(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Jasper Philipsen Secures Third Stage Win at Vuelta a España with Stunning Sprint
Guijuelo, Spain – Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen claimed stage 19 of the Vuelta a España, marking his third stage victory in this year’s race, after a thrilling bunch sprint in Guijuelo.
Philipsen powered past points classification leader Mads Pedersen and Orluis Aular in a decisive dash to the finish line. The win was a reward for Philipsen and his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates, who battled through a challenging mountainous second week and held on for this rare grand tour triumph for a sprinter.
Ben Turner of Ineos Grenadiers, who surprised fans by winning stage four, finished fourth in the 162km ride from Rueda, showing strong form despite the punishing terrain.
“It was a really tough finish line,” Philipsen said. “The team did an amazing pull and perfect timing in the last kilometre. I struggled in the wheel but saw the finish line and pushed through. It was a full team effort.”
Meanwhile, race leader Jonas Vingegaard extended his overall lead over Joao Almeida, who now trails by 44 seconds after losing ground on Saturday’s stage. Almeida had gained 10 seconds in Friday’s time trial but was unable to keep pace with Vingegaard’s attack, which also earned the Dane four bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint.
The penultimate stage promises a dramatic showdown in the mountains, with a brutal summit finish at Bola del Mundo outside Madrid.
General Classification Top Four:
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Jonas Vingegaard – Race Leader
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Joao Almeida – +44 seconds
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Tom Pidcock – +2’43”
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Jai Hindley – +3’22”
Philipsen’s stage win and Vingegaard’s strategic attacks set the stage for an electrifying finale to the 2025 Vuelta a España.
