Zaaf pull out of La Vuelta Feminina, Unipublic confirms

Unipublic has confirmed that the Spanish Zaaf team will not be taking part in the country’s biggest women’s race, La Vuelta Feminina.

Sources at the race organisation, Unipublic, told Cyclingnews that Zaaf had opted to pull out and will not be substituted in the week-long race, set to start on May 1 in the coastal town of Torrevieja. 

The news is the latest setback for the Spanish squad, beset by economic difficulties which have seen it lose multiple riders to other teams in the first half of the season amidst multiple claims of unpaid wages.

Earlier this month the UCI officially gave the riders the green light to look for new squads.

Having started the season with 15 riders, Zaaf are now down to eight, which is the minimum roster requirement for UCI-registered women's Continental teams.

French National Champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot was the first to terminate her contact, and Lucie Jounier became one of the latest two riders to officially leave, announcing her move to Coop-Hitec Products last week.

Meanwhile, Mareille Meijering has been confirmed as a new signing for Movistar.

The 2023 edition of  La Vuelta Feminina now has 23 teams rather than 24 on its start list, nine of them Spanish. Unipublic have confirmed there will be no late substitution for the beleaguered Spanish squad.