Why is the Vuelta a Espana starting in Italy?
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The 2025 Vuelta a Espana is starting outside of Spain for the sixth time, and the first time in Italy.
The 3151km race begins in Turin as a celebration of Italian success in the Vuelta, according to race director Javier Guillen.
Six Italian riders have won the Vuelta, with Fabio Aru the last in 2015.
The race has started in Portugal (1997 and 2024), Netherlands (2009 and 2022) and France (2017). The 2026 edition will start in Monaco.
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What is the route?
The 21 stage race, taking place over 23 days, begins on 23 August, and ends on 14 September in Madrid.
The route has four flat land stages, six medium mountain, six medium mountain stages, five mountain stage, an individual time trial, three hilly stages and two rest days.
Stage one to three follow a route from Turin to Ceres in Italy.
The route for stage four is a 192km medium-mountain stage journey from Susa, Italy, to Voiron, France.
Stage five is a team time-trial, in Figueres mainland Spain, while stages six and seven move out of the country again to mountain stages in Andorra.
The rest of the race takes place in Spain from stage eight onward.
Is Pogacar competing?
Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar will not race in the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, after saying he will take a break before focusing on the World Championship.
The Vuelta is the only one of the three Grand Tours Pogacar has not won, having finished third during his only appearance in 2019.
Primoz Roglic, who won the Vuelta in 2024, is not expected to participate this year, with two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard the favourite.
Spain's Juan Ayuso will be the home favourite after winning the young rider category in 2023.
What do the jersey colours represent?
The race leader and overall fastest rider in the general classification are awarded the red jersey.
The green jersey is typically won by sprinters and is awarded to the rider with the most sprinting points by the end of the race.
The polka-dot jersey is for the mountain category - the winner will be the rider with the most mountain points.
The white jersey is awarded to the best young rider under the age of 26, but was previously handed to the best all-round rider until 2019.
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