Demi Vollering within the La Vuelta Femenina winner’s crimson jersey(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
SD Worx gained the staff prize on the La Vuelta Femenina however Demi Vollering wasn’t on the rostrum(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) gained the 2024 La Vuelta Femenina in type, successful the ultimate stage solo within the crimson chief’s jersey.
The 27-year-old Dutchwoman attacked 6.5km from the end on the Valdesquí resort and rapidly went solo.
Vollering raised her proper arm as she crossed the road, then lifted her bike in triumph.
29 seconds later, Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) completed second, Riejanne Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike) was third at 33 seconds, snatching the general runner-up spot from Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) after the Italian struggled and completed seventh at 1:00.
“I’m actually comfortable to win this stage as a result of it’s very nice to complete it off like this, we did a very good Vuelta, some podiums and two stage wins, so I feel we could be very pleased with ourselves,” Vollering mentioned.
“I used to be a bit nervous as a result of this final climb was troublesome as a result of there was headwind and it was not super-steep. There was one half the place we turned a bit and had tailwind, there I believed: ‘I must assault and I want to ensure I’ve a spot’ in order that the remaining additionally could have headwind when chasing me again. I might prolong my hole and keep out.”
Having gone into the Vuelta after a winless spring marketing campaign, Vollering is now seeking to the stage races to come back.
“It’s a good begin, I hope I can do another very nice stage races in fact, and I’m wanting actually a lot ahead to the remainder of the season,” she mentioned.
The way it unfolded
The ultimate stage of the 2024 La Vuelta Femenina began in Madrid on the headquarters of Telefónica, the principle sponsor of the Movistar staff.
It was brief and spicy at 89.5km with two climbs, the first-category Puerto de La Morcuera and the climb to the end at Valdesquí, designated the Cima Estela Domínguez, named for a Spanish junior rider killed in a coaching accident in early 2023.
25km into the race, a breakaway of 13 riders fashioned that had a most benefit of 1:38 minutes. On the Puerto de La Morcuera, 40 km from the end, Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal) attacked from the break, and solely Brodie Chapman (Lidl-Trek) and polka-dot jersey Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Staff ADQ) might comply with her.
Swinkels needed to let go quickly after, although, after which Chapman additionally dropped Gigante. The peloton was solely 25 seconds behind, and Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) bridged to Chapman earlier than going solo.
Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) led the peloton that had been decreased to about 20 riders by now and closed the hole to Rooijakkers, and her teammate Évita Muzic was first excessive of the climb, quickly taking the lead within the mountain classification.
On the descent, Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime) overshot a nook and briefly balanced on the guardrail earlier than getting again on the street. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM) had used her descending expertise to open a spot that was closed within the valley, and with 19 km to go, Swinkels went on the offensive once more, attempting to get a headstart on the GC riders.
The polka-dot jersey was 1:10 minutes forward firstly of the climb with 12.8km to go however Brown set a excessive tempo behind and caught Swinkels 9.2km from the end.
The Australian continued to journey onerous till Vollering attacked with 6.5km to go, splitting the group into small teams and rapidly going solo.
Behind Vollering, a struggle developed for the general runner-up spot as Markus led a gaggle that was 15 seconds forward of Longo Borghini with 4km to go. The Italian champion had a 22-second benefit on Markus going into the stage, and the almost-flat final 2.5km became an in depth, all effort pursuit match.
Vollering had time to have a good time her stage victory and general victory with the gang however the struggle for the rostrum was a lot nearer.
Muzic sprinted away from Markus to take second place, however the Dutchwoman completed third to take 4 bonus seconds, and when Longo Borghini completed a minute behind Vollering, Markus moved as much as second general by 11 seconds.
Vollering additionally gained the polka-dot jersey whereas Marianne Vos took the inexperienced factors jersey. Niedermaier, ending eleventh general, was one of the best U23 rider.
