Jonas Vingegaard seals Vuelta win with a red Cervélo S5

So that’s it – the 2025 Grand Tour season is officially over.

I think it’s fair to say that this year, even with Tadej Pogačar’s absurdly dominant Tour de France performance, has been one to remember when it comes to three-week stage races for a whole host of reasons. Redemption arcs from Yates and Vingegaard, breakthrough rides from the likes of Onley and Del Toro, and of course, the large-scale protests in Spain which ultimately brought the Vuelta’s final stage to a premature halt. Yesterday, though, despite the disruption, belonged to Jonas Vingegaard and Team Visma Lease-a-Bike.

After a stellar performance on the final mountain stage on Saturday, Vingegaard rolled out for Sunday’s final stage aboard his Cervélo, which was now a vibrant gloss red.

For most of the 2025 Vuelta, Vingegaard rode his team-issue Cervélo S5. This was a change from previous years, when Visma Lease-a-Bike frequently alternated between the lightweight Cervélo R5 and the more aerodynamic S5. In all likelihood, that’s because with Cervélo’s new frameset, the team no longer has to compromise between weight and aerodynamics. A 124-gram saving over the outgoing model might not sound dramatic, but combined with Vingegaard’s relatively small 51cm frame, it allows him to spend more time on an aero bike without hauling unnecessary weight uphill. It was only on Sunday that he switched out the team colours for this striking red frameset, once overall victory had been secured. As well as the usual team issue decals, there was a nice touch at the seat stay junction, reading ‘Uno Jonas Uno’.

As has been the case for some time, Vingegaard’s machine was kitted out with SRAM’s range topping RED AXS groupset. For what should have been a celebratory ride into Madrid, his bike was set up with a single chainring, with subtle red SRAM detailing on the crank arm and brake levers tying the look together.

Reserve also played its part in the customisation. Vingegaard was given a special edition of the brand’s 57/64 Turbulent Aero wheels, finished with bold red decals on the rims.

Modern bike racing is often compared to Formula One – whether in terms of aero frame design or the ever-advancing race communications technology. But Vingegaard’s Sunday special really did echo an F1 car, especially with the red-walled tyres provided by Vittoria. Are they a touch over the top? Absolutely. Do I love them for it? Even more so.