As it happened: Swiss star delivers explosive victory after hectic run-in on stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina

Welcome to live coverage of stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina. Grand Tour season begins with a punchy 113km in the north-west of Spain, in the region of Galicia.

Stay with us all day for updates from the race.

Today's stage features two categorised climbs, along with an uphill finish which will decide who will be the first owner of the red leader's jersey.

Beginning in Marín, and heading south to Salvaterra de Miño, the race gets underway with the neutralised start at 11:20 CET.

Demi Vollering (FDJ SUEZ) reigned supreme at last year's Vuelta Femenina, but the Dutchwoman does not return to defend her title this year, shifting focus instead to the Giro d'Italia Women after a strong Classics campaign.

There are no shortage of contenders for the overall victory, however - check out our guide to the key contenders for an insight into who to look out for on the Spanish roads over the next seven days.

The race gets underway

It's a wet day in Marín as the race rolls out for the neutralised start. Stage 1 will be underway shortly.

Bad weather, but good vibes, on the start line at La Vuelta Femenina.

One of the favourites for this year's overall victory, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM-zondacrypto, greets the crowd ahead of today's first stage.

Breakout star of the spring Classics, winning Amstel Gold Race and finishing in the top five of all three Ardennes Classics, home talent Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) will hope to make an impression on her debut at La Vuelta Femenina.

Winner of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, much attention will be directed towards Visma-Lease a Bike's Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. She cannot be counted out as a GC threat, despite the fact she is building towards a defence of her title in France in July.

The action kicks off in Spain

The flag drops and the action is underway at the 2026 La Vuelta Femenina, with the first attacks flying off from the peloton.

In addition to the honour of wearing the first red leader's jersey of the race, today's first stage will also see the fight for the green points jersey kick off in earnest, with the favourites for the stage's punchy uphill finish last year's green jersey winner Marianne Vos (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) and winner of Milano-Sanremo in March, Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-ProTime).

An intermediate sprint with around 22 kilometres remaining on the stage will bring all the contenders to the fore, ahead of what's guaranteed to be an explosive finale in Salvaterra de Miño.

While there is plenty to do for the fast women at the conclusion of today's stage, there's also an opportunity for attacking riders to fight for the first polka dot Queen of the Mountains jersey, with two categorised climbs appearing on today's route.

Both category 3, the climbs come in quick succession - the first, the Alto do Cruceiro, appears after 38 kilometres. It's a 7.8 kilometre challenge at an average gradient of 4.6%. After that, the Alto da Portela features, around 50 kilometres into the day's action. It's a shorter test at 3.6 kilometres, but with a steeper average pitch of 5.8%, it could offer a launchpad to any riders looking to pick up QOM points, or even making a late breakaway attempt.

The first attacker of the race is Andrea Casagranda from the Italian continental team, Vini Fantini-BePink, but she is caught by the pursuing peloton.

No breakaway as yet, with just over 10 kilometres of racing having elapsed.

Despite the wet conditions, riders begin to shed layers as they prepare for action.

There's no time trial in this year's race - the organisers opted to leave out the opening stage team time trial that has kicked off proceedings since the race began in its new extended format in 2022.

There is plenty of variation during the seven days, however, with arguably the toughest final mountain test in the race's history, as the women will battle up the mighty Angliru.

Read our in-depth route analysis to find out what lies in wait for the participants at the 2026 edition of the race.

80km to go

The peloton is complete as the race begins the first climb of the day, the Alto do Cruceiro. As yet, no breakaway attempt has been successful.

Who will make it to the top first and claim the first available QOM points?

The complete peloton taking on stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina.

75km to go

The first hour of racing, and the first climb of the 2026 Vuelta Femenina, is complete.

A new attacker tries her luck on the descent from the climb - Yuliia Biriukova of Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi.

Biriukova is caught. The top teams in the bunch are controlling the attacks at this point in the race. On a relatively short stage, and the first of the race, there is bound to be tension in the group.

Squiban wins first QOM battle

With the second of two climbs approaching, two-time Tour de France stage winner in 2025 Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) has set out her stall, attacking at the summit of the Ato do Cruceiro to take the maximum available points in the QOM competition. Here are the complete standings atop the climb.

1. Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) 6pts
2. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (IG Insurance-Soudal) 4pts
3. Yuliia Biriukova (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) 2pts
4. Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) 1pt

The peloton is now beginning the second categorised climb of the day - it's a tougher challenge, with an average gradient of 5.8% and one short section at over 10% - we can expect to see Squiban on the offensive again, to consolidate her early lead in the QOM competiton. But can anyone make a breakaway stick?

There are a range of top challengers for the GC at this year's Vuelta Femenina, looking to succeed Demi Vollering and finish the week on the top step of the podium.

