Kristen Faulkner attacks a leading group and wins stage 4 of Le Vuelta Femenina
Demi Vollering of SD Worx-Protime takes her first victory of the season on the steep climb of Jaca’s Fuerte Rapitán, after a hard stage in La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es. This climb stage, from Huesca to Jaca, featured some of the tour’s first major climbs, reshuffling the General Classification and having Vollering also in the red jersey after Marianne Vos finished +2:22 behind Vollering.
How the race unfolded
With Marianne Vos in the red leader jersey, the stage started in Huesca. The Dutch former World Champion La Roja yesterday from Kata Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), who had worn it for two days. The stage had aggressive racing from the start, with multiple attempts at breakaways being quickly neutralized by a sharp looking peloton.
But after some small attacks that all have been neutralized, Lourdes Oyarbide of Laboral Kutxa, attacks the peloton and is the first rider to start climbing. Earlier Marianne Vos and Alison Jackson hit the asphalt at a low speed uphill section. Lucily without any harm they can continue to race.
The peloton had two climbs of the second category to tackle with it’s final climb atop the Fuerta Rapitán. 46,9 kilometres from the finish line, the Alto del Monasterio de San Juan de la Peñ is climbed. 18,5 kilometres at an average gradient of 3% awaited the riders with a very uneven climb with ramps up to 11%!
Liv-AlUla-Jayco, EF Education-Cannondale and Movistar Team lead the pack as the road begins to rise with 45 kilometers to go Oyarbide’s break is over. FDJ Suez has a plan and is taking control of the peloton. And it works, because Kata Blanka vas is dropped from the vast pace that the French team is pulling. However, It is not going fast enough for Visma | Leasa Bike and the Dutch team is taking over the helm of the bunch. With 4 kilomters to go, Canyon//Sram rider Antonia Niedermayer attacks and gets FDJ Suez’ Grace Brown with her. Later joined by Marlen Reusser who counter attacks. Atop the Alto del Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña the fight for QOM points is on! The three riders are caught and a small group now fights for every point. Karlijn Swinkels, who is the current wearer of the polkadot jersey claims 10 points ahead of Niamh Fisher Black and Kristen Faulkner.
In the descent is no luck for LidlTrek as Gaia Realini crashes! The Italian has hit the deck in a turn, just at the beginning of the descent. She is quickly assisted back on her bike by teammate Brodie Chapman.
SDWorx-Protime is taken the lead in the descent with Mischa Bredweold in front with Demi Vollering right behind her. The high speeds is thinning the peloton out and a group of 27 riders is left towards the foot of the final climb of the day. Among this group are Vollering, Vos, Labous, Lippert, Spratt, Bredewold, Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma.
Karlijn Swinkels wants to keep the polkadot jersey and attacks the leading group and goes solo. The group behind her has grown to 30 riders as Swinkels approaches the intermediate sprint at Jaca which is pray for the Dutch rider and soon she is reeled back in by the leading group.
As the race hit the final climb to Jaca’s Fuerte Rapitán, a category 2 ascent with stretches as steep as 15%, the leading group dwindled down to first 14 riders and the with a fast pace of Vollering in the lead of this group, down to just five riders, including Elisa Longo Borghini, and Yara Kastelijn. This climb, known for its punishing gradients, was where Vollering made her race-winning move, leaving her competitors behind in a bold solo effort.
In the final 800 meters Demi Vollering kept pushing through leaving Elisa Longo Borghini and Yara Kastelijn battle for second. With a big smil the Dutch National champion wins her first race of the 2023 season atop the Fuerta Rapitán in Jaca. Yara Kastelijn of Fenix-DeCeunink beats Elisa Longo Borghini in the battle for second place +28 seconds behind Vollering. Evita Muzic is fourth at +39 seconds
Her attack in the final kilometer also ecures Demi Vollering the lead in the General Classification. Marianne Vos finishes 27th, 2 minutes and 22 seconds later. Elisa Longo Borghini of LidlTrek is now second and needs +31 seconds. Visma | Lease a Bike’s Riejanne Markus is third, +53 seconds behind her compatriot.
Tomorrow’s Stage
Tomorrow at stage 6 in La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es the pelotn starts in Tarazon and finishes 132,1 km later in La Laguna Negra Vinuesa atop a climb of the first category.