La Vuelta Femenina stage 3 LIVE: Two breakaway groups have formed but they're struggling to join forces

There are now two groups on the road, Wilson-Haffenden and Vervloet lead the peloton by 3.44, the race rolling at an average speed of about 36km/h.

Wilson-Haffenden started the day 5.20 down on GC, while Vervloet was at 19.56, neither is a threat to the overall lead, will the bunch let them fight for the stage, or will the sprinters want another battle?

And it's all change.
Garua's group have seven up the ghost, sat up and are heading back to the bunch.
Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl-Trek) and Sterre Vervloet (Lotto-Intermarché Ladies) lead the peloton by 3.10.

90km to go

The two groups have been up the road a while now and still they're separated, though the gap is coming down and they're almost together. Garau is now the overall leader of the Vuelta on the road.

It's proving harder than they hoped for Gégu, Ragusa and Garau to reach the leading pair, they've slipped back very slightly.
Will they even get there?

Though she is on an Italian team, Garau is one of only eight Spanish riders who started the race on Sunday, partly because there are no Spanish Continental teams anymore.
We investigated the state of women's pro cycling in Spain, La Vuelta is thriving but the lower levels are struggling.

Wilson-Haffenden and Vervloet lead the peloton by 2.19 with the chasers 20 seconds behind.

100km to go

The two groups are coming together now, it seems as though the leading pair are waiting for the chasers.

But Garau's group are not gaining time at the same pace as Wilson-Haffenden and Vervolet who are 2.15 ahead, while Gégu, Ragusa and Garau are only 1.33 in front of the peloton.

Marina Garau is the best placed breakaway rider in the breakaway, trailing Koch's overall lead by 2.13. She might well be the virtual leader on the road very soon.
Her Vini Fantini-Bepink team is the lowest ranked team in the race and the only third division, Continental squad.

With 110km to go Wilson-Haffenden and Vervloet now lead the peloton by 1.35 with Gégu, Ragusa and Garau 35 seconds behind them.

The breakaway is formed

Wilson-Haffenden and Vervloet are 49 seconds ahead with Gégu, Ragusa and Garau 14 seconds behind them.
It seems the Mayenne team were looking for the breakaway today.

Now Justine Gégu (Mayenne-Monbana-My Pie) has set off in pursuit of the leaders, with Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health) and Marina Garau (Vini Fantini-Bepink) joining her.

With only two kilometres done we have two riders away, Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl-Trek) and Sterre Vervloet (Lotto-Intermarché Ladies) have 18 seconds.

We had 118 riders start the stage today, Noemi Rüegg wasn't the only one to leave the race after yesterday's stage.
Eleonora Ciabocco (Picnic-PostNL) and Margot Vanpachtenbeke (Lidl-Trek) have also withdrawn overnight.

They join a growing list of riders dropping out of the 2026 race.

We're racing, with 121.2km ahead of us.

The flag drops

Our race leader, Fransika Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ) and stage two winner Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) before the roll out.

There's little change in the weather from previous stages, with a maximum temperature forecast at around 15º, some rain and winds up to around 18km/h from the north-west. That could cause some issues in the bunch as we run along the coast later.

And we're rolling for 4km of neutralised riding before the stage gets going proper.

The organisers describe the day as flat, and admittedly there are no classified climbs, but...

It's a day for the opportunists with relentless climbing on the roads to A Coruña.

Riders are already heading to the start, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) doesn't look too happy with the weather.

Today's stage is another tough one, with more than 2,000m of vertical ascent. We roll out from the town of Padrón at 14:00 Spanish time, and finish in A Coruña 121.2km later.

It was a difficult day for EF Education-Oatly though.

Their Former Swiss champion, Noemi Rüegg started the day in the leader's red jersey, but crashed out of the race.
She's since been diagnosed with a broken shoulder.

Yesterday was another gripping, enthralling day, with many a tale to being told.

Shari Bossuyt the dramatic stage 2 sprint as Franziska Koch takes second place and the overall lead.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of stage three of the Vuelta España Femenina.