Jasper Philipsen Wins Vuelta Stage One, Takes Red Jersey in Italy

Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck won the first stage of the 2025 Vuelta a España, held for the first time in Italy, sprinting to victory in Novara and claiming the red leader’s jersey. This win marks Philipsen’s return to form following a serious crash at the Tour de France last month, where he also won the opening stage before being forced to withdraw. Ethan Vernon of Israel-Premier Tech finished second, with Orluis Aular of Movistar third, while notable sprinter Mads Pedersen was boxed out and finished outside the top 10. The 186.1 km largely flat stage featured an early breakaway and a solo attack by Hugo de la Calle, but the peloton controlled the race to set up the sprint finish. Philipsen’s team executed a perfect leadout, overcoming competition from teams protecting general classification favorites like Jonas Vingegaard. The stage results contribute to various classifications, with the red jersey awarded to the overall race leader based on accumulated time.