May 6/23 15:18 pm - Van Vleuten takes the Lead, Baril Up to 6th overall after Stage 6 of La Vuelta Femenina

Posted by Editoress on 05/6/23
 

Van Vleuten takes the lead of La Vuelta Femenina

World champion Annemiek van Vleuten and her Movistar Team refashined La Vuelta Femenina with a long-range attack that began 35 kilometres into the stage,. Overall leader Demi Vollering was dropped from the bunch and the Spanish team began pulling for its leader, setting uo her lone flight as the road began rising through Cantabria. It was a 70-kilometre offensive that culminated in a two-up sprint between van Vleuten and her breakaway companion Gaia Realini (Trek-Segafredo), with the Italian rider taking the stage win and van Vleuten taking the Red jersey. Vollering, never gave up and crossed the finish line 1:04 behind van Vleuten to maintain 2nd place in teh GC.

134 riders took the start in the 6th stage to cover 106.1 kilometres between Castro Urdiales and Laredo. Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM), who sat 2nd in the Points classification was DNS. No breakaway was established early in the stage although many attacks took place. The race changed completely 35 kilometres into the stage, when overall leader Demi Vollering (SD Worx) was dropped from the bunch as Movistar Team, Jumbo-Visma, UAE Team ADQ and Trek-Segafredo took agressive pulls at the front.

Van Vleuten hits the afterburners
Vollering and her SD Worx teammates were 1:14 in arrears of the head of the race at the base of the Alto de Fuente de las Varas (cat 2, km 64). The Movistar Team domestiques peeled off the front of the main bunch to let their leader Annemiek van Vleuten take matters in her own hands. The current world champion hit her stride, dropping one by one all the riders in her wheel but four - Gaia Realini (Trek-Segafredo), Evita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ), Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ) and Juliette Labous (Team DSM). Atop the Alto de Fuente de las Varas (cat 2, km 64), Van Vleuten had increased her lead over Vollering to 1:50.

Vollering fights back
van Vleuten sprinted flat out through the intermediate sprint at San Miguel de Aras (IS, km 73,8), escaping on her own as she began climbing the Puerto de Campo El Hayal (cat 2, km 84,2) with 1:37 on Vollering. As the road began rising, van Vleuten was joined Realini, who bridged up from the chasing group to join the world champion at the front. Meanwhile, Vollering caught up with a 10-woman group with her teammate Marlen Reusser, Riejanne Markus (Jumbo-Visma) or Spanish national champion Mavi García (Liv Racing-TeqFind) amongst others. The gap between the two main groups remained unchanged at 1:38 at the summit, while a trio with Muzic, Magnaldi and Labous trailed 42s behind the leading duo.

Photo finish
The descent into Laredo was fast Vollering's group managed to catch the chasing trio and close the gap to the head of the race, crossing the finish line just 1:04 behind. For the stage victory, van Vleuten and Realini sprinted against each other with everything they had. The jury had to look at the photo finish to finally award the win to Realini. No big deal for van Vleuten, as the world champion took the Red jersey.

Top Canadian was Olivia Baril (UAE Team ADQ) finishing 11th on the stage at 1:04 back. Baril now sits 6th overall at 2:18 back.

La Vuelta Femenina: Stage 1 results

La Vuelta Femenina: Stage 2 results

La Vuelta Femenina: Stage 3, Vos Extends Her Lead

Vos Wins Again at La Vuelta Femenina (Stage 4)

Baril 7th Overall at La Vuelta Femenina after Stage 5