But the race isn't only about the top contenders; there are a host of up and coming young riders who could make a breakthrough at the race. Read more about the future GC stars taking to the roads of Spain this week.

65km to go

The categorised climbing is over for the day - however there are still plenty of undulations to be tackled en route to the finish line.

Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx-ProTime) pushes the pace at the front of the bunch on another uphill segment of the course - she is looking to make it tough for the faster women in the bunch, to try and thin out the group ahead for the finale for her teammate, Lotte Kopecky.

Moolman-Pasio takes second QOM

We have a battle on our hands for the QOM jersey - AG Insurance Soudal's veteran climber Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio pips Maëva Squiban at the summit of the second and final categorised climb of the day - the two are tied on equal points in the QOM competition, so the decision on who will wear the polka dot jersey heading into day 2 will be decided on the finish line - whoever finishes first, will take the jersey.

1. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal), 6 pts
2. Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ), 4 pts
3. Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), 2 pts
4. Valentina Cavallar (Team SD Wrox-Protime), 1 pt

55km to go

The tough pace on the climbs and the wet descent that followed has thinned out the bunch considerably.

Canyon//SRAM-zondacrypto, FDJ SUEZ and EF Education-Oatly are all visible at the front of the bunch, however some of the Lidl-Trek team, including their GC hope Gaia Realini, are briefly caught out at the back of the bunch. They chase back on successfully.

50km to go

EF Education-Oatly currently ride at the head of the bunch, led by American national road race champion Kristen Faulkner. The American team will look to their Breton star Cédrine Kerbaol in the general classification race.

The tension briefly abates as teams take on fuel and the pressure at the front of the bunch calms.

The peloton are riding tempo, saving their energy ahead of what will be a high-octane approach to the finish.

45km to go

With around 20 kilometres to go to the intermediate sprint, it's time to consider the contenders for today's victory.

Marianne Vos is top of the list. She is a powerful sprinter and can handle uphill finishes, and she will be looking to pull on the red jersey, not for the first time in her dazzling career.

Lotte Kopecky is perhaps her primary challenger. The SD Worx-ProTime rider has returned to something like her best form this spring, with a victory at Milano-Sanremo her best result so far.

EF Education-EasyPost's powerful all-round Noemi Rüegg can never be counted out. The Swiss rider has made a strong start to the season once again and will be in the mix.

For UAE Team ADQ, the best hope for victory is probably Karlijn Swinkels. The Dutch woman is fast at the finish and also capable of launching a late move.

Liane Lippert (Movistar) is one of the best puncheuses in the peloton, but today may not be quite hard enough for her to avoid the pure speed of the likes of Vos and Kopecky. For Liv-AlUla-Jayco, Letizia Paternoster will hope to be in amongst it; the Italian wore the red jersey last year. For FDJ SUEZ, Paris-Roubaix winner Franzi Koch can't be excluded from consideration; like Swinkels she might be the type of rider who can go from a long way out.

40km to go

Two hours have elapsed in the stage, as the peloton winds its way towards the day's intermediate sprint point, where the first action in the green jersey competition will unfold.

35km to go

The bunch navigates the final significant downhill section of the day safely, and as the road flattens out, the bunch is led towards the business end of the stage by Movistar, with Visma-Lease a Bike also prominent at the front of the bunch.

Megan Jastrab (UAE Team ADQ) has nearly made it back to the peloton after experiencing a mechanical issue.

30km to go

FDJ SUEZ begin to put the pressure on at the front of the peloton, as the rain begins to fall again in Galicia.

Around 5 kilometres remain to the day's intermediate sprint. From there, the race will be high octane to the finish.

25km to go

Gaia Realini of Lidl-Trek is off the back of the bunch again in a second group that are chasing back to the main peloton.

Kristen Faulkner is also among the riders who have been dropped from the reduced bunch.

FDJ SUEZ begin the lead-out towards the intermediate sprint point.

Eva van Agt leads out Franzi Koch, who powers towards the intermediate sprint line and wins the battle, ahead of Letizia Paternoster (Liv-AlUla-Jayco). Koch claims bonus seconds that will count towards the general classification.

An attack from a small group at the front of the bunch driven by Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek) opens up a small gap to the main peloton.

20km to go

The group come back together again.

A small chase group including Realini and Faulkner have still not made it back to the main peloton.

Tension mounts in the bunch as the women draw closer to the finish line in Salvaterra de Miño.

15km to go

No-one is taking any risks at the moment, as the bunch creeps ever closer to the final of this first stage of the 2026 Vuelta Femenina.

FDJ United SUEZ, EF Education-Oatly, Team SD Worx-ProTime, UAE Team ADQ and Visma-Lease a Bike are all lined up in formation at the front of the bunch, heading toward the final ten kilometres.

