzahbier taking over the pacing.
Multiple riders starting to struggle in the peloton with William Junior Lercerf (Soudal-QuickStep), who comes into this race off the back of winning the Czech Tour, being one of the riders off the back.
Lidl-Trek are trying to keep the pace high but Visma-Lease a Bike are challenging them to keep Vingegaard safe on the descent.
Very smooth roads on the descent with a mix of wet and dry in what is a very autumnal feeling Italy with Lidl-Trek taking full control of the peloton and are 2'20" behind the break.
About 5km to the intermediate sprint for the break with the peloton not too far behind them.
Multiple leadout riders caught out of the back of the peloton and now Carlos Verona joins Ghebreigzahbier on the front. Maybe Philipsen is off the back.
Philipsen is said to be 20" off the back of the peloton. That explains why Lidl-Trek are pushing so hard.
Ciccone, Pedersen and Vingegaard thought about pushing on but they all sit up and are caught by the peloton.
Gamper and Van Boven were caught just before the intermediate sprint in Cuorgné.
Alpecin-Deceuninck and Israel-Premier Tech lead the chase in the 2nd peloton to close down the Lidl-Trek led 1st peloton for Philipsen and Ethan Vernon.
Philipsen and Vernon are back in the bunch again after losing touch on the Issiglio climb.
Another uphill kicker and Verona returns to the front of the peloton. The pace is so high here as Pedersen is trying to tire the legs of Philipsen, Vernon and other fast men.
All aboard the Lidl-Trek train. The pace is so so fast today with 45kph average speed. And the tracking says that Philipsen has been distanced yet again.
Philipsen down by 20" on the peloton yet again. Alpecin-Deceuninck will be giving their all to try and bring him back again but it doesn't look good for him today.
Philipsen has finally moved up in the peloton after having to get back into the peloton multiple times today.
Verre finally caught by the peloton. He now owns the polka dot jersey over Vingegaard. Just 45" up to Quinn at the front of the race.
Philipsen is back in the peloton and looks solid. He was dropped multiple times but he also may have been pacing his effort perfectly for this difficult finale.
Quinn is riding very well considering he has only completed seven days of racing this year thanks to a nagging knee injury.
Quinn still giving his all but his gap is now just 16" over the Lidl-Trek led bunch.
Sean Quinn is finally caught with 19km to go as the road slowly starts ramping up towards the finish.
Lidl-Trek are joined on the front by Visma-Lease a Bike, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Israel-Premier Tech.
Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) spoke to La Vuelta social media before the start and said they will go for Finn Fisher-Black today with his focus on the GC:
"Probably we go with Finn today. He’s shown he’s pretty good on a finish like that. I think today he can really be up there and we can really fight for the win. And as the saying go, we take it day by day. I’m here for the GC but for sure I would really like the opportunity to try and go for a stage at some point, I think it can be really sweet. But GC is the priority.”
Multiple teams on the front with a lot of nerves in the bunch. Teams trying to keep their leaders safe and well positioned. They don't have a 3km rule today and if gaps appear they will count towards the GC.
Lots of road furniture and roundabouts for the riders to deal with in these closing stages before stating the final climb to the finish in Ceres proper.
10km until the start of the climb to Ceres actually officially starts.
Jasper Philipsen sits up and goes out of the back. He will focus on tomorrow which is a day that suits him much more.
The pace had momentarily stalled but it is ramping right back up again with the peloton strung out in one long line apart from the very front which has four team in colour order.
Verona has finally done his job for Pedersen. He swings off and it is over to Julian Bernard to set the pace for Lidl-Trek.
Soren Kragh comes to the front for Lidl-Trek to try and give the US registered squad control again. Multiple riders are dropping off the back of the peloton.
4km to go in Pessinetto and Movistar have taken control for Orluis Aular. Groupama-FDJ have David Gaudu well placed and Cofidis have Bryan Coquard.
3km to go and onto the final climb. Kragh and Campenaerts are focusing on their rides despite Micheil Hessmann trying to support Ivan Garcia and Orluis Aular of Movistar. The German isn't being allowed through to join his team.
2km to go and Q36.5 appear towards the front for Tom Pidcock. However, Campenaerts ups the pace again and they take full control as the gradients begin to bite.
Visma-Lease a Bike have Ben Tulett on Vingegaard's wheel. A huge chance for the British rider, perhaps. Matteo Jorgenson now takes over but here comes Lidl-Trek with Andrea Bagioli.
Tulett leads the way with Ciccone challenging him but Pedersen and Vingegaard are waiting in the wheel. Aular also well placed as splits start happening with 500 metres to go.
David Gaudu of Groupama-FDJ wins stage three of La Vuelta 2025! He rode that perfectly.
Gaudu nailed those final three corners gaining so much ground on every hair pin only hitting the front after the final bend with 50 metres to go. Pedersen could not get around the Frenchman.
To get all the analysis, reaction and quotes from today you need to keep your eye on our home page. The perfect place to start is with the post race report...
Gaudu spoke to TV after his stage win:
“I was thinking in the bus this morning it was more for Pedersen, but [Stefan] Küng said to me this morning I have a punch and I can win today,” a delighted Gaudu said in the TV interview after the finish.
“The team is doing a very, very, very good job. They keep us on the first position all day. So I'm very happy. I'm very, very proud to win for me, for the team. This is, I think, the best start to the Vuelta we could get.
“When I see Pedersen launching the sprint at 200-250 metres, I disconnect totally on the last corner and push all my limits to the finish line,” he added.
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