Jasper Philipsen Clinches Thrilling Sprint Victory on Stage Eight of La Vuelta

Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen of team Alpecin–Deceuninck claimed a dramatic photo-finish victory on the eighth stage of the Vuelta a España, outpacing rivals Elia Viviani and Ethan Vernon in a pulse-pounding sprint to the line.The flat 163-kilometre route from Monzon Templario to Zaragoza set the stage for a high-speed showdown, while Torstein Traeen held firm in the red jersey.

After two grueling mountain days, stage eight gave sprinters a prime opportunity to shine. With just under a kilometre to go, Viviani’s Lotto teammates launched a spirited lead-out effort, but Philipsen, who also won the opening stage of this year’s Vuelta, demonstrated his trademark power and timing to surge past the competition in the closing moments. This win marks Philipsen’s fifth career stage triumph at La Vuelta and his fifteenth across all Grand Tours.

The day's action began with an early breakaway by Spaniards Joan Bou (Caja Rural), Sergio Samitier (Cofidis), and José Luis Faura (Burgos), who held a lead for much of the stage. However, the peloton reeled them back in, setting up a blistering finish in Zaragoza where Philipsen’s explosive final kick proved unstoppable.

Philipsen reflected on the intense finish: “We lost my teammate, who did an incredible lead-out, but he wasn’t there in the last moments. I had to adapt quickly, take a bit of extra wind, and time my sprint perfectly because my legs felt like concrete. But I managed to win, and I’m really happy — the team’s effort definitely paid off.”

Meanwhile, Norwegian rider Torstein Traeen of Bahrain Victorious continues to hold a strong lead in the general classification, maintaining a two-minute and 33-second advantage over Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, with 13 stages remaining.

Looking ahead, Sunday’s stage promises a return to the mountains, concluding with a challenging 13-kilometre climb to the Valdezcaray ski station, featuring an average gradient of 5.2 percent — a test that could shake up the rankings once again.

Stage 8 Top 10

1   Philipsen Jasper Alpecin-Deceuninck 180 03:43:48
2   Vernon Ethan Israel-Premier Tech 130 + 00
3   Marit Arne Intermarché-Wanty 95 + 00
4   Foldager Anders Team Jayco-AlUla 80 + 00
5   Mihkels Madis EF Education-EasyPost 60 + 00
6   Gruel Thibaud Groupama-FDJ 45 + 00
7   Christen Fabio Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 40 + 00
8   Turner Ben INEOS Grenadiers 35 + 00
9   Pedersen Mads Lidl-Trek 30 + 00
10   González David Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 25 + 00

GC after Stage 10

1    Træen Torstein Bahrain Victorious 29:01:50
2    Vingegaard Jonas Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 02:33
3    Almeida João UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 02:41
4    Ciccone Giulio Lidl-Trek + 02:42
5    Fortunato Lorenzo XDS Astana Team + 02:47
6    Jorgenson Matteo Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 02:49
7    Hindley Jai Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe + 02:53
8    Pellizzari Giulio Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe + 02:53
9    Bernal Egan INEOS Grenadiers + 02:55
10    Gall Felix Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team + 02:5