10km to go

The peloton navigates a tight hairpin bend and many riders come almost to a standstill at the back of the bunch - now things are stretched out in a long line, and those caught out of position will have a huge job on their hands to get back into contention.

Crash

With 8 kilometres to go, a number of riders come into difficulty, with a few hitting the deck. Updates on who is affected as we have them.

Following a series of difficult, wet corners and bends, the race is split up, with a lead group including Juliette Berthet (FDJ United SUEZ) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in a lead group of five, who could really seek to take advantage of the situation.

EF Education-Oatly lead the chase. Koch is also present in the lead group, which could see FDJ take a commanding lead in the race.

5km to go

The peloton behind has been split into two main groups, with the first of the two groups gaining ground on the leading five riders.

The lead group driven by FDJ are caught.

Behind, Marianne Vos is fighting to catch back on to the main group - she is riding through the cars to try and catch the bunch. She sits 23 seconds behind the front of the race.

A huge blow for Team Visma-Lease a Bike, who may have lost their opportunity to go for the stage win through Vos, as they make it back to the second group on the road, driving through the group with Lieke Nooijen piloting Vos.

2km to go

A monster effort for Visma-Lease a Bike, who pick up a second support rider in Marion Bunel to pull Vos back to the front group, and with just under 2 kilometres remaining they make contact.

Team SD Worx-ProTime are in control heading towards the final kilometre. Movistar are also in a prominent position.

1km to go

Movistar lead as the race passes the flamme rouge.

The road rises and the effort takes its toll on the bunch, which stretches out as the gradient increases.

Into the final 500 metres, SD Worx lead the charge, with Franzi Koch near the front for FDJ United SUEZ.

Koch and Rüegg lead the charge towards the finish line.

Noemi Rüegg wins stage 1

Lotte Kopecky launches her sprint in pursuit of Rüegg but the Swiss proves too powerful for the former world champion, surging towards the line and rewarding her team's hard work with a brilliant stage victory.

That was some effort from the Swiss rider. She has proven her grit and power a number of times in the past, but this was a clear statement of her abilities on this type of finish. She held off Kopecky with confidence, her victory never in doubt. She will be the first wearer of the red leader's jersey.

Franzi Koch finishes third.

EF Education-Oatly's Alice Towers spoke about the team's need to change their plans during the race based on the way a number of riders were feeling. They delivered though, never far from the front of the race, it was a true team effort for the American team today.

Marianne Vos: 'I landed in a ditch'

Marianne Vos says she 'landed in a ditch' after being involved in the late crash that impacted the peloton, and forced her to have to chase back on - she was still able to finish seventh on the stage, an impressive result despite the circumstances.

Stage winner Noemi Rüegg on her stage 1 victory: 'Absolutely insane, honestly I can't really believe it, it's just a dream you know, to win a Grand Tour stage. The team believed in me so much, and it was a big goal to go for the win, but the girls believed in it more than I did and it's insane to finish it off like this, I don't know what to say.

'It was quite hectic from the beginning because it was raining at the start, and it made it quite hectic and the descents were very slippy. We stick to the plan, we focused on the final and finished it off amazing.

'I knew this finish was perfect for me, if I was to draw my dream stage it would end exactly like this, so I knew I could trust on a long sprint, so I knew from the last corner I knew I wanted to go full gas and all in, and the team put me in a great position and then I just went all out from the last corner, I didn't want to have any regrets, and I had a gap like pretty immediately and I was like just keep going and I looked back and saw I could make it to the finish. It was a dream.

'It gives a lot of confidence to everyone, and I really want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of my teammates, they really believed in me and they encouraged me, and we had the race under control from the beginning, we owned the race and we were always together, and this gives me a lot of confidence and I think that's what we take into the next few days as well, that we can trust each other, and it's so nice that we got such a reward today, with the victory.'

Teamwork makes the dream work for EF Education-Oatly on stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina.

Noemi Rüegg now leads both the overall classification and the points classification, following her win on stage 1.

By virtue of finishing in fifth place, ahead of Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio with whom she is tied on points, UAE Team ADQ's Maëva Squiban will wear the polka dot QOM jersey tomorrow.

Team Picnic-PostNL's Eleonora Ciabocco was awarded the prize for the day's most combative rider.

A thrilling finale to round out stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina. Thank you so much for joining us for live coverage of today's race.

Do join us again tomorrow as the peloton tackles the second of seven tricky stages in Spain. Stage 2 begins in Lobios and heads to San Cibrao das Viñas, and offers a second opportunity for the sprinters.

Will Noemi Rüegg hang onto the race lead? Will Marianne Vos be able to have her day? Join us again to follow every moment of the action live.