'It's a huge step for me' – Paula Blasi and Marion Bunel usher in new generation of Grand Tour stars at La Vuelta Femenina

Saturday's conclusion of La Vuelta Femenina saw the welcome of a new generation of GC riders at the top of the standings as 23-year-old Paula Blasi and 21-year-old Marion Bunel stood alongside veteran Anna van der Breggen on the Alto de L'Angliru.

Four-time Giro winner Van der Breggen has been there and done that with the race marking her 16th Grand Tour finish and her ninth GC podium. For Blasi, concluding her Grand Tour debut with a win, and for third-placed Bunel, racing her fourth Grand Tour, it was very much uncharted territory.

They have form at the famous under-23 proving ground of the Tour de l'Avenir, with Bunel winning the race in 2024 and finishing second last year, as Blasi finished sixth.

The pair can now count themselves as legitimate Women's WorldTour GC stars, though, having beaten the likes of Van der Breggen, Kasia-Niewiadoma-Phinney, and Juliette Berthet in Spain.

"It's unbelievable that I'm standing on the podium. It's a huge step for me," Bunel, who last year joined Visma-Lease a Bike from St Michel-Auber93, said after the stage.

"I want to keep learning and take those lessons with me. With this team around me, I feel I'm in the right place to do that. Now I just want to keep improving myself, without limits.

"The girls were amazing. They kept me in the perfect position all day. It was an incredibly hard day, but I'm happy I didn't blow up."

At the base of the race-ending HC-rated L'Angliru, Bunel could be seen near the front of the severely depleted peloton, tucked behind two teammates, Maude Oudeman and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, while Blasi was also in the group. The pair were clearly ready to strike later on.

By 8km to go on the 12.4km climb that averaged 9.7% – with sections in the last half peaking at 24% – teammates had started drifting away, and by 6km to go it was all down to the team leaders, including the two youngsters.

At nearly 4km to go, Bunel put on the pressure, accelerating away from her rivals and putting Van der Breggen into difficulty.

She would be caught and passed by Blasi and Petra Stiasny, while Berthet also caught her on the very final stretch. Crossing the line in fourth was more than enough to keep Bunel on the overall podium and at the top of the youth classification, though.

Blasi, meanwhile, accelerated clear of everyone, with only Stiasny able to catch and pass her before the finish line to score a solo victory. In 2026, she has already made a name for herself as a top-level rider this spring, with a glittering Ardennes week which included an Amstel Gold Race win, a podium at La Flèche Wallonne, and fifth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

"I still can't believe it. Wearing the red jersey as winner of La Vuelta Femenina is something incredible," Blasi said after she was crowned the first home winner in the race's history.

"It was another crazy day, and this climb was so hard. First of all, I want to thank my team and my teammates for the exceptional work they did. I just tried to stay focused and calm. I knew what pace I had to hold on the climb.

"When I saw Anna van der Breggen was struggling a bit, it gave me extra motivation, but I still tried not to go too deep and simply stick to my own rhythm until the finish. It's an incredible joy, even if I still haven't fully realised what I've done today and in these past few weeks. Now I just want to celebrate with my team and enjoy some rest."

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