Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) took charge of La Vuelta Femenina, attacking 3km from the top of the finishing climb to the Lagunas de Neila and soloing to the line to win stage 5, taking the overall race lead in the process.
Marlen Reusser (Movistar) was the only rider to initially stay with Vollering as she attacked but struggled to hold the race and was eventually distanced, finishing 24 seconds behind in second place.
The next to cross the line was the previous day's stage winner, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), in third at 56 seconds back.
Vollering will wear the race leader's jersey into stage 6 with 45 seconds ahead of Van der Breggen and Reusser, another second down.
Demi Vollering takes the overall lead after stage 5 (Image credit: Getty Images)
How it unfolded
On the 120.4km stage from Golmayo to the summit of Lagunas de Neila, it took 36km for the break of the day to be established when Maike van der Duin (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Julia Borgström (AG Insurance-Soudal), Arianna Fidanza (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), and Lea-Lin Teutenberg (Lotto) went away.
Their advantage maxed out at 3:22 minutes before the peloton took up the chase, gradually reducing the gap to just under a minute at the day’s intermediate sprint in Quintanar de la Sierra.
Borgström attacked right after the intermediate sprint, and only Fidanza could jump across, leaving two riders at the front. Fidanza then shook off Borgström, but all the escapees were caught with 27km to go, just before the start of the second-category Alto de Rozavientos.
A general view of of the early breakaway on stage 5 (Image credit: Getty Images)
FDJ-Suez controlled the peloton, first with Ally Wollaston, then with Évita Muzic and Juliette Labous, reducing the size of the group as riders lost contact one by one. On the final kilometre of the climb, Muzic was dropped after her hard effort, Labous was also empty, and Vollering had to set the pace herself.
Only ten riders were left in the first group at the QOM sprint, where they turned left to descend down the mountain and tackle the same climb once more, continuing for another 2.5km to the finish line.
Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) tried another of her trademark downhill attacks. Labous followed her, but they were soon reeled in, and Kerbaol then almost overshot a corner but managed to stay on the road.
Several riders returned to the front group on the descent so that there were 26 riders at the front of the race when Mareille Meijering (Movistar) attacked 11km from the line. This wasn’t the official climb yet, but the road was already going up.
Mischa Bredewold on stage 5 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime) went on a solo chase behind Meijering, and with 7km to go, Meijering was 35 seconds ahead of Bredewold and 48 seconds ahead of the group of favourites, where Muzic had taken up position at the front again.
Muzic’s chase work brought back Bredewold 4.8km from the finish, but Meijering was still 30 seconds up the road. An acceleration by Labous was neutralised by Van der Breggen, and this quickly cut Meijering’s advantage in half.
Pauliena Rooijakkers, Cedrine Kerbaol, Niamh Fisher-Black, Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser, Anna van der Breggen on stage 5 (Image credit: Getty Images)
When Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) made her move with 3.6km to go, she quickly passed Meijering, but Van der Breggen again closed the gap. Only six riders were left at the front now as Van der Breggen led Vollering, Reusser, Fisher-Black, Kerbaol, and Rooijakkers up the climb, with Marion Bunel (Visma-Lease a Bike) maybe 20 metres behind them.
Just after the 3km mark, Vollering launched her attack from Van der Breggen’s wheel. Reusser followed her move, and the two quickly pulled away from the rest of the group, but Reusser then had to let Vollering go only 100 metres further up the road.
Demi Vollering solo on stage 5 (Image credit: Getty Images)
The last part of the climb turned into a climbing time trial as each rider went at their own best speed.
Vollering steadily increased her advantage, and Van der Breggen left Kerbaol and Fisher-Black behind with about 2.2km to go.
On the final kilometre, Rooijakkers unsuccessfully tried to catch Van der Breggen, and Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) came strong from behind to finish in fifth place.
Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.
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