Itzulia Women 2024 - Analysing the contenders

The stage racing season is underway across Spain, and with the conclusion of La Vuelta Femenina, moves into the back-to-back Itzulia Women, from May 10-12, and Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, from May 16-19. 

If the Vuelta was any indication cycling fans are in for three days of action-packed racing. Itzulia Women is set to begin in with a 140km race from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Elgoibar that will set the tone for the overall classification with its punchy parcours. 

However, as the race continues with stage 2's hilly 104km race in Basauri and then finale queen stage 3 in Donostia, the general classification could go to any number of all-rounders among the peloton.

Reusser will once again be a favourite, even after recovering and returning to racing following a crash at the Tour of Flanders, though she'll face a considerable challenge in her quest to defend the title. Cyclingnews highlights the key riders to watch at the three-day Itzulia Women.

Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime)

SD Worx-Protime won two consecutive Itzulia Women titles, with Demi Vollering in 2022 and Marlen Reusser in 2023, and now the aim is to make it three.

The team arrives at Itzulia Women fresh off claiming the overall at La Vuelta Femenina. It was Demi Vollering's first victory of the season, a winning peak timed to perfection, and she will undoubtedly carry that top form into the next two stage races, aiming for stages and a top place in the overall classifications.

However, SD Worx-Protime have shown that they do not need to rely on one rider in order to be successful when it comes to both one-day and stage racing, and like at last year's Itzulia Women, Marlen Reusser will be a key rider to watch as she aims to defend her overall title.

The punchy terrain suits both Vollering and Reusser, but Reusser has the ability to use her time trial power in strategic breakaways and that lends well to consistently gaining time in the overall classification each day. 

Reusser has had a turbulent spring, but she has recovered from illness and the injuries sustained in a crash at the Tour of Flanders, which included fractures to her jaw, both ear canals and several broken teeth.

She said that she is ready to try for a second consecutive victory, which would be part of a stepping stone to bigger goals at the Tour de Suisse and Giro d'Italia Women.

Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck)

Pauliena Rooijakkers will lead the Fenix-Deceuninck team at Itzulia Women. She has had experience racing for the general classification at the event after finishing second overall in the 2022 edition behind Demi Vollering.

Fenix-Deceuninck has shown promising form this spring, especially at the recent La Vuelta Femenina, where Yara Kastelijn secured two podium finishes and eighth overall, while Rooijakkers' consistency across the final four stages led to ninth place overall.

Kastelijn isn't racing at Itzulia Women, which means the team will be solely focused on stage opportunities and an overall classification result with Rooijakkers.

The shorter and punchier climbs at Itzulia Women, compared to the Vuelta, might better suit Rooijakkers, who can be among the strongest in the finals but could also be a breakaway card for Fenix-Deceuninck.

Kasia Niewiadoma and Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM)

Kasia Niewiadoma won the world title at the Gravel World Championships last fall and then carried her winning spirit into La Flèche Wallonne, where she triumphed atop the Mur de Huy.

It marked her first road race victory since 2019 and appeared to bode well for the upcoming stage racing season. While she went into La Vuelta Femenina as a major contender, the team made the decision to pull her out of the race so that she could recover from a lingering illness from the Ardennes Classics. 

Back in good health, Niewiadoma will want to continue her top form in the next set of shorter stages races at Itzulia Women and Vuelta a Burgos. These races are also great preparation for potential summer targets at the Giro d'Italia Women and Tour de France Femmes.

Canyon-SRAM also have a contender in Ricarda Bauernfeind, who has shown promising results at the UAE Tour Women (10th), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (9th) and La Vuelta Femenina (6th). In fact, in Niewiadoma's absence at the Vuelta, Bauernfeind stepped up to the GC plate in the mountain stages, where she was sixth at Alto del Fuerte Rapitán and La Laguna Negra and fifth at Valdesquí. Comunidad de Madrid.

A former stage winner at the Tour de France Femmes, Bauernfeind has shown that she can handle the pressures of top-tier racing as a contender in both stages and general classification. What's more, if Neve Bradbury is back on track following the illness that took her out of La Vuelta Femenina the team have yet another rider that could challenge right at the top of the overall results table.

Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ)

Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) has always been a strong climber and top-10 overall contender, but she has improved her game this spring with a stage win and fifth overall at La Vuelta Femenina.

A former French national champion in 2021, Muzic took her first big victory in 2022 at the Giro d'Italia and has steadily improved with podium finishes in stages at the Tour de France, Tour de Suisse and second overall at Vuelta a Burgos.

Her recent victory atop La Laguna Negra was all the more impressive as she matched Demi Vollering on the ascent and then outsprinted the Dutch Champion across the finish line, showing both stamina on the climbs, strategic nous and speed at the finish.

FDJ-SUEZ also line up with Marta Cavalli, who had a late start to the season due to a pelvis injury sustained while training, and she recently spent several weeks training at altitude instead of racing the Spring Classics.

Cavalli was forced to abandon the Vuelta following a crash on stage 2, but if she is recovered and 100% healthy, she could play a role in the team's overall success at Itzulia Women.

Mavi García (Liv AlUla Jayco)

Spanish champion Mavi García was recognised on the podium as the top rider from her nation in the final classification at La Vuelta Femenina.

Although she can be proud of that achievement, the Liv AlUla Jayco all-rounder as looking for more than 20th overall and will undoubtedly want to improve on that performance at both Itzulia Women and Vuelta a Burgos.

When she is in peak form, Garcia is a major contender for the overall classification at any of the Grand Tours. However, Itzulia Women might be more inherently her style of racing, given its shorter and steeper climbs, which lend well to the powerful attacks and breakaways that she has become so well known for over the last five years.

Garcia is an opportunistic rider, so watch for her to initiate breakaways at the most challenging part of each stage when the peloton is suffering at its worst. She also isn't afraid to launch 50+ km attacks and is more than capable of being among the selection in the finals.

Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek)

Shirin van Anrooij enjoyed a strong Spring Classics campaign that saw her consistently play a role in the finals of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Tour of Flanders, and Brabantse Pijl.

Many of those efforts were well-coordinated team tactics alongside Tour of Flanders winner Elisa Longo Borghini, who is not competing at Itzulia Women. The Italian Champion recently finished third overall at La Vuelta Femenina but is now taking a well-deserved rest, so Van Anrooij will take up the GC mantle at the three-day race.

The Dutch rider recently finished third at the Navarra Women's Elite Classic, a tough one-day race in Spain. She formed part of a select chase group behind solo winner Hannah Ludwig (Cofidis). 

Van Anrooij is clearly in good form after recovering from the Spring Classics, and watch for the contest stages and the overall classification at Itzulia.