Pavel Sivakov secures Vuelta a Andalucía title for UAE Team Emirates

Pavel Sivakov took centre stage on the podium in La Línea de la Concepción on Sunday afternoon after claiming victory in the 2025 Vuelta a Andalucía for UAE Team Emirates.

The 27-year-old, who switched his sporting allegiance from Russia to France in 2022, secured the yellow jersey after dominating the general classification for four of the five stages. He took control in the second stage, overtaking Maxim Van Gils of Red Bull-BORA, and maintained his lead until the race concluded with the final stage from Benahavís to the Gibraltar boarder town.

The final podium was completed by Clément Berthet (Decathlon-AG2R) and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5). Pidcock, who started as a favourite, remained in contention but was unable to challenge UAE Team Emirates, who demonstrated their dominance throughout the event.

Spaniard Marc Soler, also of UAE, was the highest-placed domestic rider while José Manuel Díaz Gallego (Burgos BH) finished as the best Andalusian competitor.

Incidentally, the final two stages saw Spanish victories. Diego Uriarte (Kern Pharma) triumphed in Alhaurín de la Torre on Saturday before Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar) won the last stage.

Barrenetxea's win helped Movistar salvage some success after a disappointing performance from their leaders, Nairo Quintana and Enric Mas. Quintana withdrew before the fourth stage while Mas struggled to make an impact.

Malaga province played a key role in the race, featuring in three of the five stages. The opening stage was confined to the Axarquía region (Torrox-Cueva de Nerja) while the fourth travelled from Cordoba to Alhaurín de la Torre via the Guadalhorce valley.

The final stage started in Benahavís, passed through the Serranía de Ronda, and included two mountain climbs—Puerto del Madroño and Puerto del Espino—before a sprint finish.

This year's edition marked the centenary of the Vuelta a Andalucía, returning with full stages after a turbulent 2024 event that was reduced to a single time trial due to a farmers' strike.

The protest left organisers, the Malaga-based company Deporinter, without sufficient Guardia Civil personnel to ensure security. In the end, they salvaged the race with a time trial in Alcaudete (Jaén), but the 2025 edition restored the full five-day format, reaffirming the event's historic status.